Sheet Pan Pizza

It's been a while since I've made pizza.  A long while actually.  I was going through pizza withdrawal so decided this past Saturday to try a new pizza recipe.  I came across this recipe in my new Cooks Illustrated - Fall Entertaining magazine and liked the idea of a sheet pan pizza.  A thick crust, covered in homemade sauce with lots of melted mozzarella on top, and baked in a jelly-roll type pan.  A little different than the pizzas I'm used to making, but different can be good and in this case it can be REALLY good.

This was another recipe that exceeded my expectations.  This is one fantastic, tasty pizza.  There are no toppings on it and it doesn't need any, although I may throw a few on next time.  Or maybe I won't.  The crust and sauce are so flavourful and with the two cheeses, each slice is a piece of heaven.  We kept saying, "Wow, this is really good!" as we wolfed it down.  Maybe the fact it's just a cheese pizza made us think it was going to be...............JUST a cheese pizza.  But it's not.  It's so much more.
 
My daughter, Elizabeth, was not fortunate enough to eat this the night it was made but had leftovers the next night and absolutely loved it, even though it was heated up.

This is wonderful.  I absolutely recommend trying this as a change from your usual pizza. 

Sheet Pan Pizza
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Dough

nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 3/4 cups warm water, 110 degrees
1 T sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 envelopes (4 1/2 teaspoons) rapid-rise or instant yeast
2 tsp. table salt

Sauce and Topping

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 T)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 T tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 T chopped fresh basil leaves
table salt
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)

For the dough, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees.  When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn off oven.  Spray large bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Evenly coat 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet (my pan was a bit smaller, around 15 x 10 and it worked fine) with 1/4 cup oil.

Combine water, sugar, and remaining 1/4 cup oil in measuring cup.  In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined.  Increase speed to medium-low, slowly add water mixture, and mix until dough is uniform in texture, about 3 minutes.  Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm oven.  Let dough rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

For the sauce and toppings, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.  Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomato paste and cook until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes.  Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt.

Place dough on lightly floured work surface and use rolling pin to roll dough into 16  by 12-inch rectangle.  Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet and stretch dough to cover pan, using fingers to press edges of dough into corners.  Brush surface of dough with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Set baking sheet in warm spot (not oven) until dough has risen slightly, about 20 minutes.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove plastic wrap from baking sheet and, using fingers, make indentations all over surface of dough.  Sprinkle dough with 1 cup Parmesan and bake until cheese begins to melt, 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove baking sheet from oven and spoon sauce over pizza, leaving 1-inch border around edges.  Bake pizza until sauce is deep red and steaming, 7 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over sauce and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 5 minutes.  Cut into 12 slices.

Serves 12.

Source:  Cooks Illustrated - Fall Entertaining 2010