Description
This Sheet Pan Pizza recipe offers a quick and easy way to enjoy a homemade pizza with a crispy crust and delicious toppings. Featuring savory Italian sausage, tangy pizza sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese, this pizza is baked on a sheet pan for convenient preparation and cleanup. Perfect for a family dinner or casual get-together, it yields 4 to 6 hearty servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 3/4 pounds ground sweet or mild Italian sausage
- 16 ounces pizza dough
- 1 Tablespoon cornmeal (for the pan)
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) to ensure it is hot enough for a perfectly crispy crust.
- Cook Sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat and set the cooked sausage aside.
- Prepare Pan: Grease a 13×9-inch sheet pan with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle an even layer of cornmeal across the pan to prevent the pizza dough from sticking during baking.
- Shape Dough: Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface, then gently stretch it to fit the sheet pan. If the dough resists stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes to relax the gluten before trying again.
- Add Sauce: Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the stretched dough, leaving a small border around the edges to form a crust.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
- Add Sausage: Distribute the cooked sausage evenly over the cheese layer.
- Top with Cheese: Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the sausage for a cheesy top layer.
- Bake Pizza: Place the sheet pan pizza in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, and the crust is fully cooked and crisp.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes to set the toppings before slicing and serving. Enjoy your delicious homemade sheet pan pizza!
Notes
- Allowing the dough to rest if it resists stretching prevents tearing and makes it easier to shape.
- Using cornmeal on the pan helps prevent sticking and adds a slight crunch to the crust’s bottom.
- Feel free to substitute the Italian sausage with your preferred toppings, such as pepperoni or vegetables.
- Letting the pizza cool slightly before slicing helps the cheese set and keeps toppings from sliding off.
