In this article
Pizza night at our house was my mother’s sheet pan, and in all those years nobody in our family ever once ordered out. On Friday she made the dough after lunch, set it to rise under a towel on the counter, and by supper the kitchen smelled of garlic and tomato. She cut it into squares with kitchen scissors, right in the pan, and the corner pieces went to whoever had set the table. That was the only bribe that ever worked on my brothers.
The dough is a plain yeast dough with a good pour of olive oil, and the caption question was how long it rises: about an hour and a half on the counter, until it has doubled. The rest is the pan. A generous film of oil in the sheet pan fries the bottom of the crust golden and crisp while the inside stays thick and soft. Her sauce was simple, tomato sauce simmered with garlic, oregano and a pinch of sugar. The topping was always the same: ground beef browned with onion, green pepper, and mozzarella pushed all the way out to the rim, where it melts down the side of the dough and crisps against the hot metal.
Why this sheet pan pizza works
- Oil in the pan. It fries the bottom of the crust so it is crisp and golden, not pale and bready.
- A full rise. An hour and a half on the counter gives the dough time to double, so it bakes up thick, light and chewy.
- Cheese to the edges. Mozzarella spread right to the rim melts down against the pan and turns into crisp, lacy, browned edges.
- Cooked sauce. A quick simmer thickens the sauce so the crust does not go soggy under it.
- Bottom rack, hot oven. The heat from below crisps the crust while the top bubbles and browns.
Ingredients
Makes one 18x13 inch half sheet pan pizza, 12 big squares, enough for 6 to 8 people. US cups with grams in brackets.
For the dough
- 4 cups all-purpose or bread flour (500g)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (1 packet, 7g)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 2/3 cups warm water (400ml)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (60ml), plus 3 tablespoons for the pan
For the sauce
- 1 can (15 ounces, 425g) tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the topping
- 1 pound ground beef (450g)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella (450g)
Use low-moisture mozzarella, the firm kind sold in blocks or shredded, not fresh mozzarella in water. Fresh mozzarella releases water and the edges will never crisp.
How to make sheet pan pizza
Make the dough
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm water and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured counter for 5 minutes until smooth.
- Return the dough to the oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
Sauce and topping
- While the dough rises, simmer the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt in a small saucepan for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Brown the ground beef with the onion in a skillet over medium high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Drain off the fat.
Pizza dough pressed into an oiled sheet pan" src="/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/sheet-pan-pizza-2.webp" />
Bake
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees (230°C) with a rack in the lowest position. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into an 18x13 inch sheet pan and spread it over the bottom.
- Put the dough in the pan and press it out with oiled fingers toward the corners. If it springs back, let it rest 10 minutes and press again until it fills the pan.
- Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving no border. Scatter the beef and onion and the green pepper over it, then the mozzarella, right out to the edges so it touches the pan.
- Bake on the bottom rack for 18 to 22 minutes, until the crust is deep golden underneath and the cheese at the edges has turned dark brown and crisp. Let it rest 5 minutes, then cut into squares with kitchen scissors.
Tips that make the difference
- Warm water should feel like a baby’s bath, not hot. Hot water kills the yeast.
- If your kitchen is cold, let the dough rise in the oven with only the light on.
- Lift a corner with a spatula before you take the pizza out. If the bottom is pale, give it 3 more minutes.
- Make the dough in the morning and keep it in the refrigerator; take it out an hour before pressing it into the pan.
Variations
- Cheese only. Skip the beef and pepper for a plain cheese pizza; add a little more sauce.
- Mushroom and olive. Add sliced mushrooms and black olives with the green pepper.
- Chicken. Use diced cooked chicken in place of the ground beef.
- Thinner crust. Use two thirds of the dough for a thinner, crisper crust and freeze the rest.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftover squares covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat squares in a dry skillet over medium heat with a lid on for 4 to 5 minutes. The bottom crisps again and the cheese melts.
Freeze the raw dough after the first rise, wrapped in oiled plastic, for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
How long does sheet pan pizza dough rise?
About 1 1/2 hours at room temperature, until doubled. In a cool kitchen it can take 2 hours; in a warm one, a little over an hour.
Why is my crust soggy on the bottom?
There was not enough oil in the pan, or the pizza was baked on a middle rack. Use a good film of oil and the lowest rack.
Can I use a 13x9 inch pan?
Yes, use half the dough and half the topping, or use all of it for a very thick pan pizza and bake a few minutes longer.
Do I need to cook the ground beef first?
Yes. Raw beef will not cook through in the time the pizza bakes, and it would make the top watery.
Make it on a Friday, cut it with the scissors, and give the corners to whoever set the table. That is how it was done in our house.
Friday Sheet Pan Pizza with Homemade Crust and Crispy Cheese Edges
My mother's Friday night sheet pan pizza: a thick olive oil yeast crust risen 1 1/2 hours, pressed into an oiled 18x13 inch pan, topped with homemade sauce, ground beef, onion, green pepper and mozzarella to the edges, baked at 450 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 2/3 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil (60ml), plus 3 tablespoons for the pan
- 1 can (15 ounces, 425g) tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm water and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured counter for 5 minutes until smooth.
- Return the dough to the oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- While the dough rises, simmer the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt in a small saucepan for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Brown the ground beef with the onion in a skillet over medium high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Drain off the fat.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees (230°C) with a rack in the lowest position. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into an 18x13 inch sheet pan and spread it over the bottom.
- Put the dough in the pan and press it out with oiled fingers toward the corners. If it springs back, let it rest 10 minutes and press again until it fills the pan.
- Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving no border. Scatter the beef and onion and the green pepper over it, then the mozzarella, right out to the edges so it touches the pan.
- Bake on the bottom rack for 18 to 22 minutes, until the crust is deep golden underneath and the cheese at the edges has turned dark brown and crisp. Let it rest 5 minutes, then cut into squares with kitchen scissors.
