Sheet Pan Pizza With Soft Thick Crust and Fresh Basil
By Ethan Parker
Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Total
50 min
Servings
4
For easy pizza night‚ make pizza dough ahead of time and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours to proof․ Make pizza sauce while the dough undergoes its second proof․ This flat thick-crust pizza recipe serves four and features a soft crust and pizza toppings of tomato sauce‚ fresh mozzarella‚ and fresh basil․
All-purpose flour‚ active dry yeast‚ warm water‚ salt‚ and olive oil are ingredients in the dough․ Olive oil coats a 25 cm by 30 cm pan․ Drained canned tomatoes are pureed with basil‚ oregano‚ salt‚ pepper‚ and olive oil to make sauce․ After the first bake‚ Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses are added to the pan but are not mixed into the dough before baking․
After the second proof‚ the dough should be soft and airy‚ and you should be able to knead it with oil between your fingers․ Dimpling the pizza dough helps it stay soft and airy․ Pizza dough with sauce should bake first․ Sprinkle Parmesan and two kinds of mozzarella on the pizza before the second bake․ Problems during preparation may include reduced proofing time․ The recipe advises that the dough be proofed until it has tripled‚ then made soft and airy․
Serve with a five-minute rest and fresh basil․ Keep sliced pizza in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to three days or in freezer bags up to one month․ Thaw frozen pizza before reheating in an oven or microwave․
Why you'll love this recipe
- The dough can be left to rise in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours, The pizza dough can be made ahead of time and shaped as needed at a later time․
- Four servings can fit in a 25-by-30-centimeter pan to create smaller pizzas suitable for small households or other small groups or for cooking and sharing pizzas․
- Leftover pizza slices can be refrigerated for up to three days in an airtight container and eaten for lunch‚ either cold or reheated․
- Freezing individual slices for up to a month in freezer bags helps you prepare a casserole one day and eat it on other days․
- The sauce is prepared from canned tomatoes and other ingredients‚ such as basil‚ oregano‚ salt‚ pepper‚ and oil, The sauce can be prepared during fermentation of the dough․
- Adding mozzarella to the dish after the first cooking step saves time and avoids combining tasks of making dough and adding cheese on other days when preparing meals in advance․
Ingredients
- •300 g all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
- •4 g active dry yeast (1 1/2 tsp)
- •220 ml lukewarm water (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)
- •1 tsp salt
- •1 tsp olive oil (for the dough)
- •1 tbsp olive oil (to grease the pan)
- •300 g diced canned tomatoes (1 1/4 cup)
- •3 basil leaves
- •1 pinch salt
- •1 pinch black pepper
- •1 tsp olive oil
- •½ tsp oregano
- •20 g Parmesan cheese (2 tbsp, shredded, optional)
- •200 g mozzarella cheese (7 oz)
- •1 handful fresh basil
Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dough.
- 2
Use a spoon or spatula to stir the ingredients into an even dough.
- 3
Cover the dough with cling film or a bag.
- 4
Proof the dough in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours or at room temperature for 4 hours, until tripled in size.
- 5
Grease a 25 cm x 30 cm (10-inch x 12-inch) sheet pan with olive oil.
- 6
Using a greased spoon, stir and fold the dough a few times.
- 7
Transfer the proofed dough to the sheet pan.
- 8
Using greased fingers, gently spread the dough evenly over the baking dish.
- 9
Set aside for 1 to 2 hours, until the dough has proofed and become light and airy.
- 10
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 230 °C / 445 °F.
- 11
Place a sieve over a bowl.
- 12
Add the canned diced tomatoes to the sieve and drain them.
- 13
Discard the liquid and add the drained tomatoes to a bowl.
- 14
Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- 15
Using an immersion blender or blender, blend into a smooth tomato sauce.
- 16
Press your fingers into the dough to make it airy.
- 17
Add two large ladles of tomato sauce and a few basil leaves, arranging them evenly over the dough.
- 18
Bake for 15 minutes at 230 °C / 445 °F.
- 19
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the shredded Parmesan over the sauce.
- 20
Shred half of the mozzarella into large pieces and grate the remaining mozzarella.
- 21
Arrange the mozzarella evenly over the pizza.
- 22
Return to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 210 °C / 410 °F.
- 23
Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
- 24
Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
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