Sicilian Sheet Pan Pizza

Name: Sicilian Sheet Pan Pizza
Prep time: 1 h 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 20 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 5 cups Bread flour; 2 tsp Instant yeast; 2 cups Warm water; 4 tbsp Olive oil; 2 tsp Kosher salt; 2 cups Crushed tomatoes; 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Dried oregano; 24 oz Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded; 0.8 cup Grated parmesan; 8 oz Pepperoni slices; 3 tbsp Olive oil

Thick focaccia-style squares

Prep: 100 min
Cook: 140 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Thick focaccia-style squares. Sized for a full crew, with timing that still works when the kitchen gets interrupted.

Why crews like it: A hall pick for regular dinner nights — one line, real portions, no drama at the stove.

0Cal

0gProtein

0gCarbs

0gFat

Ingredients

5 cups Bread flour
2 tsp Instant yeast
2 cups Warm water
4 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
2 cups Crushed tomatoes
4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Dried oregano
24 oz Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
0.8 cup Grated parmesan
8 oz Pepperoni slices
3 tbsp Olive oil

Instructions

Mix soft Sicilian dough: Bloom yeast in warm water 5 minutes. Mix flour, salt, 2 tbsp oil, and yeast water until a sticky, soft dough forms. Knead 6–8 minutes. Rise 1 hour until puffy — Sicilian is thick and airy, not cracker-thin.
Oil pans and press dough: Oil two 9x13 or half-sheet pans generously. Press dough to fill corners; do not over-stretch thin. Dimple surface with oiled fingertips — those dimples hold olive oil and sauce.
Second rise in the pan: Cover and rise 30–45 minutes until dough looks pillowy and fills the pan edge to edge. Preheat oven to 475°F with racks in lower third.
Sauce stripes and cheese: Whisk crushed tomatoes with garlic and oregano. Spoon sauce in stripes or patches on top — Sicilian often shows dough between sauce. Top with mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni if using.
Bake until bottom is fried-crisp: Bake on the lower rack 22–28 minutes until the bottom is deep golden and the center reads 190°F through the cheese. Edges should look fried in oil, not pale steamed bread.
Rest and cut squares: Rest 5 minutes in the pan, then lift or cut in the pan into squares. Sicilian Sheet Pan Pizza feeds eight from two trays with thick crust and crisp underside — crew grabs with napkins.

Tonight's spread

Cut pies into hall slices (8 per pie minimum) and fan on sheet trays.
Keep a fresh pie warming in the oven — pizza dies fast on the counter.
Line up Sicilian Sheet Pan Pizza on the main counter with serving spoons — firefighters grab fast between calls.
Keep a backup tray warm in the oven at 200°F for late arrivals after a run.

Hall tips

Keep a backup tray warm in the oven for late calls — nothing worse than cold plates after a run.
Taste for salt at the end — hall palates run salty after long shifts.

Leftovers

Cool leftovers in shallow containers within two hours — deep pots stay hot too long.
Label trays with date and reheat to 165°F minimum before second shift.

Pizza stone or steel
Peel or inverted sheet pan
Large sheet trays
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil