Pizza is one of those foods you can make in so many different ways, and I love it! One of my favorite ways to have pizza at home is using a baking pan (usually an old cookie sheet or pizza pan) so that the crust gets crispy on both sides. This homemade pizza recipe lets you use your regular baking sheet, just preheat it for about an hour beforehand, and you’ll get great results every time!
Choose Your Base
You have a few different options here. First, you can use a high-quality store-bought pizza dough like you would for most other pizzas. If you go that route, make sure you check out your local grocery store’s refrigerated section—you can typically find one or two good dough options there that are higher quality than what’s in those cardboard boxes on display. Second, you can roll out your own pizza dough from scratch using our easy recipe below. Third, if you want to get really fancy (and spend a little more money), you can buy yourself an actual pizza stone to bake your pizza on instead of just using any old baking sheet or steel pan.
Choose Your Sauce
When you’re making pizza, use a high-quality sauce. It makes a big difference in how good your pizza is. Don’t be afraid to splurge on the good sauce if you like to make homemade pizza—you won’t regret it! Choose your favorite, or try one of these varieties
Choose Your Cheeses
The best pizza pan for homemade pizza is a simple, plain one. The trick is to let it warm up for at least an hour before using it. If you opt for a steel pan, avoid seasoning it so that it doesn’t take on any extra flavors from your sauce or toppings. Whatever you choose, make sure you have
Create Crispy Edges
The best pizza pan is made of steel, heats evenly, and features a lip to contain drips. This allows you to cook your pizza in a hot oven—the best way to achieve those crispy edges that rival what you can get from most pizzerias. (Alternatively, you can use any baking sheet or pizza stone.) To make sure that your dough fully bakes through without burning, make sure that your pan is preheated for at least an hour before placing it in your oven.
Create an Even Crust
The pizza pans have deep edges to hold a crust’s thickness, which can be difficult to do on baking sheets or steel pans. You may need to adjust oven time or temperature when cooking pizza on a pan that has a flat bottom. The bottom of your crust should be an even golden-brown color before you add any toppings. If it isn’t, turn up your oven temperature slightly; if it is, lower it by 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Create Moisture in the Center
The single most important thing to remember when baking pizza in a pan is that your toppings are already cooked, so you don’t have to worry about dry crusts or toppings. On top of that, because you’re cooking on a surface that absorbs less moisture than a traditional stone oven (which dries out any exposed dough), you need to actively add moisture into your crust while it bakes.
Avoid Common Mistakes
Many people cook their pizza on a baking sheet or steel pan, but if you’re looking for a crust that’s crispy on the bottom, you need to preheat your pan in a 500°F oven for at least an hour. Make sure your crust is stretched evenly across your pan—if it’s too thick in one area, it will bake unevenly. And avoid putting wet toppings (like tomatoes) right onto your dough; they can make your crust soggy.
