You know those recipes that just *smell* like a happy memory? For me, that’s pizza night at my childhood house. Forget those floppy, thin crusts you get from the delivery place; we’re talking about a real, substantial, cheesy meal that fills up the whole pan. This is the recipe for Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza, and trust me when I say it’s the thick crust pizza you’ve been dreaming about. I even have a little trick for pairing the leftovers with a quick mixed drink — you can check out my favorite speedy options over at Easy Cocktail Recipes for Quick Mixes.
It’s so simple because it uses a basic dough that you can whip up in minutes, and it all cooks right there on one sheet pan, which means cleanup is a breeze! Every time I pull this beautiful, bubbly creation out of the oven, I feel like I’m five again, waiting impatiently at the counter for my slice. We’ve tweaked it over the years, but the heart—that amazing, chewy base loaded with cheese—has stayed exactly the same. You absolutely have to try this one tonight!
Why You Will Love This Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
Honestly, what’s not to love? This pizza brings that cozy, nostalgic feeling right to your kitchen table. It’s the perfect weeknight champion because it’s genuinely so easy to pull together. If you’re looking for other easy comfort food ideas, you might want to peek at my guide on Easy No-Bake Cheesecake Recipes.
- That Perfect Crust: It’s thick, chewy, and baked right in the pan, soaking up all that delicious olive oil underneath.
- Maximum Cheese Pull: We load it up with a blend of mozzarella and Parmesan for that authentic, bubbly topping.
- Sheet Pan Simplicity: Everything cooks on one tray. Seriously, cleanup is almost non-existent!
- Family Feel: It tastes exactly like the pizza my grandma used to make for big family movie nights.
Essential Ingredients for Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
The beauty of this recipe is that it relies on pantry staples, which I just love. You don’t need any fancy, expensive components to make something truly fantastic here. But listen up: the cheese layer is where you absolutely cannot skimp! For the dough, you’ll need the basics—two cups of all-purpose flour, a teaspoon each of instant dry yeast and salt, and just one cup of warm water to bring it all together. Don’t forget that crucial two tablespoons of olive oil for mixing, plus extra for greasing the pan. You can find my trick for making homemade flatbreads over at Homemade Flour Corn Tortillas if you want more baking fun!
Now, for the topping magic: one cup of simple tomato sauce—nothing too chunky! Then, the stars: two cups of low-moisture mozzarella—the drier stuff works best here for melt and pull—and a half-cup of grated Parmesan for that salty kick. Finally, just a teaspoon of dried oregano sprinkled on top seals the deal. Keep it classic, keep it easy!
Tips for Perfecting Your Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza Dough
Okay, listen up, because the dough is really what makes a sheet pan pizza a hero instead of just okay. Grandma always insisted on kneading by hand for a few minutes—five minutes is usually just right—to get it smooth. Building that gluten structure is important for that beautiful chewiness we are after. If your arms are tired, though, don’t sweat it! You can totally use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment; it works like a charm. If you like working with doughs like this, you should definitely check out my recipe for Focaccia Bread next time you have a free afternoon.
A quick tip for beginners: when you go to press the dough into the oiled pan, don’t fight it! If it keeps snapping back, just let it sit for five minutes. That tough, springy feeling means the gluten is still tight, and it needs a little break before it stretches out nicely to the corners. We want it covering every oily inch of that pan!
Dough Rising and Resting Time for Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
This is where patience pays off, folks. After you mix and knead, you need to let it rise for a full hour in a warm spot. Warm means cozy—near the oven or under a clean kitchen towel in a sunny spot. If your kitchen is cold, it might take longer, so don’t panic if it hasn’t doubled in an hour; just give it more time until it looks puffy. Once it’s pressed into the pan, you let it rest again for about 15 more minutes before topping it. That second rest is key because it lets the dough relax right into those corners. This ensures you get that wonderful, soft interior that eats up the sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
Alright, we’ve got our risen dough resting patiently in that lovely, oiled pan. This is the final stretch! First things first: crank that oven up! We need it hot, so preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. That high heat is what gives us that great crust texture, even on this thicker pizza.
Once the oven is blazing hot, it’s time to spread that sauce. Be generous, but not *too* generous! Remember, this is a thick crust pizza, and if you dump on too much sauce, the middle will stay wet, and that’s tragic. I always leave about a half-inch border around the edges bare—that bare dough turns golden and crispy, which is my favorite part for biting into! If you like other tray-style meals, you might want to save some oven space by checking out my guide on Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes.
Next, layer on that gorgeous mound of mozzarella, followed by a dusting of the salty Parmesan—we want it evenly covered, right out to the edges of the sauced area. Pop that tray right into the center rack.
It bakes for 15 to 20 minutes. You’re looking for two things: the cheese has to be totally melted and bubbly, maybe with a few brown spots, and the crust edges where the oil is bubbling through should be deep golden brown. It smells absolutely incredible when it’s ready! Pull it out, let it cool right on the pan for about five minutes so it firms up a bit, and then slice it into squares. That’s how Grandma always did it!
Topping Secrets for the Ultimate Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
When it comes to topping this easy pizza, think layers, not mountains! We go in a very specific order to make sure that thick crust stays strong and doesn’t turn into a soggy mess. After your dough has rested and you’ve preheated that oven, start with the tomato sauce. My biggest piece of advice here, something Grandma always preached: don’t overload the sauce! Too much liquid right on the dough means steam gets trapped, and you end up with a floppy center that just won’t cook right.
After a thin, even layer of sauce, we bring out the cheese. Sprinkle all that low-moisture mozzarella first—it melts beautifully. Then, hit it with the grated Parmesan. That Parmesan adds a salty depth that makes this cheese pizza sing. If you are looking for another way to use sharp cheese, my Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread recipe is divine! Finish it off with a generous yet light sprinkle of dried oregano for that classic pizzeria aroma before it bakes.
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
If you actually manage to have leftovers of this amazing pizza—which is a genuine achievement in my house—you need to treat it right. Don’t you dare try to eat it cold from the fridge! The magic is in that thick, oily crust, and the microwave absolutely ruins that crispness. Instead, you have two good options.
First, the best way is grabbing a baking sheet, popping the leftover slices in a single layer, and reheating them in a 350-degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. You want that cheese to bubble just a tiny bit again. If you’re super lucky and have an air fryer, that works like a dream for reheating just a slice or two in about 4 minutes!
If you’re storing them for later in the week, make sure they are completely cool before tucking them into an airtight container. This pizza keeps well in the fridge for about three days. If you’re interested in making a fresh, simple sauce to go with them later, you should check out my guide on Making Homemade Tomato Sauce!
Variations on Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
Now, you know I swore by keeping this recipe pure and simple, just cheese and oregano. That’s the beauty of the original Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza! But hey, we’re allowed to jazz things up a little bit, right? We keep the thick crust, but we can certainly play with the seasonings.
Before you even press the dough into the pan, try mixing a little bit of garlic powder right into that olive oil you’re greasing the pan with. Oh my goodness, it steams up when it hits that hot metal, and the bottom crust gets this amazing, savory edge. If you love garlic bread, you simply must try this—it’s a game-changer! It’s similar excitement to making my Homemade Garlic Herb Biscuits!
Another tiny tweak is swapping the dried oregano for Italian seasoning—it just adds a little more complexity from the basil and marjoram. And for those who like a tiny bit of heat, a whisper of red pepper flakes right on top of the Parmesan before it goes into the oven gives it a nice little zing without overpowering the cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
Can I use fresh mozzarella instead of the low-moisture kind?
That’s a great question! Fresh mozzarella balls are delicious, but they hold a lot of water. If you use them right out of the package on this thick crust pizza, you risk making the center really soupy. If you insist on using fresh mozzarella for that super soft melt, you absolutely must slice it and let it drain on paper towels for at least an hour before topping the pizza. Otherwise, stick to the low-moisture shredded kind for this style of easy pizza recipe.
How thick should the crust realistically be before I bake it?
When it’s spread out in that 13×9 inch pan, I aim for the dough to be about a half-inch thick, maybe a smidge less in the corners where it stretches thin. Remember, it’s going to puff up quite a bit during that final 15-minute rest and again once it hits that hot oven! If you press it too thin initially, you lose that signature hearty, chewy texture that makes Grandma’s recipe so special.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, you certainly can! You can make the dough—steps 1 through 3 before spreading it in the pan—and store it in an oiled bowl, tightly covered in the fridge, for up to two days. You’ll need to let it sit on the counter for about an hour to come to room temperature before you punch it down and press it into the pan for that final rest. It makes getting a full dinner on the table speedier, which is perfect for busy nights. For more fast meal ideas, check out my Quick Dinner Recipes in 20 Minutes guide!
Why does my crust come out crispy only on the edges?
That’s totally normal for sheet pan pizza! The edges are where all that wonderful olive oil pools and essentially fries the bottom of the crust while it bakes. If you want more overall crispiness, make sure you use a thin metal pan, not glass, and let that dough rest for the full 30 minutes in the pan before topping it, as mentioned in the recipe notes. That extra rest lets the dough absorb more oil, which helps it crisp up deeper into the pan.
Estimated Nutritional Information for Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
When you’re making something this satisfying, you don’t need to worry too much about the numbers, but I always like to give you a rough idea of what you’re digging into. Based on the ingredients list here, one slice of this Grandmas Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza clocks in at roughly 280 calories, with about 10 grams of fat and about 14 grams of protein. That’s a solid slice!
Just remember, this calculator is just estimates, okay? If you go heavy on the Parmesan or use a really oily brand of mozzarella, those numbers can shift a bit. This really just shows you it’s satisfying comfort food that fits into a balanced evening!
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Grandma’s Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
- Total Time: 1 hr 40 min
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for a thick, cheesy pizza baked on a sheet pan, reminiscent of traditional family recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled.
- Grease a 13×9 inch baking sheet generously with olive oil. Punch down the dough and press it evenly into the prepared pan, stretching it to the corners. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce, followed by the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with dried oregano.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For a crispier crust, let the dough rest in the pan for 30 minutes before topping and baking.
- You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook for kneading if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 14
- Cholesterol: 25
Keywords: sheet pan pizza, cheese pizza, thick crust pizza, easy pizza, family recipe