Sheet Pan Sicilian Pizza Recipe

When it comes to pizza, there are many varieties beyond the basic type you order on repeat at the corner pizzeria. Some of the most common are Neapolitan, Chicago deep dish, New York style, and one of our favorites: Sicilian-style. Sicilian style is traditionally made in a sheet pan and has a unique crust that is light and spongy, resembling focaccia bread. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for sheet pan Sicilian pizza. She says, "My grandparents were born in Sicily, so growing up we had quite a few Sicilian dishes, and of course Sicilian pizza was a frequent meal. I love the simplicity of Sicilian-style pizza because it's meatless, has a small amount of cheese and sauce, and is topped with fresh basil. I also love cooking it on a sheet pan and cutting it into square slices. It feels like true Italian pizza." This Sicilian pizza pairs well with a chopped Caprese salad or a simple green salad with a fresh vinaigrette dressing.

To make this recipe, we'll need some dough making essentials like warm water, active dry yeast, bread flour, avocado oil, and salt. Then you can either pick up plain tomato sauce or a jarred pizza sauce, some mozzarella cheese, and some fresh basil. "We're using bread flour here because it has a higher protein count which will give us more lift and rise in the dough, along with stability," Hahn shares.

The first step in making the dough is to get our yeast activated. Pull out a medium bowl and add the warm water and the yeast. Let this sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Hahn says, "Warm water is very important in this step. If the water is too hot, you'll kill the yeast, and it will never activate. Go for a baby's bath water temperature."

In a large bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the salt, and one tablespoon of the oil. When the yeast mixture is bubbly, add that in as well. Blend the mixture until everything is well combined. Then place the dough on a large work surface and begin adding in the remaining flour a little bit at a time. As you add the flour, knead the bread. This should take about 10 minutes to fully knead in the extra flour. Now we can grease a glass bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil and place the dough ball inside. Cover with saran wrap and let it rest in a warm spot for one hour. You can use an oven that is turned off for this.

We're not quite ready to bake yet. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on a large sheet pan. Place the dough ball in the center and spread the dough with your hands to cover the surface of the pan. "It might not reach the edges of the sheet pan at this point, but take it as far as you can without ripping holes in the dough," Hahn shares. Cover the sheet pan with saran wrap and let it sit like this in a warm spot for 2 hours. About 10 minutes before the next step preheat your oven to 450 F.

When 2 hours have passed, finish stretching the dough to the edges of the sheet pan. Then add the sauce in a thin layer and top with the cheese. Put the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are browned and the cheese has melted. Add the chopped basil and cut it into 15 square pieces. The sheet pan Sicilian pizza is ready to serve and just may have you whipping up your own pizza creation instead of going to the pizzeria from now on!