Kid-Friendly Sheet Pan Pizza | America's Test Kitchen Kids

recipe

A crisp-yet-fluffy crust topped with a no-cook tomato sauce and melty, gooey cheese . . . welcome to pizza night.

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Prepare Ingredients

Vegetable oil spray

2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon

extra-virgin olive oil, measured separately

1 pound

pizza dough, room temperature

1

(14.5 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, opened

1

garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon

red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon

dried oregano

¼ teaspoon

salt

⅛ teaspoon

pepper

2 cups

shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup

grated Parmesan cheese

Gather Cooking Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet
Pastry brush
Ruler
Plastic wrap
Colander
Food processor
Medium bowl
Large spoon
Oven mitts
Cooling rack
Spatula
Cutting board
Pizza wheel or chef's knife

Start Cooking!

1

Vegetable oil spray

2 tablespoons

extra-virgin olive oil

Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Use pastry brush to evenly coat baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil.

2

1 pound

pizza dough, room temperature

Place pizza dough on greased baking sheet and turn to coat with oil on both sides. Use your hands to pat and stretch dough into 10-by-6-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until bubbly and doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.

3

Use your hands to gently pat and stretch dough into corners of baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until puffy, about 45 minutes.

Shaping Pizza Dough

4

1 (14.5-ounce) can

whole peeled tomatoes, opened

While dough rises, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set colander in sink. Pour tomatoes into colander. Shake colander and drain well.

5

1 tablespoon

extra-virgin olive oil

1

garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon

red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon

dried oregano

¼ teaspoon

salt

⅛ teaspoon

pepper

Transfer drained tomatoes to food processor. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Lock lid into place. Process mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds. Stop food processor. Carefully remove food processor blade (ask an adult for help). Transfer sauce to medium bowl.

6

2 cups

shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup

grated Parmesan cheese

When dough is ready, spoon sauce over dough and use back of spoon to spread into even layer, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over top of sauce.

7

Place baking sheet in oven and bake until cheeses are well browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.

8

Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven (ask an adult for help). Place baking sheet on cooling rack and let pizza cool for 5 minutes.

9

Use spatula to loosen edges of pizza, then carefully slide pizza onto cutting board (baking sheet will be hot). Use pizza wheel or chef’s knife to cut pizza into squares and serve.

Food for Thought

The Magic of Yeast

Yeast is a living, single-celled organism. It’s actually a microscopic fungus! You buy yeast in small packets at the grocery store. The yeast is “sleeping.” Mixing the yeast with a liquid (usually water) wakes up the yeast so it can turn flour into bread dough. So how exactly does that work? Yeast feeds on the starches in the flour and produces carbon dioxide in the process. Carbon dioxide causes the dough to rise, much like blowing air into chewing gum to make a bubble. All those tiny holes inside a loaf of chewy rustic bread? That’s the handiwork of the yeast. Instant yeast (sometimes labeled rapid-rise yeast) is the most reliable option for home bakers. Keep yeast in the refrigerator and check package dates—old yeast won’t work.