Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a stunning, easy-to-make sheet-pan pizza with a crisp, airy, focaccia-like crust. We started with a simple, highly hydrated dough, which yielded a light, tender crumb. Briefly resting the dough before adding salt (salt inhibits flour hydration) allowed the flour to fully hydrate, strengthening the gluten and making it better able to trap carbon dioxide during rising. Then we simply transferred the sticky dough straight to a well-oiled rimmed baking sheet, eliminating the need for extended handling or rolling of the dough and helping to yield a rich, unfailingly crisp crust. Greasing the pan with both olive oil and vegetable oil spray ensured that the dough never stuck during the process. After topping the pie with luxurious aromatic basil pesto, generous amounts of fresh mozzarella, and macerated tomatoes (to eliminate excess moisture), we baked it at 500 degrees on a pizza steel that had been preheated in the oven for a full hour on the bottom rack (closest to the heating element). The hot oven and constant direct heat of the steel resulted in a strong oven spring and exceptional browning. A final drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of shaved Parmesan and fresh basil added the crowning glory.

Before You Begin

If you don't own a pizza steel, you can use a pizza stone or an overturned heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet. We developed this recipe using our winning rimmed baking sheet, the Nordic Ware Baker's Half Sheet. We recommend making our recipe for Perfect Pesto, but you can also use store-bought pesto here.

Instructions

for the dough

Whisk flour, yeast, and sugar together in bowl of stand mixer. Fit mixer with dough hook. Mix flour mixture on low speed while slowly adding water until dough forms and no dry flour remains, 2 to 4 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.

Add salt and mix on medium speed until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Lightly spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Rub bottom and sides of sheet with olive oil. Using dough scraper or your greased hands, transfer dough to oiled sheet and turn to coat. With your greased hands, stretch dough into rough 12 by 8-inch rectangle of even thickness. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until puffed and nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place pizza steel on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.

for the tomatoes

Toss all ingredients together in bowl. Transfer to colander set over bowl; set aside.

Using your greased hands, gently stretch dough to corners of sheet, pressing lightly with your fingertips to deflate dough and carefully lifting corners and edges of dough to pull toward edges of sheet. (It's OK if dough shrinks back slightly from corners of sheet at this point.) Cover loosely with plastic and let rise in warm place until slightly puffed, about 20 minutes.

Using your greased hands, press dough all the way to edges and corners of sheet. Using your fingertips, pinch edges of dough against sides of sheet to form small lip.

for the pizza

Using bottom of ½-cup dry measuring cup or large spoon, spread pesto into thin layer over surface of dough, leaving ½-inch border. Evenly distribute mozzarella over entire surface of dough, making sure some cheese sits on edges of dough against pan. Sprinkle with drained tomatoes, pepper, and salt.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and well browned, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Run knife around edge of sheet to loosen pizza and transfer pizza to wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes. Top pizza with Parmesan and basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if using. Slice and serve.