The Sheet Pan Cheese Pizza is one of my favorite homemade pizza recipes. I make it every weekend, starting with the dough on Sunday morning at 7 AM, and after several folds of the dough, baking it at 7 PM. Among all the doughs I’ve tried, this is the one I use for all my pizzas, with little fresh yeast but a soft and very airy base at the end of cooking, thanks to the folds and hours of rising. As a topping, I love crescenza and buffalo mozzarella, which form a delicious golden crust at the end of cooking. If you also like cheese, try my Recco Cheese Focaccia recipe, a Ligurian traditional excellence with unleavened dough.
Other Recipes with Leavened Dough
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 806.11 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 73.69 (g) of which sugars 3.50 (g)
- Proteins 31.65 (g)
- Fat 44.80 (g) of which saturated 14.14 (g)of which unsaturated 0.02 (g)
- Fibers 2.36 (g)
- Sodium 1,148.45 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 328 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp fresh brewer's yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp fine salt
- 7 oz crescenza cheese
- 9 oz Campania buffalo mozzarella DOP (well drained from liquid)
- 2 pinches pepper
- 3/4 tsp fine salt
- 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
Tools
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- Kitchen Scale
- Bowls
- Plastic Wrap
- Baking Sheet
- Chopper
Steps
Dissolve the fresh brewer’s yeast in room temperature water and add the honey. Pour the flour into a bowl, add the liquid, and mix to absorb it. Add the oil and salt and work them into the dough.
Pour everything onto a work surface or marble and begin kneading until it becomes a soft dough ball. Do a few rounds of folds, folding from the outside in, then ‘pirlate,’ or rotate the dough ball between your hands to form a ball. Place it on a lightly floured surface, cover with a very large bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take the dough again, shape it into a rectangle with your hands, fold again, and form another dough ball. After another 30 minutes, repeat this step, then cover with the bowl and let it rest for 9 hours in the oven with the light on but off.
Preheat the oven to fan mode at 450°F.
At this point, the dough has reached its maximum rise, lift the bowl and place it on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Naturally, it will deflate when touched, but don’t worry. Gradually spread it out in the pan using your fingertips, taking breaks to let the dough relax. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the mozzarella by slicing it and allowing it to drain well from its milk. I prefer to use it chopped, so once drained, I chop it coarsely. After an hour, remove the plastic wrap and top the pizza, first with crescenza cheese pieces and then spreading the chopped mozzarella over the entire surface. Add pepper to your liking, salt, and oil. Bake in the middle rack for 10 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven, cut into nine squares, and . . . enjoy your meal!
Storage
If you have any leftover Cheese Pizza slices, it’s best to store them in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What other cheeses could I use?
You can use very tasty cheeses such as Gorgonzola or Taleggio.
What if I want to make classic red pizza?
This dough is suitable for any pizza.
How do I reheat it the next day?
I recommend against reheating it in the microwave; it’s better in a hot oven at 400°F for 5 minutes.
