Easy Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita with Crispy Focaccia Crust

This Easy Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita combines a fabulously crisp, airy (no-knead!) focaccia crust with melty mozzarella, sweet cherry tomatoes, a pesto drizzle and a shower of fresh basil. All baked to perfection on a sheet pan!

This Easy Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita has been a fun labor of love. It took several attempts to get the focaccia-style crust just right, crisp and golden on the bottom with those big, airy artisan air bubbles inside. But the night I knew I had nailed it, Scott and I took a bite, looked at each other and agreed, "that this might just be one of the best things we've ever tasted!"

Pizza Margherita?

Not familiar with Pizza Margherita? According to legend, it was created in Naples, Italy, back in the 19th century for a visiting queen, Queen Margherita of Savoy, and it's known for its three simple ingredients that mirror the Italian flag: mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Pizza Margherita is traditionally made with sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella. My rendition calls for halved cherry tomatoes and shredded whole milk mozzarella.

An old friend

I love that the dough (based on our Easy Same Day Focaccia dough) takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time and can be made and par-baked ahead, making it perfect for both weeknight dinners and easy entertaining. And I promise you that family and friends alike will be over the moon when you serve this for dinner - a classic Margherita pizza, baked to perfection on a sheet pan!

No soggy pizza here!

Although there's nothing like the delicious juiciness of ripe, garden-fresh tomatoes, that's not ideal on a sheet pan pizza margherita, where the goal is a crisp, golden crust and a light, airy interior. So, I utilized a little favorite trick of mine, a simple step that intensifies tomato flavor and removes excess moisture.

I've been using this magical little technique all summer (except when I'm enjoying a tomato straight from the garden. The trick? Slice or halve the tomatoes (depending on the size), then sprinkle generously with salt and let them drain for 20-30 minutes. After a quick pat dry, they're ready to roll... sweet, flavorful tomatoes that stay perfectly juicy without, in this case, making the crust soggy. They're also ideal for salads, omelettes, sandwiches, bruschetta... anywhere you want tomatoes to shine without the extra liquid!

Let's make it!

You'll find the complete instructions for this Easy Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita in the recipe card below, but I thought it would be fun to provide a step-by-step photo tutorial to show you just how simple this recipe is.

Plan to start the dough a few hours before you're ready to enjoy your pizza, ideally on a day when you're at home. While the total time from start to finish is about 4 hours, there's less than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.

Here's the easy rundown:

Gather the short list of ingredients: flour, instant yeast, salt, olive oil, and honey.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium to large bowl, except for 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix until well-combined and there's no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

Cover (I use plastic wrap, but a large plate will also work) and let the dough rise a bit.

After 30 minutes, perform the first "stretch and fold". You can use a spatula or lightly wet your hand.

To see exactly how the stretch and fold technique is done, check out this quick video:

Repeat this rise, stretch and fold two more times. After the third, 30-minute rise, your dough will have risen nicely and will be pretty smooth.

Now it's time to transfer the dough to a sheet pan.

Spread the dough out a bit with oiled fingers. It won't cover the whole pan yet.

Let it rest for another 30 minutes, then drizzle with oil and use your fingers to dimple and spread the dough to cover the pan.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven warms up, let the dough rest and rise, then dimple one last time, this time, leaving a 1-inch border intact around the edge of the pan. (This will be the outer crust of the pizza.)

Bake the dough on its own until lightly golden. Par-baking the crust ensures a crisp bottom and prevents the pizza from becoming soggy.

At this point, you're almost done! You can top the crust immediately or let it cool, then cover and use it later in the day. Another option at this point is to freeze it. Pull the crust out whenever you're in the mood for pizza, let it thaw a bit, top, and ENJOY!

Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita

How to turn this par-baked crust into an amazing Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita? So simple! An hour or so before you're ready to serve, halve 3 cups of cherry tomatoes and combine with kosher salt. Stir and transfer the salted tomatoes to a sieve. Allow them to drain for 30 minutes, then pat them dry and return them to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat.

Sprinkle the parbaked crust with shredded mozzarella, a drizzle of pesto oil, and the drained cherry tomatoes. Top with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. (There's no need for salt, as the tomatoes will be perfectly salted.)

Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden and beautifully crisp.

For a grand finale, shower with plenty of fresh basil just before serving. Slice and enjoy your fabulous, homemade pizza margherita!!

Café Tips for making this Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita

• I prefer using shredded whole milk mozzarella. It melts better and has a creamier texture, but part-skim milk mozzarella will also work.
• Be sure to butter and oil the pan. This might seem like overkill, but the combination will give the crust a lovely golden crisp texture and lots of fabulous flavor.
• If your kitchen is chilly, you may want to create a warmer spot for your dough to rise. Here are a few suggestions:
  • Set your dough on the dryer if you've got a load going.
  • Turn on your oven light and let the dough rise in the oven.
  • Boil a cup of water in the microwave then place the bowl of dough in there for a steamy, cozy rising spot.
• Don't worry that the tomatoes will be too salty. Most of that salt will be drained off as they sit in the strainer.
• Look for a pretty, fresh green pesto. I like to purchase the Kirkland pesto from Costco. It keeps for a long time in the freezer and you can just scoop out as much as you need and return the rest to the freezer. Sam's Club also has good pesto.
• This Sheet Pan Pizza Margheria is par-baked on a middle oven shelf and finished off on a bottom shelf. This will give the pizza a wonderfully golden crisp bottom.
• A sprinkle of pine nuts is optional, but, they are so delicious on this pizza. Pine nuts are pricey, so I like to purchase them in bulk at Costco, Sam's or Trader Joe's. I store the bag in the freezer to keep them nice and fresh.

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Easy Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita

Chris Scheuer

This Easy Sheet Pan Pizza Margherita combines a fabulously crisp, airy focaccia crust with melty mozzarella, sweet cherry tomatoes, a pesto drizzle and a shower of fresh basil. All baked to perfection on a sheet pan!

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Rising, resting time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings 15 servings

Calories 259

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

For the dough:

• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, I use Morton's
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups very warm tap water, 100-108˚F
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the pan:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the tomatoes:

• 3 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• kosher salt
• extra virgin olive oil

For the cheese:

• 8-12 ounces whole milk mozzarella , if available, otherwise part skim milk mozzarella will also work.

For the pesto drizzle:

• 3 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

To finish the pizza:

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, optional
• fresh basil leaves

Instructions

 

For the dough:

1. Combine the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl (at least a 10 cup bowl). Stir well with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add approximately half of the water (no need to measure), the honey and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir well to incorporate the water. The mixture will be shaggy and dry at this point.
3. Add most of the remaining water (reserve 2-3 tablespoons) and stir again until the water is well incorporated. If the mixture seems dry add the rest of the water and stir to combine. You're look for a thick, shaggy, fluffy wet dough. If the dough still seems dry, add a bit more warm water, a tablespoon at a time until the thick, shaggy consistency (and no pockets of dry flour) is reached.
4. Add the remain 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir until most of the olive oil is incorporated but the dough still has a nice coating of oil.

For the stretch and fold and rise:

1. Cover the bowl with a lid or with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. (If your kitchen is really chilly, you might want to create a warmer environment - see Café Tips for ways to do this) After 30 minutes, remove the cover and, using either a large spatula or slightly we hands, pick up one side of the dough, stretch it up, and then fold it over the dough to the other side. Turn the bowl one-quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Repeat 3-4 more times, turning the bowl one-quarter each time.
2. Cover the dough again and repeat the 30-minute rise and another stretch and fold. Now cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.
3. During the last hour, use a piece of paper toweling and rub the butter over the interior of a 13x18-inch sheet pan. Also drizzle the pan with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and rub with your fingers to coat the pan. Set aside. You'll also want to prepare the tomatoes at this time.

For the tomatoes:

1. Place the halved tomatoes in a medium size bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir well, then transer to a sieve to drain for 30 minutes, stiring half way through. After the 30 minutes, pat the tomatoes dry with paper towels and return them to the bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspon Italian seasoning. Stir well and set aside.

To finish the dough:

1. After the final rise, transfer the dough onto the prepared sheet pan. With oiled fingers, flip the dough so the top is coated with oil then flatten and push the dough out toward the edges of the pan. Don't worry, at this point, the dough will not cover the pan.
2. Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest and rise for 30 minutes. At this point, you should be a ble to use your fingers (oil them lightly) and push the dough out to the edges and corners of the pan. If the dough seems resistant let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then try again. Set the pan aside to rest while you preheat the oven.
3. With one rack in a center position and one on the lowest position, preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C).
4. When the it's 450˚F. (232˚C), dimple the dough all over EXCEPT the outer 1 inch at the edges. Leave this part undimpled. (This will creat flat dough with slightly raised edges.)

To par-bake the dough:

1. Bake on the center rack in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned all over.

To finish the pizza:

1. Remove from the oven and top with the mozzarella in an even layer. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the cheese.
2. Combine the pesto with 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to combine. If it's still a little thick, add a bit more olive oil. Drizzle the pesto oil over the tomatoes and cheese. Sprinkle the top with the pine nuts (if using).
3. Place the pan on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves before serving. Slice and ENJOY!
4. NOTE - If par-baking the crust in advance:
5. Follow the instructions through the par-bake step. Cool the par-baked crust on a cooling rack. When completely cooled, store in a jumbo ziplock bag or wrap in foil until ready to use. When read to finish baking your pizza, prepared the tomatoes as directed above, preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C) and finish baking the pizza as direction above.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 9gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 442mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 438IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 1mg

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Course: Main, Pizza

Cuisine: Italian, Italian-Inspired