Description
Homemade cafeteria style pizza delight combines nostalgic school lunch memories with robust flavors from classic Italian cuisine. Simple ingredients and straightforward preparation make this comfort dish accessible for home cooks who want to recreate childhood lunch memories.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) homemade or refrigerated pizza dough
- ½–1 cup pizza sauce
- 2–3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsps (15 g) cornmeal
- garlic powder (optional)
- dried oregano (optional)
- additional toppings of choice (e.g., pepperoni, sausage, beef, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms)
Instructions
- Prepare Pan: Activate oven to 475°F. Brush jellyroll pan with olive oil and sprinkle cornmeal across surface for enhanced texture and prevent sticking.
- Form Dough Base: Stretch pizza dough across entire pan, pressing gently to create uniform coverage, ensuring complete pan contact and even thickness.
- Layer Sauce and Cheese: Spread pizza sauce comprehensively across dough, followed by generous mozzarella distribution, creating a seamless foundation for toppings.
- Embellish Toppings: Distribute selected ingredients evenly, garnishing with garlic powder and dried oregano to intensify flavor complexity and aromatic profile.
- Bake and Transform: Slide pizza into preheated oven, allowing intense heat to meld ingredients. Monitor for golden edges and bubbling cheese, typically requiring 10-12 minutes of cooking time.
- Finish and Serve: Remove pizza from oven, let rest momentarily. Segment into rectangular portions using pizza cutter, revealing layered culinary creation ready for immediate consumption.
Notes
- Dough Stretching Technique: Softly stretch the dough with fingertips, avoiding tears and ensuring even coverage across the pan for a consistent pizza base.
- Cheese Distribution Secret: Sprinkle cheese evenly to prevent clumping and guarantee a melty, uniform layer that covers every inch of the sauce.
- Topping Balance Strategy: Layer toppings sparingly to prevent soggy crust and maintain crisp texture, focusing on quality over quantity.
- Baking Precision Tip: Keep a close eye during the last 2 minutes of baking to prevent burning and achieve that perfect golden-brown finish without overcooking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (per batch)
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg