Sheet-pan pizza is simply focaccia all dressed up and ready to hit the town on a Friday night. It’s ideal feed-a-crowd, clear-the-fridge, one-and-done fare, an exercise in economy, and a welcome addition to your weekly meal plan. A sturdy half-sheet pan, big glugs of olive oil, and a trusty dough (store-bought is fine, homemade is gold star worthy) are the only nonnegotiables. Everything else is dealer’s choice. While nubbins of corn are a no-brainer in the summer, this pizza is wonderful topped with thin slices of raw sweet potato or butternut squash in the fall or winter.
One of the keys to a crispy, not floppy, crust is cooking the pizza as close to the oven floor and heating element as you can get so that the bottom cooks through while the cheese melts. If it feels like the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until the crust is golden brown. And now is not the time or place to skimp on the olive oil. Your generosity will yield sizzling squares of almost-fried-on-the-bottom pizza that doesn’t stick to the pan. Without enough oil, the crust will be chewy and leathery instead of crackling and crunchy.
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Ingredients
Makes one 18×13″ pie
5
Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1
lb. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
1
14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2
tsp. sugar
1
cup coarsely chopped drained kimchi, plus juice from jar (optional)
Kosher salt
8
oz. low-moisture mozzarella, grated
1
medium green bell pepper, cut into ¼” pieces
4
all-beef or other hot dogs, sliced into ½” coins
2
cups corn (from about 2 ears)
3
scallions, thinly sliced
Preparation
Step 1
Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Place 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature, in center of baking sheet; using your fingers, gradually stretch dough outward from center until it reaches to edges and into corners of baking sheet. (If dough is too stiff or springs back, cover with an inverted baking sheet or plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes before trying again. You may need to let dough rest 2 or 3 times.) Cover and let rise in a warm spot until slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.
Step 2
While the dough is rising, place a rack in lowest position of oven; preheat to 475°. Combine one 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes, 2 tsp. sugar, remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and up to ¼ cup kimchi juice (if using) in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly reduced, 7–10 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt.
Step 3
Uncover dough and scatter 8 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, grated, over, going all the way to the edges. Dollop sauce over (do not spread), then evenly top with 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into ¼” pieces, 4 all-beef or other hot dogs, sliced into ½” coins, 2 cups corn kernels (from about 2 ears), and 1 cup coarsely chopped drained kimchi.
Step 4
Bake pizza until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown on bottom and sides (lift an edge with a heatproof spatula to check), 22–28 minutes. If crust feels soft or bendy in center, loosely cover pizza with foil and continue to bake 8–10 minutes longer.
Step 5
To serve, top pizza with 3 scallions, thinly sliced; cut into squares.