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The Best Sheet Pan Pizza Recipe

4.6 from 108 reviews

This sheet pan pizza recipe offers a delicious and easy way to enjoy homemade pizza with a flavorful sausage topping infused with fennel seeds and aromatic herbs. The pizza is baked on a rimmed sheet pan for a crispy crust and melty cheese, making it perfect for a casual dinner or entertaining guests.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Sausage:

  • 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For Pizza Assembly:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound room temperature pizza dough
  • ½ cup pizza sauce (or to taste)
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F to ensure it’s hot enough to bake the pizza to a perfect golden crust.
  2. Prepare the Fennel Seeds: Crush the fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, or place them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to release their flavor.
  3. Make the Sausage Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, crushed fennel seeds, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand to distribute the seasonings evenly.
  4. Cook the Sausage: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage mixture and break it up into crumbles. Cook for 8–10 minutes until there is no pink left and the sausage is lightly browned. Drain on paper towels to remove excess fat.
  5. Prepare the Baking Sheet: Brush a 9×13-inch rimmed baking sheet evenly with olive oil to prevent sticking and to help brown the crust.
  6. Stretch the Dough: Place the pizza dough on the baking sheet and stretch it evenly to fill the pan. If the dough resists stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes before trying again.
  7. Add Sauce and Cheese: Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch border. Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
  8. Add Sausage and More Cheese: Scatter the cooked sausage crumbles evenly over the cheese, then top with the remaining mozzarella.
  9. Season and Bake: Sprinkle dried oregano and garlic powder over the top. Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, or until the crust edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
  10. Cool and Serve: Let the pizza cool on a rack for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side for sprinkling.

Notes

  • Allow dough to rest if it is difficult to stretch to avoid tearing.
  • Use freshly crushed fennel seeds for the best flavor infusion in the sausage.
  • Adjust pizza sauce to taste; you can add more or less depending on preference.
  • Drain cooked sausage well to prevent a greasy pizza.
  • Let pizza cool slightly before slicing to keep the cheese from sliding off.
  • Can be customized by adding vegetables or other toppings of choice.

Keywords: sheet pan pizza, homemade pizza, sausage pizza, easy pizza recipe, one-pan pizza, fennel seed sausage, Italian pizza