School Cafeteria Pizza Recipe
This nostalgic School Cafeteria Pizza recipe features a homemade crust made from scratch with simple pantry ingredients, topped with classic pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. The crust is pre-baked for the perfect texture and then baked again with toppings for a bubbly, golden finish. Perfect for recreating that beloved school lunch experience at home.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 1 half-sheet pan pizza (about 8-10 servings) 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 Tbsp shortening
- 1½ Tbsp cornmeal
- 1 (0.25-oz) packet of yeast
- 1⅔ cups warm water
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups instant non-fat dry milk powder
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp oil
Toppings
- 1⅓ cups pizza sauce, or to taste
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste
- Pizza toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 475ºF (246ºC). Grease a half-sheet pan with shortening and then dust it with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Set the pan aside.
- Activate Yeast: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the yeast with warm water and let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast becomes bubbly and activated.
- Mix Dough Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, instant non-fat dry milk powder, sugar, salt, and oil to the yeast mixture. Using the whisk attachment, mix thoroughly for about 10 minutes until a smooth and elastic dough forms.
- Distribute Dough: Evenly spread the dough onto the prepared pan, pressing it out toward the edges. Let the dough rest for a few minutes to rise slightly and relax.
- Pre-bake Crust: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the crust for 10 minutes. This pre-baking creates a firmer base to hold the toppings.
- Add Sauce and Toppings: Remove the partially baked crust from the oven. Spread your desired amount of pizza sauce evenly over the dough. Add your choice of pizza toppings, then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
- Final Bake: Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, cut into pieces, and enjoy the comforting flavor of school cafeteria pizza.
Notes
- You can customize the pizza toppings to your preference, using vegetables, meats, or a combination.
- Ensure the water for activating yeast is warm but not hot to avoid killing the yeast.
- Using instant non-fat dry milk powder adds tenderness and browning to the crust.
- This recipe works best with a half-sheet pan, but a similar-sized baking sheet can also be used.
- Allowing the dough to rise a bit before pre-baking will help create a light but firm crust texture.
Keywords: school pizza, cafeteria pizza, homemade pizza, pizza dough, baked pizza, mozzarella pizza, comfort food
Find it online: https://cookwithruby.com/school-cafeteria-pizza-recipe/
