Sheet Pan Pizza
Published Oct 21, 2026
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With a crispy homemade crust and flavorful toppings, this sheet pan pizza is an easy one-pan dinner that bakes in 15 minutes. My family loves this version with tomato sauce, spicy pepperoni, sweet cherry tomatoes, and cheese.
Crispy Sheet Pan Pepperoni Pizza
Consider me officially in my sheet pan era. After my sheet pan lasagna, a sheet pan pizza was a natural choice. I use my 5-ingredient pizza dough recipe made with instant yeast, which makes a generous 9×13 pizza base that bakes up light, golden, and crispy in under 15 minutes. No pizza stone, pizza oven, or fancy equipment needed.
This is a great way to make homemade pizza for a party! Take it from someone who’s all about a pizza appetizer, like a pizza dip or pizza rolls.
Here, I’ve topped my homemade sheet pan pizza with thin slices of spicy pepperoni, juicy cherry tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella, topped with fresh arugula after baking. When arugula isn’t in season, I think pesto would be delicious, too!
Sheet Pan Pizza Ingredients
Whether you make the pizza dough from scratch or buy pre-made dough, this homemade pizza recipe is pantry-friendly and easy to adapt. See the recipe card for the full details and amounts.
For the Quick Pizza Dough
- All-purpose Flour – Spoon and level the flour, or weigh it using a kitchen scale to avoid overmeasuring.
- Instant Yeast – Keeps the rising time quick since you won’t need to activate it first.
- Sugar – Helps activate the yeast. Regular granulated sugar is best.
- Garlic Powder – I like to add this to boost the flavor in my pizza crust. Optional, and you could also add Italian herbs.
- Warm Water – Heat the water to 105- 110°F. Any hotter than 110ºF, and it risks killing the yeast.
- Olive Oil – I use a bit in the dough and a little more to grease the sheet pan.
Toppings
- Pizza Sauce – This can be a jar of your favorite pizza sauce or marinara sauce. Feel free to use homemade sauce. For a white pizza base, substitute Alfredo sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly shredded cheese yields the meltiest results.
- Pepperoni – Thinly sliced. You can use mild or spicy pepperoni depending on your heat preference.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Or grape tomatoes, chopped in half. If you’re using larger tomatoes, dice them. You can swap fresh tomatoes for sun-dried tomatoes if you’d like.
- Fresh Arugula – To scatter over the finished sheet pan pizza, along with a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes.
How to Make a Sheet Pan Pizza
I start by making the pizza dough, then let it rise while I chop and prep my pizza toppings. You can also refrigerate the finished dough for 1-2 days. It’ll be ready to roll out and bake when needed.
Make the Pizza Dough
- Mix the dry ingredients. Start by whisking the flour with the instant yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Since this recipe uses instant yeast (instead of active dry yeast), there’s no need to activate it separately first.
- Add the wet ingredients. Next, pour in the warm water and olive oil. Gently fold it all together until you have a soft, sticky dough.
- Knead the dough. Afterward, turn the pizza dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead for about 3 minutes so it’s smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise. Place the kneaded dough inside a lightly oiled bowl. Then, cover the bowl and place the dough somewhere warm to rise for 30 minutes. It should be puffy and doubled in size.
Assemble and Bake
Position the rack in the upper third of the oven, so your sheet pan pizza is closer to the grill. Then, preheat the oven to 500ºF. An extra-hot oven is key to a crisp, wood-fired-style pizza.
- Get your pan ready. Line a large 9×13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, and generously brush it with olive oil. Transfer the risen dough over to your prepared sheet pan.
- Stretch out the pizza dough. Using your fingers, gently press out the dough, stretching it toward the edges and corners to make a rectangle. If you find the dough springs back when you stretch it, let it rest for a few minutes, then continue. You could also roll out the dough using a rolling pin. However, I find that stretching it by hand is best for a light, crispy crust with pockets of air throughout.
- Add the pizza toppings. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust, but leave about a ½-inch border around the edges. Then, sprinkle mozzarella over the sauce and arrange the pepperoni slices and cherry tomatoes on top of the cheese.
- Bake. Put it in the oven and bake the sheet pan pizza for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and golden. Before serving, let the pizza rest for a few minutes, then scatter fresh arugula on top, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Slice it into larger or smaller pieces, depending on whether it’s intended as a meal or an appetizer, and enjoy!
How Long to Bake Your Pizza
In my experience, this sheet pan pizza bakes in 15 minutes or less in a 500ºF oven. If your oven varies or only reaches 450ºF, it may bake longer. Look for a crispy, golden crust around the edges and cheese that’s melted and starting to bubble.
Tips for Baking Pizza On a Sheet Pan
- If your dough doesn’t rise, it could be because the yeast died, or it wasn’t fresh to start with. Make sure the warm water isn’t hotter than 110ºF when you add it to the dry dough ingredients. Also check the expiration dates on your yeast packets. If they’re old or expired, start over with new yeast.
- For an extra-crispy pizza crust, generously oil the sheet pan before stretching out the dough.
- If the dough springs back while stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing.
- Time-saving shortcuts. Easily swap yeasted dough for store-bought pizza dough or my easy yeast-free pizza dough if you’re pressed for time or out of yeast.
- Add the arugula after baking. This keeps it fresh and peppery rather than flat and wilted.
More Pizza Toppings and Variations
- For extra heat, try spicy pepperoni or add more red pepper flakes to the pizza. You can also experiment with crumbled hot Italian sausage, jalapeños, or leftover Buffalo chicken.
- Add mini mozzarella balls, freshly grated Parmesan, or even fresh burrata before serving for a luxurious touch.
- Boost the protein. Make this sheet pan pizza with a cottage cheese pizza crust for a lower-carb, high-protein version.
- Make a sheet pan breakfast pizza topped with crumbled breakfast sausage or bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and cheese.
- Try a taco pizza topped with leftover taco meat, refried beans, and salsa, and fresh options, like shredded lettuce, diced avocado, and tomatoes.
- Borrow the toppings from more pizza recipes, like my BBQ chicken pizza, fried pork pizza, and goat cheese pizza.
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Sheet Pan Pizza
Make a golden, crispy sheet pan pizza with easy homemade pizza dough and add your favorite flavorful toppings! I love this version with pepperoni, juicy cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh arugula.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup warm water, 105-110ºF
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
Toppings
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces pepperoni slices
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh arugula
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
Make the Pizza Dough
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the warm water and olive oil to the dry ingredients. Stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Knead the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2–3 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size.
Assemble the Pizza
- Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven.
- Prepare the pan. Line a 9×13 sheet pan with parchment paper or generously brush it with olive oil.
- Stretch the dough. Transfer the dough to the sheet pan. Gently press and stretch it toward the edges and into the corners. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes, then continue stretching. You can also roll out the dough with a rolling pin before transferring it to the pan.
- Add the toppings. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the sauce, then arrange the pepperoni and cherry tomatoes on top.
- Bake. Bake the pizza for 12–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the edges and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Serve. Let the pizza cool for 3–5 minutes after taking it out of the oven. Then, scatter the fresh arugula over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using. Slice and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- For a crispier crust, generously oil the sheet pan before adding the dough.
- If the dough springs back while stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing.
- Add the arugula after baking to keep it fresh and slightly peppery.
- For extra spice or heat, use spicy pepperoni or add additional red pepper flakes.
- Add mini fresh mozzarella balls instead of shredded cheese for a different take.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 381IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Sheet pan pizza makes excellent leftovers, IMO. When possible, store the pizza without fresh toppings, like arugula, which can get a bit soggy in storage. Let the leftover slices cool and then store them in an airtight container. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of parchment in between the layers. Keep leftover pizza refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. The best way to reheat pizza is in the oven, so the crust can crisp up again. Reheat at 350ºF until warmed through.
- Freeze. If you’d like to freeze your pizza, leave off the fresh toppings and store the cooled pizza slices tightly wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap or in a freezer bag. Thaw the pizza in the fridge before reheating.
