Sheet-Pan Pizza al Taglio

By Melissa Clark

Updated May 23, 2024

Sheet-Pan Pizza al Taglio
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
2 hours 40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes, plus about 2 hours’ rising
Rating
4(286)
Notes
Read community notes

Popular in Rome, pizza al taglio is a rectangular pizza that’s sold by the slice and is often eaten on the go as a salty, savory snack. The dough tends to be crisp-edged and light rather than chewy, and the toppings, which can vary widely, are often seasonal. This quick, untraditional version can be made on a sheet pan in less than three hours. It has a puffy, no-knead crust that’s imbued with olive oil (like focaccia) and extremely easy to make. Feel free to play with the toppings. Cooked vegetables (thinly sliced potatoes, artichokes, roasted peppers), sliced prosciutto or mortadella, olives, other cheeses, or tinned fish like anchovies or tuna can all be added after the pizza is baked.

Featured in: Melissa Clark’s Go-To Pizza Recipe for Busy Nights

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

    For the Dough

    • 2teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
    • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 7tablespoons/104 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
    • 2¾cups/390 grams bread flour
    • 2teaspoons fine sea salt, more for sprinkling
    • 1small red onion or 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (optional)
    • Dried oregano, red-pepper flakes or flaky salt (optional)
    • 8ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces (optional)
    • ½cup fresh basil leaves or 2 cups arugula, for topping

    For the Tomatoes

    • 1(14-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes
    • 1½tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

406 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 356 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1½ cups/354 grams lukewarm water with the yeast and the sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, then add flour and salt. Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and ropey. The dough will be very wet and sticky.

  3. Step 3

    Grease a 13-by-18-inch sheet pan with a little oil, then line with parchment. Drizzle 4 more tablespoons oil in the pan. Scrape dough onto the pan but don’t spread it out. Leave it where it flops. Top the pan with another, overturned sheet pan to cover the dough without touching it. Let dough proof in a warm place until it spreads out in the pan and puffs slightly, about 1 hour.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the overturned sheet pan that was covering the dough to the oven (still overturned) to heat (if you have a pizza stone, you can use it instead). Turn oven to 450 degrees.

  5. Step 5

    Oil your fingers, then gently pat and press the dough into an even layer to cover most of the bottom of the sheet pan, oiling your fingers as you go. Take your time with this: The dough is sticky. Let rise uncovered until dough fills the pan and puffs slightly, 35 to 45 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: Drain and coarsely chop them. Add them to a bowl and stir in the oil and salt.

  7. Step 7

    Spread about ½ cup tomato mixture over dough in a thin layer. Sprinkle red onion or garlic over the pizza, if using. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with oregano, red-pepper flakes and flaky salt, if you like.

  8. Step 8

    Place the pan onto the heated sheet pan in the oven. Bake pizza until lightly golden brown on top, 22 to 30 minutes.

  9. Step 9

    Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with mozzarella, if using. Return to the oven until the cheese has just melted, about 5 minutes. Top with torn basil leaves or arugula, and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
286 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

David Baldwin

If you are of the belief that flat crust pizza is the best pizza, I urge you to give this a try. The crust is full of savory flavor and has a wonderful crunchy texture along the edges and a soft interior. It's a worthy alternative to Neopolitan pizza.

Jutta

Delicious! A really tasty focaccia like pizza pizza option. Made exactly as written. Crust was between nonna and Sicilian style - both of which I adore. Crunchy crust and soft/airy middle. Loved the onions and simple toppings - took me to Rome. Will saute some zucchini for half for my vegan friends and will have some fine Italian meat on hand next time to top this like an open faced sandwich (just a slice) as I will definitely be making this again!

ssquirrel

So good. The second time I substituted 1/3 of the bread flour with whole wheat flour and it was just as good as the first time. We use most of a 28 oz can of whole Roma tomatoes because we like sauce.

Tracy

I couldn’t wait to make this again after the first time. The texture of the pizza is perfect and with a little bit of work you have something that is so tasty and satisfying for a meal or snacks. The dough is very wet but it doesn’t present a problem, it pours easily from bowl to pan. I used diced fire roasted tomatoes which I didn’t have to crush.

barb

Used all of the tomatoes- would chop pretty finely next time. Added sliced mushrooms before cooking- very good

Tracy

I couldn’t wait to make this again after the first time. The texture of the pizza is perfect and with a little bit of work you have something that is so tasty and satisfying for a meal or snacks. The dough is very wet but it doesn’t present a problem, it pours easily from bowl to pan. I used diced fire roasted tomatoes which I didn’t have to crush.

Christie

Yum! The crust is crispy but light and airy, the toppings are minimal. I think using the best ingredients you can find makes for a better pizza I will definitely make this again and next time I'll add prosciutto and parmesan.

JeffK

I've made a lot of different pizza doughs (including Roberta's - still my favorite but needs overnight in the refrigerator) and this one is the weirdest. Per Kenji's Detroit Pizza, I use a food processor (2 min) for mixing and kneading. I almost threw it out since it was so runny and I thought I measured wrong. I poured it on a 15" round pan, followed the directions, and it turned out great. Crispy crust with some chew.

David Baldwin

If you are of the belief that flat crust pizza is the best pizza, I urge you to give this a try. The crust is full of savory flavor and has a wonderful crunchy texture along the edges and a soft interior. It's a worthy alternative to Neopolitan pizza.

Jutta

Delicious! A really tasty focaccia like pizza pizza option. Made exactly as written. Crust was between nonna and Sicilian style - both of which I adore. Crunchy crust and soft/airy middle. Loved the onions and simple toppings - took me to Rome. Will saute some zucchini for half for my vegan friends and will have some fine Italian meat on hand next time to top this like an open faced sandwich (just a slice) as I will definitely be making this again!

Cilantro Liberation Front

Why put starch (potatoes) on starch (pizza crust)?

Sheldaine

Why not? Seriously. (Could be a good way to use them up.)

karen

Trader Joe gf fresh crust

Nancy

Use fresh grape tomatoes, red onion, baby arugula.

Daniel P

"Absolutely 5 stars" - my wife. Caramelized 2 red onions and mixed in 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes at the end. Used a food processor to mix the dough (taking inspiration from 'Quick Pizza Dough' recipe on NYT Cooking by Suzanne Lenzer.

ssquirrel

So good. The second time I substituted 1/3 of the bread flour with whole wheat flour and it was just as good as the first time. We use most of a 28 oz can of whole Roma tomatoes because we like sauce.

Maggie L

What happened to the second half of tomato mixture mentioned in Step 7?

Dan

The 14 oz. can of tomatoes is enough for four of these pizzas. Melissa has us use 1/2 cup, not one half, of the sauce on each pizza. It's best stored in glass, covered, in the refrigerator. I don't spread the sauce in an even, thin layer but splotch it on lightly by the teaspoonful, Jackson Pollock-like, and leave it where it lands. I use sturdier greens like chard and spinach, chopped and lightly sautéed with red pepper flakes and garlic in olive oil and strewn on the pizza before baking.

MKL

Excellent

Karen E

Made a half batch in a quarter sheet pan. Used chopped fresh cherry tomatoes because that is what I had and added marinated artichoke hearts chopped finely. This crust, which looked unlike any other bread I have ever made when I poured it into the prepared pan—but after an hour in the oven on the proof setting it was delightfully light and puffy. The cooked version was crispy on the edges and is better than any pizza crust you can buy and much lighter than focaccia. Absolutely yum!

Marci

Added diastatic powder to the dough. I use an Anova Precision Oven. Won’t take half sheet so I used a jelly roll pan and put a smaller portion in a 1/8 sheet pan so now I have a baby pizza for later. Used Rao’s sauce. Used binder clips to fasten the parchment. Charged steel for 45 minutes, placed pan on steel. Used less 2 T of oil in jelly roll pan. Enjoyed pizza. Nice variation from the Neapolitan I usually make.

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