Description
School pizza brings nostalgic memories of cafeteria comfort for many people. Classic ingredients and simple preparation make this childhood favorite easy to recreate at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ lb (227 g) ground beef
- 8 oz (226 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 ⅔ cups (637 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) warm water
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) quick-rise yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered milk
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 6 oz (170 g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp dried basil
- ½ tsp crushed dried rosemary
- ½ tsp salt (for ground beef)
- ½ tsp pepper (for ground beef)
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Whisk flour, powdered milk, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring uniform ingredient distribution.
- Liquid Integration: Warm water and vegetable oil, then swiftly incorporate into dry ingredients, creating a smooth pizza dough.
- Pan Setup: Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C); spray 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- Crust Formation: Press and stretch dough evenly across pan, allowing brief resting if needed; partially bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden and firming.
- Meat Preparation: Brown ground beef in skillet over medium heat, draining excess fat and seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Sauce Creation: Simmer tomato paste with water, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and rosemary on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop deep flavors.
- Pizza Assembly: Generously spread sauce across partially baked crust, then evenly distribute cooked ground beef and sprinkle mozzarella cheese to cover entire surface.
- Final Baking: Return pizza to oven, baking 8-10 minutes until cheese melts completely and turns golden brown.
- Serving: Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes, then slice into square servings.
Notes
- Dough Resting Technique: Let dough relax momentarily if stretching feels difficult to prevent tearing and ensure smooth, even coverage in the pan.
- Meat Preparation Tip: Drain beef thoroughly to prevent excess grease from making the pizza soggy and compromising the crispy crust.
- Sauce Flavor Development: Simmer sauce slowly to concentrate flavors and create a rich, depth of taste that elevates the entire pizza experience.
- Cheese Melting Hack: Ensure cheese reaches all edges for maximum coverage and that golden-brown bubbling for the perfect visual and taste appeal.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Baking, Sautéing, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg