Sheet Pan Sicilian-Style Pizza With Tomatoes and Herbs

Sheet pan Sicilian-style pizza is a thick, airy, rectangular pie baked in an oiled pan at 500°F. Press store-bought or homemade dough into the pan, let it rise, top it with a quick roasted cherry tomato sauce, three cheeses and a fresh herb blend, then bake for about 15 minutes until the bottom is crisp and golden.

Unlike a round pizza, a pan pizza does not need stretching skills, a peel or a pizza stone. The olive oil in the pan fries the bottom of the crust, and a long rest lets the dough puff up into a focaccia-like base. It is an easy recipe to feed a group, and it is at its best in late summer when cherry tomatoes and basil are everywhere.

At a glance

• Active time: about 30 minutes
• Dough rest: at least 30 minutes, ideally 2 to 5 hours
• Bake time: 13 to 15 minutes
• Pan: quarter-sheet pan, about 9 x 13 inches
• Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Roasted cherry tomato sauce

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound), or one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 teaspoons honey or fig preserves
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper

Herb seasoning

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried), plus whole leaves for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch each kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Cheese and toppings

• 1 cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded fontina
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago
• 3 ounces sliced pepperoni (optional)

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven. Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 500°F for at least 30 minutes. A longer preheat helps the crust brown.
2. Pan the dough. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan and spread it to the corners. Set the dough in the pan, turn it once to coat and press it out as far as it will go without tearing. It will spring back; that is fine.
3. Let it rest. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or 2 to 5 hours for a lighter, bubblier crust.
4. Roast the tomatoes. While the dough rests, toss the cherry tomatoes in a small baking dish with the olive oil, garlic, honey, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until most of the tomatoes burst. Mash with a fork into a chunky sauce and let it cool. If using canned tomatoes, simmer the same ingredients in a saucepan for 15 to 20 minutes until thick.
5. Mix the herb seasoning. Stir together the basil, oregano, garlic, fennel, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl.
6. Stretch to the edges. Uncover the dough. With oiled fingertips, press it into the corners of the pan, dimpling it as you go. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
7. Top it. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a thin border. Scatter the three cheeses all the way to the edges so they crisp against the pan. Add pepperoni if using, then spoon the herb seasoning over the top.
8. Bake. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake 3 to 5 minutes more, until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots and the bottom is deep golden. Lift a corner with a spatula to check.
9. Finish and slice. Let it rest in the pan for 3 minutes, then slide it onto a board. Scatter whole basil leaves on top and cut into squares.

Tips for a better crust

• Do not skimp on the oil in the pan. It is what makes the bottom crisp.
• Use a dark metal pan if you have one; it browns better than glass or light aluminum.
• Room-temperature dough stretches far more easily than cold dough. Take store-bought dough out of the fridge an hour ahead.
• Keep the sauce thick. Watery sauce makes a soggy center.
• Cheese to the edges gives you the crunchy, caramelized frico crust that pan pizza is known for.

Variations

• Vegetarian: skip the pepperoni and add sliced zucchini, roasted peppers or mushrooms.
• Spicy: add sliced Calabrian chiles or a drizzle of hot honey after baking.
• Late-summer garden: top the baked pizza with sliced heirloom tomatoes and torn basil.
• Bigger crowd: double everything and use a half-sheet pan (about 13 x 18 inches), adding a few minutes to the bake.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of baking. Cooked pizza keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, according to FoodSafety.gov. Reheat squares in a dry skillet over medium heat, covered, for 4 to 6 minutes, or in a 400°F oven for about 8 minutes. Both keep the bottom crisp; the microwave does not.

Hosting a pizza night in wine country

A sheet pan pie is ideal for casual entertaining: one pan, easy squares and no special equipment. In Sonoma and Napa, outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens are popular features, and many homes are designed around entertaining outside for much of the year. Our post on Sonoma backyards built for entertaining shows what buyers look for.

For ingredients, local farmers markets are the best source for tomatoes and herbs. See our guides to Sonoma County farmers markets and Napa Valley farmers markets. To round out the menu, try our Caprese salad and an Aperol spritz.

Questions people ask

What makes a pizza Sicilian-style?

It is baked in a rectangular pan, with a thick, airy crust closer to focaccia than to a thin Neapolitan pizza. It is cut into squares.

Can I use store-bought dough?

Yes. Let it come to room temperature first and give it the full rest in the oiled pan so it relaxes and rises.

Do I need a pizza stone?

No. The pan does the work. A stone under the pan can help the bottom brown a little faster, but it is optional.

Can I make the dough ahead?

Yes. Press it into the oiled pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before topping and baking.

If you are picturing pizza nights on a patio in wine country, we can help you find the right place. Browse homes in Sonoma or reach out to our team.

Sources & notes

• FoodSafety.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services): Cold food storage chart and 4 Steps to Food Safety
• Recipe rewritten for this site from our original 2023 version; ingredient amounts adjusted for a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.