Making pizza on a sheet pan provides a solution for home cooks who don’t have a pizza oven, stone, or the other necessary components to make a traditional pie. A traditional pizza crust, whether it’s made from scratch or store-bought, is still fairly simple. Even so, there’s usually an even easier way to pull off an array of dishes at home, particularly with sheet pan pizza. In this case, it’s to swap classic pizza dough with the phyllo dough that’s often used in a traditional spanakopita recipe.
There are a few reasons why it’s worth using the alternative ingredient for sheet pan pizza. Phyllo dough often comes cut in the same size as many standard-sized baking sheets, so there’s no rolling or cutting involved. In addition to that one less step, phyllo dough is ready to use as soon as it’s room temperature, so there is no rolling or rising required. Just be careful when thawing frozen phyllo dough, as it is quite delicate. The unconventional pizza crust will also offer a lighter, crispier base for the cheese and other toppings like mushrooms. So, if you tend to lean towards a flaky, thin-crust pie at the pizzeria, this swap is worth the shot at home.
Must-have tips to make sheet pan pizza with phyllo dough
When you’re hungry for a phyllo dough-made sheet pan pizza, the process is not terribly different than it would be with another type of dough. Because phyllo dough sheets are so thin, expect to use eight to 12 pieces for this recipe. The sheets should also be defrosted and at room temperature so the pizza cooks evenly in the oven. It’s also important to line the baking sheet with parchment paper or coat it in oil so that the phyllo dough sheets don’t stick. You can even brush each individual sheet with oil so it’s crunchy throughout the layers.
Otherwise, add your preferred sauce and pizza toppings like any other style, just don’t overload the thin, crispy crust. Some ideal toppings that lean into the Greek and Turkish recipes that often use phyllo dough include feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, spinach, pitted Kalamata olives, and herbs like parsley. The ideal temperature to cook phyllo dough pizza so that it doesn’t burn is at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake it for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted. For more uses of the flaky ingredient, use phyllo dough on top of casseroles for flaky, crunchy bites at the top of each forkful.
