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Party Pizza
Party Pizza Header

This Sheet Pan Pizza or Party Pizza will make about 18 slices of Pizza per Tray! Double it up and place both into the oven side by side to get 36 slices of Pizza. Instead of two Party Pizzas, you can make one a Pizza and the other Garlic Fingers or go half Pizza & Garlic Fingers for each Sheet Pan Pizza. Either way you do it, this is a recipe to feed a crowd.

This Pizza is prepared with the fingertip technique and boast a beautiful browned Crust with dimples that not only bake up the underside crust with a very pleasing texture contrast. It also creates dimples on the top side to hold pockets of extra Pizza Sauce. The Pizza is Sauced right to the edge and creates a really crispy edge when cooked up.

Greco’s Party Pizza

Besides these types of Pizza being made in Sicily, Greco Pizza is one of the first places I seen offer this in local Pizzerias. They advertised as a 24 slice Party Pizza and it’s quite popular.

Greco’s Party Pizza is made in a 12×24 sheet pan which yields 24 slices of Pizza that are about 4 inches by 3 inches.

Party Pizza Preparation Time

The Dough needs to be started the night before for proper proofing and aging of the dough. Which takes about 20 minutes of active time and at least 1 day to proof.

The next day, it takes about 1 hour to proof and press the dough in the pan. Place the Dough on the left side of the stove top away from the vent covered in plastic so that it can get the heat from the oven while preheating. This will cause the Dough to proof much faster and pressed out in about 1 hour.

You will need to get all the Toppings you want prepared as well. Which may include some cook time for toppings used such as Italian Sausage & Bacon. Although all of the Toppings & Pizza Sauce can be made while preheating and proofing the dough which will take about 1 hour.

  • Pizza Dough | 20 minutes the day before
  • Proofing and pressing into the pan | 1 Hour.
  • Pizza Sauce & Toppings can be prepared during the proof time
  • Assembly | 5 minutes
  • Total Preparation time | 1 Hour 25 minutes

Party Pizza Cook Times

Once the Party Pizza is assembled it only takes about 10 minutes to cook the Sheet Pan Pizza. You will need to preheat the oven for a good hour. Meanwhile all the Toppings & Sauces can be prepared and cooked if needed.

  • Pizza Toppings (Beef, Sausage, Bacon)| 5 minutes each
  • Party Pizza | 10-11 minutes
  • Total Cook Time | 10 – 26 minutes.

Party Pizza Servings

  • 2-3 slices per person
  • 17.25×11.5 sheet pan Pizza will make 6-9 servings.
  • This recipe can make 2 thin Party Pizzas or 1 Thick and 1 Thin for a total of 12-18 servings.

Kitchen Cookware for Party Pizza

  • Mixing Bowl or Dough Mixer for the Dough
  • Bowl for Pizza Sauce & Ladle or Spoon
  • Digital Scale
  • Plate to hold the Toppings
  • Baking Sheet 17.25×11.5
  • Brush to grease the pan
  • Plastic to cover the Dough
  • Pizza Cutter

Party Pizza Ingredients

  1. Pizza Dough
  2. Olive Oil or a Neutral Oil
  3. Pizza Sauce
  4. Toppings
  5. Mozzarella Cheese (High Moisture)

Party Pizza Dough

The Dough is the Classic Hand Tossed Pizza Dough, except for this recipe there is no hand tossing. Just pressing it out on an oiled Baking Sheet. Here it is proofed again until it can be hand pressed to fill the baking sheet.

Start the Dough the night before. Once formed and kneaded, Place back into the bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight to have ready for the next day.

The amount of Dough is about 1500 g. Which can be used to make 2 Thin Crust Party Pizzas or 1 Thick and 1 thin. The extra Dough can also be used for a Large Pizzas, Garlic Fingers or Twisty Bread. You can also just freeze it for future use.

Prepared Dough Ball

Party Pizza Dough

The portioned out Dough ball for your size baking sheet is placed on a well greased baking sheet, covered and proofed on the stovetop while the oven is preheated.

This speeds the proofing up and ensures the Dough is ready to go in 1 hour.

Pizza Sauce

Use your Favorite Pizza Sauce. We got a few of them you can choose from.

Since this is a Greco Style Pizza, I prefer the Quick Tomato Sauce which taste I believe extremely close to Greco’s Cheeseburger Oven subs if not better, I definitely get my fix with this recipe. The Tomato Soup Pizza Sauce is also in the same style as Greco’s Pizza.

Passata Pizza Sauce Ingredients Top View

Pizza Sauce

Use the Standard and Classics Pizza Sauce, San Marzano Tomato or Passata based Pizza Sauces.

Quick Tomato Sauce

Quick Tomato Sauce

The Quick Tomato Sauce is a tasty Sauce that I almost always use for the Greco Cheeseburger Oven Subs or the Cheeseburger Pizza.

Greco Pizza Sauce

Tomato Soup Pizza Sauce

The Tomato Soup Pizza Sauce is almost the same style as Greco’s Pizza Sauce they use for their Pizzas. Use the recipe as is or subsite the homemade tomato soup with Campbells tomato soup and add in the Herbs & Spices along with a bit of Ketchup.

CAL Pizza Sauce

CAL Pizza Sauce

  • 2 Cups Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1/2 Tbl Cornstarch & Heinz Chili Sauce
  • 1 tsp of the following
    • Parsley, Basil, Dehydrated Garlic Flakes, Sugar, Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Coriander
  • 1/4 tsp Marjoram, Ground Rosemary and Thyme
  • 1/8 tsp Black Pepper, Ground Tarragon, & Dry Mustard

Pizza Toppings

Top the Pizza with your Favorite Toppings. The main Pizza made for this post used Pepperoni, Italian Sausage and Bacon with the Cheese on the bottom. The other one in this post was made with Pepperoni, Chourico, Onions, Bacon, Orange & Yellow Bell Peppers with the Cheese on top.

Pepperoni Pizza Topping

The best Pepperoni for Pizza is by far the one pictured below. This is a cured Pepperoni. Don’t pick up deli style Pepperoni thinking it will work just as good, quality matters.

Pepperoni

Pepperoni

Fantino & Mondello Brand Pepperoni is by far the best. This can be pricey at retailers like Sobeys. But are much cheaper at our Local Italian Grocery store (Vincenzo’s).

Italian Sausage Pizza Topping

The Best Italian Sausage for Pizza toppings is the Mild Italian Sausage with the Fennel Seeds in small nodules. Pick up your favorite Italian Sausage and remove the skin or attempt to make your own Italian Sausage Pizza topping with a lb. of Ground Pork and some Seasonings.

If your Sausages don’t contain Fennel Seeds, you can add some in along with smoked Paprika and mix it in. Add some Cayenne or Red Chili Flakes for a boost in heat if needed. Then shape into those tiny nodules and cook them up the same as a Pizzeria.

Italian Sausages

Italian Sausage

Use 2 Italian Sausages per Party Pizza and portion out into 1/2 tsp tiny meatballs.

Cook in the oven or stovetop until just cooked through, a few minutes. Set them aside to top the Pizza later.

Baked Italian Sausage Meatballs

Homemade Italian Sausage Pizza topping

Combine 1 lbs. of Ground pork with an Italian Sausage seasoning. Portion out to 1/2 tsp tiny meatballs. I’m still working on a solid recipe but you can see these are just perfect for a Pizza Topping and the same kind you get when ordering out.

Bacon Pizza Toping

To get Bacon like the Pizzerias, mince the Bacon and cook it in a skillet over medium heat while covered until just cooked. Then uncover and continue to cook just until slightly crisp and to evaporate any water. Break up the Bacon and move it around while it cooks.

This way of preparing the Bacon yields the best results for the kind of Bacon you get at Pizzerias. Of course you could go old school and cook the Bacon strips then slice into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces to top the Pizzas with.

Minced Bacon

Bacon Bits

Mince the Bacon and cook in a skillet covered over medium heat. When most of the fat has been rendered cook for about 2 minutes uncovered or until slightly crisp.

Bacon Pizza Topping

Bacon Bits

Pizzeria Bacon isn’t really crispy. Instead it appears that it is steamed up and crisped just a little bit. Entirely up to you on whether you want Pizzeria style Bacon bits or really Crispy Bacon bits.

Pizza Cheese

The Cheese Blend I always use is a mix of High Moisture Mozzarella Cheese & Provolone Cheese at a ratio of 3:1 Mozzarella to Provolone. For the Party Pizza I sometimes include a bit of Shredded Cheddar Cheese, I like the sharpness it adds.

The Cheese can go on before or after the toppings. Really up to you. I prefer the Cheese on top for this style of Pizza.

Saputo Mozzarella Cheese

Saputo’s Mozzarella Cheese

Run the Cheese through the food processor fitted with the grater blade.

Measure out 3 Cups and place into a Ziploc Bag. Then grate the Provolone Cheese and add 1 Cup to the Mozzarella. Mix the bag around and freeze until needed.

Mozzarella and Provolone 3 to 1

Mozzarella Cheese Blend

Combine 3 Cups of shredded Saputo Mozzarella Cheese & 1 Cup of shredded Provolone Cheese into a freezer bag and mix well. Squeeze the air out and seal to freeze.

Break it up before using.

Pizza Math

To determine how much Dough to use for a given size, first calculate the area and multiply by the desired thickness or grams of dough per square inch. This determines how thick or thin the Party Pizza will be.

A good range for the thickness or how thin a Pizza slice ends up being is around 3 – 4 g dough per square inch. With 3 to 3.5 on the thinner side and 3.5 – 4 on the thicker side. Anywhere in between is pretty good.

In this example I am using a 17.25×11.5 baking sheet with 4 g per square inch. This is on the thicker side. You can go with 3.1 (615g), which I do sometimes for a thinner Party Pizza and to get two of them from one batch of dough, entirely up to you.

17.25 Length * 11.5 Width * 4 Thickness = 794 g of dough.

Sheet Pan Pizza

The Party Pizza is a Sheet Pan Pizza where the entire Pizza is cooked in a baking sheet, pan or tray and uses the Fingertip press technique to press the dough out. Greco calls this their Party Pizza.

This method is an old way of making Pizza. It creates those dimples in the Pizza that not only makes a very nice texture on the bottom crust. It also creates small pockets on top where Pizza Sauce can pool. It’s a very nice Pizza and I sometimes crave this specific style.

The Fingertip press technique is to place Pizza dough in a well greased pan. Press it out with your fingertips, cover and proof. Keep repeating this until you have pressed the dough out to fill the entire pan. Ensure that the dough is pressed out evenly by feeling how much dough there is when pressing.

Bottom Crust Finger Pressed

Fingertip Pressed Pizza

The Fingertip pressed method creates small dimples on the bottom of the Pizza that creates a beautiful textured Pizza Crust.

Keep pressing it out and covering to proof. Repeat until you get the dough fully pressed out. By which the Dough should be really warm.

How to make Sheet Pan Pizza

It first starts with a properly proofed and aged Pizza dough. Either Homemade or Store bought. If buying already made dough then this recipe can come together in the same day since the Store bought Pizza dough will already have been aged. All you have to do is proof it while the oven preheats for 1 hour and it’s ready to go.

Anywhere between 615 g thin, 794 g standard or thicker Party Pizza with the use of a 17.25 inch by 11.5 inch baking sheet. If your biggest baking sheet is a different size, calculate how much dough you will need for your specific tray size.

Preheat the oven to the highest setting it will go with the Rack in middle position. Place the wrapped dough on the stovetop to proof faster from the excess heat coming off the stove. If making 2 Party Pizzas alternate the Sheets for 10-15 minutes, press out and place the other one on for 10-15 minutes and press out.

Prepared Dough Ball

Greased Baking Sheet

Generously add some Oil to the baking Sheet and Brush the entire surface and walls with the Oil. Place the Dough Ball in and flatten out with the palm of your Hand.

First Fingertip Press Pizza Dough

Cover and Proof

Cover the Baking Sheet & Dough with Plastic – I use a dedicated garbage bag. Place it on the left side of the stovetop away from the oven vent.

The extra bit of heat coming off the stove while it preheats will speed the proofing up so that it will be ready in about 1 hour. Especially with a cold dough.

Fully pressed out Pizza Dough

Fingertip Press

Press the Dough out with your fingertips as far as the dough will naturally stretch. Cover and proof again.

Repeat about every 10-15 minutes while the oven is preheating until you can press the dough out the entire way with no shrinking back. By this time the Dough should be really warm and the oven has preheated for 1 hour.

While the Dough is proofing on the stovetop and slowly being pressed out, you can prepare the Pizza Sauce and all the toppings you want for the Party Pizza as well as any Dips like Papa Johns Garlic Sauce or Donair Sauce.

Thin Crust Party Pizza

Stick to about 3.1 g of dough per square inch for your calculation of how much dough you need for your specific tray. If your tray is 17.25 x 11.5 then calculate as;

17.25 Length * 11.5 Width * 3.1 Thickness = 615 g of dough.

With the Classic Hand Tossed Pizza Dough portion, this is enough to make 2 Thin Crust Party Pizzas with some dough leftover.

Thick Crust Party Pizza

Stick to about 4 g of dough per square inch, maybe a little more or less for your calculation of how much dough you need for your specific tray. If your tray is 17.25 x 11.5 then calculate as;

17.25 Length * 11.5 Width * 4 Thickness = 794 g of dough.

With the Classic Hand Tossed Pizza Dough portion, this is enough to make 1 Thin Crust Party Pizzas and 1 Thick Crust Party Pizza with a small amount of dough left over.

Party Pizza Toppings

Once the Dough is fully pressed out it is ready to be assembled. This should take the full 1 hour of proofing and preheating the oven. After which the Pizzas are ready to be assembled. With your Cheese, Pizza Sauce and Toppings ready to go, you’re about 15 minutes away from your Belly Smile!

Party Pizza Sauced

Sauce the Pizza

Add the desired amount of Pizza Sauce and spread all the way out leaving no Crust. This will cause the sides of the Pizza to cook up really Crisp which is highly desirable.

Party Pizza Cheese on top

Toppings

Either place the Cheese down first and then the Toppings or the Toppings first and then the Cheese. Which ever is your preference. For the Party Pizza I really like the Cheese on top.

Top the Pizza all the way to the edge for full coverage.

How to cook a Party Pizza

The oven should be preheated for 1 hour with the rack in middle position. Cook for 10 minutes turning the Pizza around halfway through. Broil the top for about 1 minute only if needed for color.

With a Party Pizza there is no need of a Pizza Stone. Instead the oiled Baking sheet will be adequate enough to brown the bottom of the Pizza.

Party Pizza Close up
Party Pizza Close up
Party Pizza Tray
Party Pizza Tray Cheese on top

How to Slice a Party Pizza

Greco slices are about 4 inches x 3 inches. For a 12 x 24 inch Pan slice the length 2 times of equal size and width 7 times of equal size or lengthwise 3 times and width 5. This is the Greco Party Pizza size with 24 slices of Pizza.

For a 17.25 x 11.5 tray of Pizza, slice lengthwise twice off center and slice the width by half. Then each half off center on both sides for 5 cuts made across the width. This will give you just shy of 4 x 3 inches slices and a total of 18 slices of Pizza.

Don’t worry about it too much, you can slice this up any way you like with larger or smaller slices. The important thing is that you slice it up so that all the slices are pretty much equal. I often just slice in half, then each half in half again and repeat until I get pretty much all even slices.

Crust View
Crust View 4 g thickness
Sliced Party Pizza
Sliced Party Pizza 3.1 g thickness

Party Pizza Duo

Instead of making the whole Sheet Pan Pizza a Pizza. Sauce half of it with Pizza Sauce and the other half with Garlic Butter for Garlic Fingers for a really nice Party Pizza Duo.

Make two Pizzas in one. On one half a set of Toppings and on the other half another set of Toppings.

Another option is to make the Party Pizza on the thinner side so you can get 2 Party Pizzas. One for Pizza and the other for Garlic Fingers.

Pizza Side Dishes

Papa Johns Garlic Sauce

Papa Johns Garlic Sauce

Really good for Pizza, Garlic Fingers and Breadsticks.

Halifax Donair Sauce

Donair Sauce

Sweet Dip usually served with Garlic Fingers or Twisty Bread but great as a Pizza Dip too.

Twisty Bread with Garlic Sauce

Twisty Bread

Or the Cinnamon Twisty Bread for something Sweet

Pan Garlic Fingers

Garlic Fingers

Top the Garlic Fingers with Bacon Bits and serve with Donair Sauce!

Party Pizza

Party Pizza

This Pizza is prepared with the fingertip technique and boast a beautiful browned Crust with dimples that not only bake up the underside crust with a very pleasing texture contrast. It also creates dimples on the top side to hold pockets of extra Pizza Sauce. The Pizza is Sauced right to the edge and creates a really crispy edge when cooked up.
Check the notes for calculating how much dough to use for your particular sized baking sheet and whether you want a thin or thick crust.
Servings: 6 portions
Prep1 hour 25 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Aging the Dough1 day

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing Bowl for the Dough
  • 1 Bowl & Ladle or Spoon for the Pizza Sauce
  • 1 Digital Scale to weigh out the dough
  • 1 Plate for all the toppings
  • 1 17.25×11.5 Baking sheet preferably a 12×24 for the Greco style
  • 1 Brush to Grease the Pan
  • 1 Saran Wrap or a Dedicated garbage bag to cover the dough

Ingredients

  • 794 g Pizza Dough - see notes for different sizes
  • As Desired Pizza Sauce - see the post for some ideas on Pizza Sauce
  • As Desired Pizza Toppings - Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Bacon, etc.
  • As Needed Olive Oil - to grease the baking tray
  • As Desired Mozzarella Cheese Blend - 3:1 Mozzarella to Provolone

Instructions

  • Prepare the Pizza Dough the day before so that it can properly proof and ready to go the next day. As soon as the Dough if formed and kneaded, place it back into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
    Portion out the Pizza Dough for your sized baking sheet (See notes). Add a generous amount of Oil to the Baking Sheet and press the dough as flat as you can. Cover with Plastic to allow to proof and relax for 1 hour.
    Place it on the left side of the stove top away from the vent while you preheat the oven to the highest setting, it will go with the rack in middle position.
  • During this one hour proofing and preheating time, you can prepare the Pizza Sauce and toppings. Every once in a while press the dough out as far as it will go without shrinking back, cover and proof again. Repeat this until the dough fills the tray.
  • After the 1-hour proofing, fully press the dough out. Sauce the Pizza and then Cheese first or last depending on your preference with your favorite Pizza Toppings you prepared earlier.
  • Place into the oven to bake for 10 minutes, flip the pizza around so that the back is now facing towards you at 5 minutes.
    After 10 minutes, broil for about 1 minute only if needed for color before removing from the oven.
    Garnish with Parsley, Aleppo, Parmesan or Chili Flakes and Slice.

Notes

 
Calculate the area and multiply by the thickness desired. In this example, I am using a 17.25 x 11.5 baking sheet with 4 g of dough per square inch. Adjust this to anywhere between 3 – 4 depending on how thick or thin you want the Pizza. 
17.25 Length * 11.5 Width * 4 Thickness = 794 g of dough.
I sometimes go with Thin Crust at 3.1 or 615 g which enables me to get 2 Party Pizzas or thicker at 4 for 794 g and a side of Large Garlic Fingers or Twisty Bread with the leftover dough or another Thin Crust Party Pizza.  
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keywords: Baking Sheet Pizza, Greco Party Pizza, Party Pizza, Pizza Recipe, Pizza Tray, Sheet Pan Pizza, Sheet Pizza, Tray Pizza
Author: JAH

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