(adapted from Cook's Country)
Serves 6-8/Makes 13x18 sheet pan pie
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 3/4 cup hot water (110f)
1Tbsp sugar
4.5 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 envelopes or 4 1/2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tsp salt
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn off oven. Grease large bowl. Evenly coat 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 1/4 cup oil.
Combine water, sugar, and 1/4 cup oil in measuring cup. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined. (Or, use a food processor fitted with a dough hook.) Increase speed to medium-low and slowly add water mixture until dough is uniform in texture, about 3 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
NOW MAKE the SAUCE and prepare TOPPINGS:
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp. Dried oregano
2 tsp. Dried basil (or use 2 tbsp. fresh, and add at end)
¼ tsp. Red pepper flkaes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella (~3/4 pound)
Heat 1 tbsp oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook garlic, oregano, basil, and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Off heat, season with salt.
Now, on with the pizza:
On lightly floured work surface, use rolling pin to roll dough into 16- by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet and stretch dough to cover pan, pressing dough into corners. (Or, stretch and mush the dough into the pan with your hands.) Brush dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set in warm spot (not oven) until slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Remove plastic wrap and, using fingers, make indentations all over dough. Sprinkle dough with 1 cup Parmesan and bake on bottom shelf of oven until cheese begins to melt, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and spoon sauce over pizza, leaving 1-inch border. Bake until sauce is deep red and steaming, 7 to 10 minutes.
Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over sauce and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.
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Notes for large-quantity baking: Made 6x recipe for SONG neighborhood meal (~40). One of the pizzas was gf, so I only did 5x the crust. Time frame: start mixing dough in batches at 3:45 pm. Set to rise in separate bowls by 4:15 pm. Make sauce. Stretch dough to fit pans between 4:45 and 5:00pm; set to rise in pans. At 5:15, start baking crusts with parmesan, and continue to rotate pans in and out of the oven (use speed bake, both shelves) for 45 minutes, till all pans are baked.