Breadstick pizza is the sheet pan pizza shortcut that bypasses dough-making entirely. Two tubes of refrigerated breadstick dough unrolled and pressed into a 15×10 baking pan become the crust, prebaked until set, then topped with sauteed mushrooms, peppers, and onion, Canadian bacon, and a two-cheese blend of mozzarella and cheddar. Forty-five minutes from fridge to table, serves twelve, and it cuts into squares rather than slices, which makes it ideal for a crowd eating standing up.

The breadstick dough crust is sturdy enough to hold its toppings and has a slightly softer, more bread-like texture than a traditional pizza crust. It’s not the same thing, and it’s not trying to be. It’s a practical family dinner or party food that requires no special skill and uses ingredients available at any grocery store.

Building the crust

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Two tubes of refrigerated breadstick dough, the kind that come in the refrigerated section near the canned biscuits. Unroll both and press them into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, working the dough to the bottom and up the sides and pinching any seams closed so the toppings don’t leak through. The dough is forgiving and stretches easily when it’s at room temperature; if it keeps snapping back, let it rest for five minutes and try again.

Bake the bare crust at 350 degrees for six to eight minutes until it’s set but not fully golden. The partial bake is important: the crust needs to be firm enough to hold the toppings for the second bake without going limp, but it shouldn’t be fully cooked yet or the second round of baking will overbrown it. Pull it out when it looks set and pale golden.

The vegetable topping

Half a pound of sliced fresh mushrooms, two chopped green peppers, and one chopped onion cooked in two teaspoons of olive oil with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning over medium-high heat until crisp-tender. Drain the vegetables well before they go on the pizza. Mushrooms in particular release a lot of water as they cook, and if that water goes onto the crust it makes it soggy before the second bake even starts. A colander or a spoon pressed against the side of the pan to drain the liquid is the step worth taking.

Crisp-tender means cooked through but still with some texture. Fully soft vegetables on a pizza will continue cooking in the oven and go too soft by the time the cheese is melted. A few minutes of cooking with some color and bite still in them is correct.

Assembly and the second bake

Brush the prebaked crust with the remaining two teaspoons of olive oil. The oil creates a barrier between the crust and the toppings that helps keep the base from getting wet during the second bake, and it adds a slight richness to the crust edge.

Sprinkle three-quarters of a cup of cheddar cheese over the oiled crust as the first layer. Then the vegetable mixture, spread evenly. Then the chopped Canadian bacon. Then combine the mozzarella and remaining three-quarters cup of cheddar and sprinkle over everything. A final half teaspoon of Italian seasoning goes over the top.

Canadian bacon is already cooked, so it only needs to heat through during the bake. It adds a mild pork-and-salt flavor without the grease of regular bacon or the weight of sausage. Pepperoni or Italian sausage work as substitutes with a heavier, spicier result.

Bake at 350 for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust edges are golden brown. The cheddar and mozzarella combination is deliberate: mozzarella melts smoothly and pulls apart in the classic pizza way, while cheddar adds a sharper flavor and a slightly different texture. Together they make a topping that’s more interesting than either alone.

Marinara for dipping

The recipe serves marinara sauce alongside rather than spreading it under the toppings. This is a practical choice: sauce on the crust during baking can make the breadstick base soft and wet. Dipping keeps the crust crisp and lets people control how much sauce they get with each bite. A good jarred marinara works fine, or heat a simple sauce from canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil while the pizza bakes.

Why sheet pan pizza works for a crowd

I’ve eaten pizza made many ways across many countries, from wood-fired thin-crust to thick Sicilian squares to flatbreads topped with lamb and za’atar that have nothing to do with Italian pizza but share the same idea. What they all have in common is that a piece of dough topped with things and baked is almost always satisfying, regardless of how formal or rustic the execution is.

Breadstick pizza sits at the informal end of that spectrum, and that’s fine. It’s the kind of thing that gets made on a Friday night when you want something that feels like pizza without the commitment of making dough. The kids eat it. The adults eat it. There are leftovers that reheat well the next day. Serves 12. Nutrition is 267 calories per piece, calculated without marinara sauce.

Change the toppings

The vegetable and Canadian bacon combination here is a template. The same crust works with any pizza toppings: classic pepperoni and mozzarella, roasted red peppers and feta, caramelized onions and goat cheese, or a white pizza with ricotta and spinach. Keep the prebake step and the cheese-first-then-toppings-then-cheese-again layering and the result will be similar regardless of what goes on top.

Print Recipe

Breadstick Pizza

Author: Yas Sine Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: American Courses: Appetizer, Dinner Recipes Recipe Keys: C Crowd E Easy S Sheet Pan W Weeknight

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 28 mins Total Time 53 mins

Cooking Temp: 350  C Servings: 12 Calories: 267

Best Season: Available

Description

Refrigerated breadstick dough pressed into a sheet pan as the crust, topped with sauteed vegetables, Canadian bacon, and melted cheddar and mozzarella. A crowd-sized pizza in 45 minutes.

Ingredients

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Servings

• 2 tubes refrigerated breadstick dough (11 oz each)
• ¹⁄₂ lb fresh mushrooms
• sliced
• 2 medium green peppers
• chopped
• 1 medium onion
• chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• divided
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• divided
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• divided
• 5 oz Canadian bacon
• chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Marinara sauce for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
2. Unroll the breadstick dough and press onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, pinching seams to seal. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until set but not yet golden.
3. Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms, peppers, onion, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning in 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until crisp-tender. Drain well.
4. Brush the prebaked crust with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese over the crust.
5. Top with the vegetable mixture, then the Canadian bacon. Combine the mozzarella with the remaining 3/4 cup cheddar and sprinkle over the top. Finish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust edges are golden brown. Cut into squares and serve with marinara sauce for dipping..

Equipment

• 15x10x1-inch baking pan

• Large skillet

• Pastry brush

Note

Drain the sauteed vegetables well before topping the pizza so excess moisture doesn't make the crust soggy. Prebake the crust for 6 to 8 minutes before adding toppings. Nutrition per piece (serves 12, without marinara): 267 calories, 29g carbohydrates, 13g protein, 11g fat, 6g saturated fat, 27mg cholesterol, 638mg sodium, 5g sugar, 2g fiber.

Keywords: breadstick pizza, sheet pan pizza, easy homemade pizza, pizza no dough

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