Homemade School Cafeteria Pizza

This nostalgic pizza brings back memories of school lunchrooms with its thick, doughy crust, slightly sweet sauce, and gooey cheese topping. It's easy to make at home and perfect for feeding a crowd.

Full Recipe:

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup instant nonfat dry milk

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 packet (¼ oz) active dry yeast

• 1⅔ cups warm water (110°F/43°C)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil

• 1½ tablespoons cornmeal

For the Sauce:

• ½ cup tomato paste

• 1⅓ cups water

• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons dried basil

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

For the Toppings:

• 5¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• Optional: 1 pound cooked ground beef or Italian sausage

Directions

1. Prepare the Dough:

   • In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

   • In a large bowl, combine the flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, and oil.

   • Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.

   • Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth.

   • Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

2. Prepare the Sauce:

   • In a saucepan, combine the tomato paste, water, minced onion, garlic powder, black pepper, basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme.

   • Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Assemble the Pizza:

   • Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).

   • Punch down the risen dough and divide it into two equal portions.

   • Roll out each portion into a rectangle to fit a 12x18-inch sheet pan.

   • Place the rolled dough onto greased sheet pans.

   • Spread the prepared sauce evenly over each dough rectangle.

   • Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.

   • If using, distribute the cooked ground beef or sausage evenly over the cheese.

4. Bake the Pizza:

   • Bake in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

5. Serve:

   • Remove the pizzas from the oven and let them cool slightly.

   • Cut into rectangular slices and serve hot.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

• Calories: Approximately 445 kcal

• Carbohydrates: 48 g

• Protein: 25 g

• Fat: 15 g

• Saturated Fat: 6 g

• Cholesterol: 42 mg

• Sodium: 514 mg

• Potassium: 251 mg

• Fiber: 1 g

• Sugar: 5 g

• Vitamin A: 298 IU

• Vitamin C: 3 mg

• Calcium: 161 mg

• Iron: 2 mg