Pizza Pans

I LOVE making homemade pizzas. In fact, about twice a month, I whip up a batch of pizza dough and rip off small pieces of it over the course of the week (yes, pizza dough will keep for a good week in your refrigerator) to make delicious, personal-sized pizzas anytime I want. Saves money and the pizza is done WAY before a Dominos guy would show up at your door.

However, the big problem I had was the crust. Pizza crust just doesn't want to crisp up on most standard baking sheets. I tried everything from cookie pans to plain old aluminum foil. But no matter what I tried, the bottom of my pizza crust always wound up uncooked, doughy and soggy. Sure, there are some pricey pizza stones you can pick up at kitchen stores. But before I splurged on such an extravagance, I decided to try out the newest cookie sheets I had picked up at Macy's with a gift certificate from Mom. Anolon, non-stick cookie sheets.

Frankly, these cookie sheets aren't always the best for cookies for various reasons. It depends on the cookie. Non-stick surfaces tend to over-brown the bottoms of cookies. But that makes them FABULOUS for pizzas! I actually spread the thin crust directly out onto the sheet (no non-stick spray needed), spread the sauce on, add my toppings, and them just slide that baby into the oven.

When you smell the pizza, it's done. Perfect crisp, lightly brown crust everytime!

Another little tip---once the pizza is done, I move it to a wooden cutting board and use the pizza cutter to slice it up there. The crust stays crisp and, if you have guests, the cutting board works great for a rustic presentation.