Here’s a classic School Cafeteria–Style Pizza recipe — soft crust, slightly sweet sauce, and simple cheese, just like the lunchroom kind 🍕
The School Pizza Recipe (Square Slice Style)
Ingredients
Crust (soft & bready)
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp powdered milk (important for school flavor)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 packet (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Sauce (mild & slightly sweet)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
Topping
- 2 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- Optional: cooked sausage, pepperoni, or beef crumbles
Instructions
1. Make the dough
- Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C).
- In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, powdered milk, salt, and yeast.
- Add warm water and oil. Stir until a soft dough forms.
- Press dough into a greased 9×13 pan (no rolling needed).
- Let rest 10 minutes.
2. Pre-bake the crust
- Bake crust 8 minutes (this keeps it fluffy, not soggy).
3. Make the sauce
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl (no cooking needed).
4. Assemble
- Spread sauce evenly over crust.
- Sprinkle cheese generously.
- Add meat if using.
5. Bake
- Bake 10–12 minutes, until cheese is melted and edges are lightly golden.
6. Cool & cut
- Let sit 5 minutes, then cut into square slices — cafeteria style.
Why this tastes like school pizza
- Powdered milk = authentic cafeteria flavor
- Thick crust + mild sauce
- Square pan instead of round 🍕
If you want, I can give you:
- The government commodity cheese version
- A Tony’s / Ellio’s–style copycat
- Or a 1-sheet-pan lunchroom recipe
Just tell me!
