Name: Cafeteria Style Rectangle Pizza
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. Uncooked Pizza Dough (approximately); 1 1/2 cups Pizza Sauce or marinara sauce; 1 tbsp. Olive Oil; 5 oz. Pepperoni Slices; 5 oz. Sliced Mushrooms; 2 cups. Shredded Mozzarella cheese

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Make this Cafeteria Style Rectangle Pizza in a shape that makes it easy to bake in a sheet pan or on a stone. Top homemade pizza with your favorite toppings and enjoy pizza night any time of the week!

What is rectangle pizza?

Well it's just what you would think it would be, a pizza that's in the shape of a rectangle!

While pizza is most often shaped in a circle, making pizza in a rectangle gives you more surface area and is great for if your feeding a family. It is similar to what you would have had in the school cafeteria pizza. And classic "Detroit Style" pizza is rectangular as well.

Try this pizza with my homemade Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough. This simple pizza recipe really shines with a homemade crust.

once slice of rectangle pizza on a white plate

What you'll love about this style of making pizza

No need for a perfect circle. Rolling or shaping pizza into a perfect circle is a little difficult without the right tools. By making the pizza rectangle, you are able to shape the dough to the sides of your cooking vessel.
Use a regular baking sheet. Everyone has these on hand! Super easy-- just make sure to grease the surface to avoid sticking.
Easy to make in large quantities. You can easily make large quantities at once, and even double up by putting two rectangle pizzas in the oven at a time. Getting a large circular pizza to fit into a standard oven isn't always possible, a square can fit much easier.

What you while need for rectangular pizza

ingredients for rectangle pizza on a white background

Uncooked Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Olive Oil
Pepperoni
Mushroom
Mozzarella cheese

Keep in mind, these toppings are just suggestions to use. Feel free to switch it up as you would like. The true basics you will need are pizza dough, olive oil, tomato sauce, and cheese.

How to make Cafeteria Style Rectangle Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a mid size baking sheet or rectangular pizza stone, add olive oil (about a tablespoon) and use fingers to coat the surface thoroughly.

Gently pull pizza dough with hands to get it to approximately the right size and then place on baking surface. Press it out to finish shaping it the rest of the way.

pizza dough on a stone with topping ingredients in the background

Pour sauce over top and spread with a spoon.

Add toppings, such as mushrooms and pepperoni. Top with a generous amount of cheese.

Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes until cheese and crust are golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into squares.

What pizza crust to use for Rectangle Pizza?

I'm going to be honest with you here-- I make the BEST Homemade Sourdough Pizza Dough. If you have a sourdough starter in your home, you have got to try this recipe. Since perfecting the dough recipe, we have made pizza almost weekly in our home.

pizza dough stretched into a rectangle on a baking stone

If you would like to purchase your pizza dough, Trader Joe's has a great fresh option that comes in a little plastic bag. You can also use canned pizza dough. If you do, the crust will be a little thinner because it will have to stretch to fill the baking sheet.

Pizza Topping Ideas

Although the topping options for pizza are seemingly endless, here are some ideas to get you started.

Pepperoni and Mushroom
Barbecue Chicken: Barbecue sauce base with shredded or diced chicken, sliced red onion, garlic, and pickled jalapenos
Margarita: Olive oil base with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil leaves
Sausage and Garlic
Chicken, Bacon, Ranch (base), Green Onions

Storage

Store finished pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for several months.