Homemade pizza is always a fun and unfussy choice for a dinner party, but trying to talk to guests while stretching dough, scattering toppings and transferring pizza from peel to oven means my kitchen always ends up looking like a mini pizza tornado blew through it. That's why I'm intrigued by this party-friendly pan pizza recipe from Serious Eats. It's big enough to serve a crowd and, best of all, it rises in the same pan it's baked in — so you can just top it and pop the whole pan in the oven to bake.

This isn't a thin-crust Neopolitan-style pie; it's a thicker, softer pizza known in New York City as Sicilian pizza. The dough is very forgiving, and moves straight from the stand mixer to an oiled 13-by-18-inch sheet pan, where it rises for two hours. (The recipe also includes instructions for making the dough without a stand mixer.) While it rises, the dough spreads to fill the pan, so it doesn't need any messy handling before topping and baking.

For family dinners and small groups, I'll stick with thin-crust pizzas, but the next time I'm making a casual meal for a big group (hello, football season!), I'll be giving this method a try.

→ Get the recipe: Basic Square Pan Pizza Dough at Serious Eats

Do you have a favorite pan-style pizza recipe?

Related: Peter Reinhart's Best Pizza Dough Ever

(Images: J. Kenji López-Alt/Serious Eats)