There’s a Reason Some Pizza Pans Have Holes Across the Bottom

Pizza pans covered with small holes can look like they were made for frozen or prebaked pizza. Raw dough seems like it might sag into the openings, stick, or make a mess before the crust has time to set.

Reddit user u/Disaster_pirate had the same question after finding perforated pizza pans while looking for an inexpensive way to bake store-bought raw dough. The dough cost about $2.50 per roll, making homemade pizza much cheaper than the frozen pizzas they had been buying.

Those holes are not a limitation. Perforated pizza pans can be used with raw dough, and the openings expose more of the bottom crust to heat and airflow. Several home cooks in the discussion said they use them for raw dough, while one former Domino’s worker said perforated trays were used for the chain’s pizzas except pan pizza.

Holes Help the Bottom Crust Crisp

A solid pizza pan creates a continuous barrier between the dough and the oven heat below. A perforated pan leaves parts of the crust exposed through dozens of small openings.

That design can help with browning and crisping across the bottom. One commenter described the holes as creating airflow for a crisper crust, while another said these pans work with thin raw dough. Users in the discussion also reported good results with thicker crusts.

Raw Dough Can Go Straight on the Pan

The concern about dough pushing through the openings makes sense when it is still soft. In practice, several people said they place raw dough on perforated pans without trouble.

One commenter who owns three perforated pans said they use them for raw dough all the time with a quick coating of cooking spray. Another said fresh dough even went through a rise on the perforated pan without causing a problem.

Parchment Can Help With Sticky Dough

For dough that feels hard to handle, parchment paper provides another option. A circle cut to the size of the pan creates a barrier between the raw dough and the holes, which can also make transferring the finished pizza to a cutting board easier.

Check the temperature rating on the parchment before using it. One commenter pointed out that their parchment was rated to 400°F, while pizza recipes can call for oven temperatures above that limit.

A Sheet Pan Is Another Budget Option

A perforated pizza pan is not required for homemade pizza. One commenter suggested buying a half-sheet pan instead because it can handle pizza along with other baking jobs. Store-bought dough does not need to be shaped into a perfect circle, either.

Still, those holes across a pizza pan have a purpose. If crisping the bottom crust is the goal, the perforated version may be the more useful choice rather than the pan to avoid.