Wondering what to do with pizza shell? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 67 recipes to put it to work.

What is pizza shell?

A pizza shell is a fully pre-baked pizza crust, sold ready to top. You know it best as the Boboli-style round in the bread aisle: firm and golden and already cooked, so all it needs is sauce and toppings and a short blast of heat.

It is the fastest route to homemade pizza on a weeknight. There is no dough to mix and no rising. You top a shell and it is on the table in well under fifteen minutes.

Think of it as a clean canvas that already tastes like bread.

Most come in a sealed pack, often two thin shells or one thick one, sometimes with a sauce packet tucked in.

How to Use a Pizza Shell

Because the crust is already baked, your only job is to heat it through and melt the cheese. Bake it directly on the oven rack, not a pan, so the bottom crisps instead of steaming. A hot oven around 450°F (230°C) for eight to ten minutes does it.

Go light on the sauce. A pre-baked shell cannot absorb much moisture, so a heavy layer of sauce or watery vegetables leaves the top soggy while the rim stays dry.

Top it like any pizza. Mushroom Onion & Basil Pizza, Tomato & Onion Pizza, and Mediterranean Pizza all start from a shell, and a Double Cheesy Garlic Pizza skips the tomato entirely for garlic and cheese.

Shells also make quick flatbreads. Spread a Caramelized Onion, White Bean & Cheddar Flatbread or a thin layer of pesto, then bake and slice into strips.

Cooking and Pairing

The shell brings the bread, so let the toppings carry the flavor. Pesto and caramelized onions with fresh mozzarella taste right on this kind of crust, as in Basil Pesto Cherry Tomato Pizza.

Drier toppings work best. Pat down anything wet and drain canned tomatoes, and pre-cook mushrooms and onions, so the crust stays crisp underneath the cheese.

The biggest mistake is baking on a sheet pan. A pan traps steam and gives you a limp, pale bottom every time.

Put the shell straight on the rack, or on a preheated stone if you have one. The second mistake is overloading it. A pre-baked shell has no oven spring left to lift a heavy pile, so keep the toppings to a couple of layers.

Substitutes

Naan, pita, or a flour tortilla all make a fast personal pizza when you have no shell. Each is thinner and crisps faster, so watch it closely and pull it as soon as the cheese melts.

A pre-baked focaccia or ciabatta slab gives you a thicker, chewier base with more rise. It bakes a little longer than a shell to heat through.

Raw refrigerated pizza dough is the closest thing in spirit, but it is not a shell. It needs a full bake from scratch, so it takes far longer and will not heat in ten minutes.

Buying and Storage

Check the use-by date and squeeze the pack gently. A good shell feels dry and firm, not soft or bendy, which is a sign of staleness or trapped moisture.

Sealed shells keep for weeks at room temperature, so check the printed date. Once you open the pack, wrap any unused shell tightly and use it within a few days before it goes stale or molds.

For longer storage, freeze sealed shells for up to three months. Bake from frozen and just add a couple of minutes to the time. A shell that has gone leathery on the counter is past saving, since reheating will not bring back a fresh crumb.

Quick facts

Where to find pizza shell: Pizza shell is usually found in the deli section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

比萨外壳

British (UK) term

Pizza shell

en français

pâte à pizza

en español

base de pizza

Recipes using pizza shell

There are 67 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 67 recipes

More pizza shell recipes

• Artichoke, Goat Cheese & Chicken Pizza
• Black Bean Pizza
• Caramelized Onion, Greens & Ricotta Pizza
• Chicken Fajita Pizza
• Easy Breakfast Pizza (Gourmet)
• Fajita Pizza
• Gourmet Pizza
• Lisa Pizza
• Pass Attack Pesto Pizza
• Pizza with Leeks, Tomato & Cheese
• Pizza with Mixed Seafood
• Salad Pizza
• Superfast Vegetarian Pizza
• Versatile Spaghetti Sauce
• Wild Mushroom/Olive/Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza