Grandma’s Sheet-Pan Sardine Pizza Bread: Pillowy, No-Knead and Wonderfully Thrifty

Open the pantry. Find a can of sardines, an onion, a tomato and a bag of flour.

That is all it takes to make one of the most comforting suppers my grandmother ever served.

The Pizza That Is Really a Soft Bread

This is not a thin, crispy pizzeria pizza. It is something homier and, many would say, better. The dough is a soft batter that you mix in a bowl with a spoon, no kneading and no rolling pin. You pour it into a sheet pan, let it rise for half an hour, and it bakes up tall, light and full of little air pockets, almost like focaccia.

On top goes a quick, savory sauce of sautéed onion, tomato and canned sardines, and then a generous layer of cheese that turns deep golden and lacy in the oven. Cut it into big squares and you have a meal you can eat warm with a fork or cold from the fridge the next day with your fingers.

Recipes like this were born in thrifty kitchens, where a single can of fish had to stretch to feed a whole family. Sardines are inexpensive, keep for years in the cupboard, and bring a rich, savory depth that even people who "do not like fish" often enjoy once it is baked under cheese.

If you have never cooked with sardines before, this is the perfect place to start. Their flavor mellows in the tomato sauce and simply tastes savory and satisfying.

Let us see what you need from the pantry.