Discover Grandma Pie - the 'other' New York-style pizza. A classic Italian favorite, lovingly made and served exclusively in Long Island for generations, now this recipe is available to tantalize your taste buds.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Oil-fried crust: Stretching the dough over 1/3 cup of olive oil in a sheet pan fries the bottom of the crust as it bakes, which gives it a golden, crisp base and a soft, airy middle.
- Two flours, two rises: All-purpose flour and Caputo 00 flour give the dough both structure and tenderness, and a second rise right in the oiled pan makes it light.
- Cheese first, sauce on top: Covering the dough with salami and three cheeses and squeezing the sauce on last keeps the wet sauce from soaking into the crust.
- Reduced San Marzano sauce: Blended San Marzano tomatoes and garlic simmered to a thick sauce spread in stripes from a squeeze bottle, so it doesn’t turn the pizza watery.
Grandma Pie
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 2 users
Category
Pizza
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
4
Prep Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Calories
934
It’s not thin crust, and you probably won’t be folding it, but you are going to love the OTHER New York Style Pizza. This is a dish that Italian grandmas on Long Island have been whipping up for decades. It’s a style not often found outside of New York, but it’s time to spread the word. This is Grandma Pie.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-110°F)
-
1 (7 g) packet dry active yeast
-
2 tbsp plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
-
1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
-
2 cups Antimo Caputo ’00’ Pizza Flour
-
1 (28 oz) can Ciao DOP Certified San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
-
Noble Saltworks Flaked Smoked Finishing Salt, to taste
- 12 slices salami
- 8 oz low moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 4 oz provolone, sliced and torn, or shredded
- 2 oz Romano cheese, finely grated
-
Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
For the dough:
For the sauce:
For the pizza toppings:
Directions
- To make the dough, combine the yeast and warm water and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water and yeast, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and all-purpose flour. Mix on the second speed, using the dough hook attachment until a dough is formed, about 1-2 minutes.
With the mixer running, add one cup of the Antimo Caputo ’00’ Pizza Flour. Wait until it is incorporated before adding the second. Allow the dough hook to knead the dough for six minutes.
- Stop the mixer. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size.
To make the sauce, combine the Ciao DOP Certified San Marzano Tomatoes and minced garlic in a Vitamix Blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Dutch Oven. Cook the sauce over medium heat and allow to reduce to desired consistency. Cool and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 525°F, with the diffuser removed and a pizza stone on the grates.
When the pizza dough has doubled in size, place the remaining 1/3 cup oil in a 13” x 18” aluminum sheet pan, and distribute evenly. Stretch the dough out to cover the surface of the oiled sheet pan. Cover with plastic and allow to double is size again.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Stretch a little further, if necessary to reach the edges.
Distribute the sliced salami across the surface of the pizza dough. Cover the entire surface with the three cheeses. Squeeze the tomato sauce over the cheese. Season with Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning.
- Place the sheet pan on the pizza stone and cook for 10-15 minutes before turning to cook evenly. Continue to rotate and check on the pizza every 10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is browned on top, about 40-50 minutes.
- Remove from the grill and slide the pizza out of the sheet pan. Slice the Grandma Pie into a dozen or more squares and serve hot!
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
What is a Grandma Pie?
Grandma Pie is a Long Island-style sheet pan pizza, with a crust that's thicker than a New York slice but thinner and crispier than a Sicilian. It's baked in an oiled pan, topped with cheese first and sauce last, and cut into squares.
Why use so much olive oil in the pan?
The oil fries the underside of the dough as it bakes, which gives the bottom a crisp, golden crust and helps the pizza release from the pan.
Why let the dough rise a second time in the pan?
The first rise develops flavor, and the second rise, after stretching the dough over the oil, makes it light and airy. Stretch it to the edges, and again if it springs back.
Why put the sauce on top of the cheese?
Topping with cheese first puts a barrier between the wet sauce and the raw dough, so the crust crisps instead of getting soggy. The sauce then sits on top, where it browns and concentrates.
Why simmer the tomato sauce to reduce it?
Cooking it down thickens the sauce and drives off excess water, so it doesn't make the pizza watery. Cool it before filling the squeeze bottle.
Why bake on a pizza stone and rotate the pan?
The stone holds even, intense heat under the pan. Pellet grills can have hot spots, so rotating the pan every 10 minutes browns the pizza evenly.
How do I know the pizza is done?
The bottom should be golden brown and crisp, which you can check by lifting a corner of the pizza, and the cheese should be browned on top.
Is the salami cooked?
Salami is a cured, ready-to-eat meat. It only needs to heat through on the pizza.
How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking. The pizza keeps for about 3-4 days, and it reheats best in a hot oven or skillet so the bottom re-crisps.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A home oven at 500°F with a pizza stone or an upside-down baking sheet bakes the same sheet pan pizza.
Recipe Highlights
Oil-fried crust: Crisp bottom, soft middle.
Two flours and two rises: Make it light and tender.
Cheese under the sauce: Protects the crust from sogginess.
Reduced San Marzano sauce: Adds concentrated tomato flavor.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 19.32 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 934
- Carbs
- 68 grams
- Protein
- 44 grams
- Fat
- 54 grams
- Sodium
- 3771 milligrams
