Grandma Pizza

Known as grandma pizza, this classic screams old school pizza parlor. Baked in a sheet pan, it’s great for feeding a crowd or for leftovers.

We are all about pizza at our house. That means homemade or going to one of our favorite pizza places in the neighborhood.

My son requests pizza in his lunch for school. It’s not even exactly pizza. I make just crust and slather on pesto (nut free, of course). That’s it.

I’m not sure why he considers it pizza when it’s missing the cheese and sauce, but who am I to put rules on what he calls pizza?

Because we eat so much pizza, I am always looking for new ways to make it.

I love to feel inspired to reinvent something that’s part of the weekly dinner routine. 

Ever since my son was born, I haven’t been able to keep up with my subscriptions. No surprise that taking care of a child leaves time for only select reading.

Despite that, the first thing I do when I walk in the door of our building is check the mailbox.

I get excited when a food magazine sticks out between the junk and the bills.

I try not to think ahead to the inevitable unread articles and uncooked recipes in issues that have landed in the recycling bin before I have a chance to get to them.

However, if a magazine recipe is just too good to pass up, I will rip it out and save it. Every now and then I go through the folder where I keep them. 

An image of a blistered crust pizza baked in a sheet pan was far too irresistible to try, so I knew I had to cook the cover of an old Bon Appetit.

How To Make A Grandma Pizza

Known as grandma pizza, this Long Island classic screams old school pizza parlor complete with red and white checkered tablecloth.

You stir together the yeast and water in a big bowl. Let it sit and get foamy and then mix in olive oi, salt and the flour.

After that you just have to knead the shaggy dough a bit and then let it sit for 24 hours.

When the dough is ready, you coat a sheet pan in olive oil and stretch out the dough out, giving it time for a second rise.

Then it’s on to the toppings. 

The simple sauce is just canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and seasonings that you puree in a blender.

After slathering on the sauce, I keep things simple with grated fresh mozzarella and provolone. 

The crust puffs up a bit in the oven, and the pizza ends up with that blistered melted cheese.

A grandma pizza is great to feed a crowd or for leftovers. 

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Grandma Pizza

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 1 hour + 24 hours rising
• Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20-30 minutes + 24 hours rising
• Yield: Serves 12–14 1x

Known as grandma pizza, this classic screams old school pizza parlor. Baked in a sheet pan, it’s great for feeding a crowd or for leftovers.

Ingredients

• For dough
• 1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons) dry active yeast
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
• For sauce
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• For pizza
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated
• 4 ounces Provolone, grated

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the yeast with 1-1/2 cups warm water. Let the mixture sit until the yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil and then the salt and half the flour. Stir in the remaining flour until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10-12 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to rise for 24 hours.
3. Coat an 18-inch x 13-inch rectangular sheet pan with the remaining olive oil. Gently stretch the dough to fit the entire sheet pan. If the dough springs back, let it rest for 10 minutes before trying again. Tightly cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm spot (about 70 degrees) until the dough has puffed up, about 30-40 minutes.
4. For the sauce, combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth.
5. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Spread the sauce in a thin layer on the dough and sprinkle both cheeses on top. Bake 20-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit October 2014