Philly Tomato Pie
Philly tomato pie hails from —you guessed it— Philadelphia, and has a bread dough crust based that is one part focaccia bread, one part pizza with mozzarella cheese. Topped with a thick spread of zesty tomato sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, tomato pie is perfect alongside a fresh green salad or as an appetizer for a party.
Servings 8
Equipment
- high speed blender like a Vitamix
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1¾ cups warm water 415 grams, 105˚
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet) or instant*
- 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 567 grams flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon olive oil plus ¼ cup oil for bottom of pan
For the sauce:
- 10 T butter
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes San Marzano preferred
- 1 extra large onion or 2 smaller ones, quartered
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add sugar as needed 2 teaspoons to start
Instructions
PROOF #1
- In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir lightly. Let sit until bubbly for about five minutes.1¾ cups warm water, 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- Layer the flour, olive oil and salt in that order. [see note below]4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon olive oil plus ¼ cup oil for bottom of pan, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Mix by hand with a wooden spoon or by machine (with a paddle attachment) until all the flour is mixed together. The dough will come away from the sides of the bowl if using a mixer.
- Turn the dough out to a floured surface. The dough will be very wet which is fine. Knead it together for about 4-5 minutes until the dough is fairly smooth.
- Flour the dough as needed with the extra ¼ cup of flour.
- Pour the dough into a mixing bowl wiped with a little drizzle of olive oil turning over to coat the underside.
- Cover with plastic wrap and then a clean dish towel and place into an unheated oven or warm place to rise for up to a minimum of 2 hours (3 is better if you have the time!) until doubled in size.
PROOF #2 (in sheet pan)
- Add oil to bottom of pan first and then spread dough to the edges. Allow to rise for 45 minutes before baking.
For the sauce
- In a blender or with a stick blender, blend tomatoes to desired consistency. I prefer my sauce smoother. You certainly can leave them whole and crush them right in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon.2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
- In a medium saucepan, saute herbs in butter until butter is melted and herbs are fragrant.10 T butter, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 cloves garlic minced
- Peel onion, cut in half or quarters depending on the size of the onion, trim shaggy roots and add the onion quarters to the pan along with blended tomatoes.1 extra large onion
- Add a little salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon of salt and maybe ½ teaspoon of pepper to start).
- Simmer for 45 minutes uncovered until the fat starts to separate from the tomatoes.
- Adjust seasonings with salt and a little black pepper as needed. Add a little sugar if the sauce tastes too acidic about 1-2 teaspoons to start.1 teaspoon kosher salt, Add sugar as needed
Prepare the tomato pie
- Preheat oven to 450˚.
- Spread thick layer of sauce over the crust of the tomato pie leaving a little edges. The onions are really good too so put them on, if desired! Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes or completely to room temperature if you can wait. Cut into thick pieces and sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
*Yeast note. If using instant yeast, you can omit the step for letting the yeast bloom in the water and add it along with the water to the flour. Just make sure the yeast is mixed in before adding the salt. If the salt directly interacts with the yeast, the salt will kill the yeast.
NOTE: Fast acting yeast isn't recommended for this recipe.
Storage. Wrap any leftovers in a plastic wrap and then place in a sealed storage bag. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Can be warmed in a low temperature oven (300˚).
Philly tomato pie can be frozen after being wrapped as described above and placed in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
