Tomato Pie. It’s a South Philly staple with its roots in Sicily. It’s not focaccia – it’s Tomato Pie. Capisce?!?
Bakeries make it in full sheet pans and then usually sell it as a whole, half, or quarter. It’s a staple for family gatherings, sporting events, parties… anywhere there’s going to be a crowd.
Tomato Pie differs from focaccia in that it’s all about the balance of sauce and dough. There’s little to no cheese – maybe a sprinkling of pecorino romano – but definitely no mozzarella. Again, it’s about the balance of sauce and the crispy-bottomed dough.
I think more people buy Tomato Pie than make it – it’s reasonably inexpensive and available everywhere. And, like cheesesteaks, everyone has their favorite.
Every bakery guards their recipe and every bakery pretty much states theirs is the only true or authentic version. Naturally, that’s all poppycock. It’s more of a variation of breads like Sicilian Sfincione – (that’s sfeen-CHOH-nay for the non-Italians out there! – without the additional toppings. Tomato Pie is immigrant food – inexpensive and able to be made in large quantities.
Enough of the history…
Victor decided we needed one – and into the kitchen he went…
Tomato Pie
Dough
- 320 g warm water ~ 1 1/3 cups
- 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp honey or sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp divided
- 400 g flour ~ 2 3/4 cups
- 1 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Brine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
Sauce
- 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp +1 tbsp divided
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- salt to taste
To Finish
- pinch dried oregano
- grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- olive oil
Instructions
Make Dough
To make the dough, start by proofing the yeast. Mix yeast, warm water, and honey (or sugar) together. Let sit for about 5 minutes until you see bubbles forming, indicating the yeast is active.
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Mix well.
Add the yeast-water mixture and 2 tbsp olive oil to the flour. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined, ensuring no dry clumps remain.
Cover and set the dough aside to rise and double in size. You can either: Refrigerate overnight (recommended for best flavor) or leave at room temperature for approximately 5 hours
Make Sauce
Blend tomatoes, garlic cloves, olive oil and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the blended tomato sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces by half (30-40 minutes). The final sauce should be thick, almost like a loose tomato paste, with a brick-red color. You’ll know it’s ready when you can see the bottom of the pan when dragging a spoon through.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Brine Dough
Preheat the oven to 500°F. If using a baking stone, place it in the middle of the oven.
Punch down the dough and transfer it to a well-oiled baking tray (use the reserved 1/4 cup olive oil). Stretch the dough to fill the pan.
Let the dough rise for 20 minutes, then press your fingertips all over the surface to create dimples.
Mix water and salt to create the brine. Drizzle the brine over the dough and let it rise for another 20 minutes.
Once the dough is bubbly, gently spread half of the tomato sauce over the top, reserving the other half for the final topping.
Bake
Bake the tomato pie for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the top begins to caramelize. Look for dark blistered spots and a very dark red tomato sauce.
Remove the tomato pie from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack.
Top and Eat
Top with the remaining tomato sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, dried oregano, and plenty of grated Pecorino or Parmesan.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
And since we mentioned variations, one variation Victor did with this batch was using a brine on the dough during the second rise. Really. In theory, it “seasons the dough, enhances the crust edges’ texture, and makes the dough lighter and more moist.” I doubt it’s something immigrants were doing a hundred+ years ago, but it’s okay to update recipes to current tastes and ingredient availability…
You don’t notice it – but it worked!
Ridiculously good!
Having lived in Philly for 20 years, I’ve had more than a few Tomato Pies. This one was by far, the best!
Crispy bottom crust, chewy crumb, and a really rich, tomato topping. Seriously good.
One secret is letting it sit in the ‘fridge overnight to develop flavor. There’s a lot to be said about that slow fermentation… and our “all-purpose” flour is Antimo Caputo Tipo 00 flour. We buy it by the case every couple of months. If you look around, you can find better prices than from their website…
Quality ingredients are important.
Since we were going to have a fresh Tomato Pie for dinner, it was decided we needed a fresh pasta entrée to go with it. Fortunately, we had Homemade Cannelloni in the freezer! Instead of a red sauce, this time we did a Salsa Colla – or Besciamella as it is known in Italy. We call it Béchamel or a simple white sauce. And simple it is… equal weights of flour and butter, and then milk to desired consistency. A pinch of salt, white pepper, and a grating of fresh nutmeg is all it takes!
A great wine from a great local winery – Domain Willamette – and dinner was served.
It really does not suck to be us!