Recipe courtesy of Stevie Stewart for Food Network Kitchen

Philadelphia Tomato Pie

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 15 hr 45 min (includes proofing and cooling)
  • Active: 40 min
  • Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Neither a pie nor a pizza, Philadelphia tomato pie is a dish onto itself. A thick, yeasted crust is baked over a generous dose of olive oil and topped with a simple but flavorful tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and oregano. It's a popular offering at Italian bakeries in Philadelphia where it’s also known to natives as everything from gravy pie to granny pie. It’s served room temperature, and preferably on game day. It’s typically topped with Pecorino-Romano, sometimes with the cheese sprinkled on to replicate favorite Philly team logos. While it takes some time to make, hands-on time is fairly minimal; you’ll just need to be patient while the dough slowly proofs overnight in the fridge for its traditional fermented flavor.

Ingredients

Dough:

Sauce:

Directions

  1. For the dough: Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium-low speed until combined. Once combined, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the oil and increase the speed to medium-high. Mix until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large bowl and place dough in the bowl, turning it to coat it in the oil. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to rest and ferment.
  3. After the dough has fermented, pour 1/4 cup of the oil over the bottom of a rimmed sheet pan and turn the dough out onto the pan. Drizzle the top of the dough with an additional 1 tablespoon oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  4. Once risen, gently lift the dough and pour the remaining 1/4 cup oil under the dough. Handling the dough as gently as possible, spread the oil underneath around the pan.
  5. Meanwhile, for the sauce: Place the olive oil into a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook until the flavors come together, about 15 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Reserve the sauce at room temperature until the dough is ready.
  6. When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place an extra baking sheet in the bottom of the oven (this will catch any oil that might bubble over during baking).
  7. Using your fingers, press the dough all over, creating dimples and gently stretching and pushing it to reach all sides and corners of the pan. Add 3 cups of sauce to the top of the dough and spread in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
  8. Bake the pie until the edges of the crust begin to turn golden and the sauce looks slightly thickened and matte, about 25 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and carefully spread the remaining 3 cups of sauce over the first layer of sauce. Return the pie to the oven and bake until the crust is deep golden-brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer.
  9. Remove from the oven, then carefully lift the pie out of the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Drizzle with more olive oil and allow to cool completely. When completely cool, sprinkle with Pecorino, cut into squares or rectangles and serve at room temperature.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)