Grandma Pizza

When you think of New York pizza, does your mind instantly go to thin crusts and giant slices? Well, the New York family is bigger than that and one of our favorites is the Grandma pizza! Thick, rectangular, with simple ingredients yet powerful flavor, it challenges everything you thought you knew about New York pizza!

What Is Grandma Pizza?

Grandma pizza is an American evolution of the Sicilian pizza. Both are characterized by having a thin, square crust, slightly thicker than a typical New York-style pie, but the Grandma version is typically thinner than Sicilian crusts. The toppings are simple: typically crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkling of basil and olive oil – which is quite a far cry from what you’d find on its counterpart in the motherland.

The American Evolution of the Sicilian Pizza

Sicilian pizza (or “Sfincione” or “Sfincione Siciliana” in its homeland – which literally translates to “thick sponge”) finds its roots in Palermo, Sicily and was popularized in the mid-19th Century. Some (especially some Sicilians) might say that they aren’t Italian at all (they do have their own language) and therefore, they could even argue that the Sfincione isn’t Italian either (they don’t even use the word pizza!).

We’ll leave that debate to those who live in Italy…or Sicily…err…you know what I mean!

The American Evolution

Sicilian pizza did undergo a bit of an evolution when coming across the Atlantic Ocean to America, where we generally find the toppings to have changed to become tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a wide variety of toppings (much like all of our US pizzas). It’s akin to a focaccia-crust pizza loaded with toppings.

The Grandma pizza is one of those. It’s generally understood to have started out in Long Island but not as a restaurant staple but instead as something cooked at home by first-generation immigrants. What I find very surprising is that the name “Grandma Pizza” was not well known outside of Long Island until the 1990’s seemingly in response to Umberto Corteo introduced “Sicilian Grandma pizza” at his Long Island pizzerias. Mr. Corteo may also be the reason that the Grandma pizza is a little thinner than even most US Sicilian pizzas.

We do this not by adjusting the dough so much as using less dough in a shallower pan (baking sheet vs. cake pan).

How to Make Grandma-Style Sicilian Pizza

Grandma Pizza Ingredients

Sicilian dough contains similar ingredients to its Neapolitan counterpart, but is allowed to rise multiple times, leading to a thicker, bread-like crust. It’s reminiscent of focaccia, and when baked in a nice, well-oiled baking tray/pan, the bottom gets crispy while the inside remains soft.

Sicilian pizza uses a high-protein (or high-gluten flour). You’ll probably find great results using King Arthur’s High-Gluten Flour, which has a 14.2% protein level. As with most other pizza doughs, you’ll also need water and salt and you can either use yeast or a pizza starter, such as poolish. Since it’s already two days to get this pizza ready, we’re going to go with yeast.

You’re also going to need olive oil for this pizza to get its crispy outer edge.

Our recipe is going to fit a standard baking (cookie) sheet of 10″ x 15″. Generally, you would want a pan at least an inch tall on the sides, but we’re making this work for the most common house-hold pan.

• 3.5 cups of high-protein (high-gluten) flour
• 1/3 cups of filtered or bottled water, luke-warm (below 110F)
• 1 cup of filtered or bottled ice water
• 1/2 tablespoons of dry active yeast
• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, separated

Pizza Toppings: Sicilian Grandma Pizza Recipe

If you’re not so keen on such an intense pizza, another great option for a Sicilian dough is to go with the “grandma” recipe:

• 1 cups of crushed, savory tomatoes (or tomato sauce without sugar)
• 2 cups of caciocavallo or toma cheese (an easier to find substitute is provolone)
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons of dried basil)

Directions for Making Sicilian Pizza

Day 1: Preparing the Dough

1. Put a small dish of water near your work area to wet your hands as needed.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, put in the warm water and add the yeast and whisk. Allow to mix for 5 minutes so that foam appears.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and mix in the stand mixer at its slowest setting.
4. Add the cold water and continue to mix.
5. Slowly add the rest of the flour. The dough will still be very sticky and will not look very smooth yet.
6. Wet your hands and pull the dough off of the hook
7. Add the salt and continue to mix for another 1 minute
8. Add 1 teaspoons of olive oil and continue to mix. You may need to stop the mixer and pull the dough from the hook occasionally to ensure the dough is mixing well.
9. Use a brush to coat a baking pan with 1 teaspoon of oil.
10. Wet your hands and transfer the dough to the baking pan.
11. Re-wet your hands.
12. Stretch the dough by pulling it left and right, then fold the stretched parts on top.
13. Turn the pan a quarter turn and repeat. It will look like an envelope.
14. Fold the corners into the center and pinch together.
15. Turn over the dough using your wet hands and smooth the edges.
16. Cover the pan in plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
17. Place the covered pan in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Day 2: Finishing the Dough

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for 1 to 2 hours on the countertop.
2. Use a brush to oil a second baking sheet with another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Invert the first pan and allow the dough to fall from the first pan onto the second. The dough will still be very sticky, so use a wetted spatula or dough scraper if it does not completely come away by itself.
4. Flip the dough over so both sides are oiled.
5. Gently using the fingers of both hands, press the dough outward (not pulling) to stretch the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet. The dough won’t likely get all the way to the edges this first time. Don’t tear the dough trying to get to the edges, but try to get it about the right shape of the pan.
6. Let the dough rest uncovered in a warm space away from any draft for 30 minutes. The dough will contract but it will also start expanding.
7. Repeat the stretching. Gently stretch the dough out but don’t over work the dough. Try to preserve the pillowy, airy texture. Again, try to stretch the dough to the corners – it will still likely not reach the corners completely.
8. Let the dough rest uncovered again in a warm space, away from any draft for 90 minutes. The dough should rise to the edge of the pan and fill it entirely now. Even if it doesn’t, do not stretch or press the dough again.

Cooking the Pizza Sicilia

1. When ready to form the dough, make sure it is at room temperature (if it has been refrigerated, you should give it at least 45 minutes to come to temperature).
2. Preheat your oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone big enough, you can cook the pizza in the pan on top of the pizza stone.
3. Add your sauce, toppings (except the basil), then cheese.
4. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan.
5. Bake for another 7 minutes until the top of the crust is golden and the cheese is browning.
6. Remove the pan and let stand for 5 minutes.
7. Use a spatula to transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
8. Sicilian pizza is generally cut “tavern style”, meaning into squares or rectangles.

Celebrate Grandma With Family and Friends

Making Grandma pizza at home is not only a nod to a Sicily’s original Sfincione, but also celebrating culinary tradition that evolved in the homes of Sicilian immigrants on Long Island. It’s also a tasty and generous dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavor. It’s perfect for a casual family night or a gathering with friends. Because of its simple toppings, this is a great appetizer for a pizza party too!

Sicilian Grandma Pizza Recipe

Todd Mitchell

A recipe for a focaccia-like Sicilian Pizza using the "Grandma" topping combination. This makes a pizza to fit a 15" x 10" baking sheet (cookie sheet).

This is a 2-day recipe. To make this pizza the same day, use one 1 package of dried instant yeast and start in the morning.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 days d 1 hour hr

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Resting time (2 periods) 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 days d 1 hour hr 44 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 6 People

Calories 463 kcal

Equipment

• 2 Baking Pans (At least one needs to be a 15" x 10" Baking/cookie sheet)
• 1 Pizza Scissors (Optional)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2.5 cups bread flour (high high protein)
• ¼ cups water warm – no higher than 110°F (filtered/bottled preferred)
• 1 cup water ice water (filtered/bottled preferred)
• 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt fine
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided into 3x 1/2 tablespoons

Grandma Pizza Toppings

• 1 cup tomato sauce crushed or pureed. Savory cherry tomatoes preferred.
• 2 cups provolone cheese grated (caciocavallo or toma is more traditional)
• 1 teaspoon oregano dried
• ¼ cup basil leaves fresh, chopped (or 2 teaspoons of dried)

Instructions

 

Day 1: Starting the Dough

• Put a small dish of water near your work area to wet your hands as needed.
• In a stand mixer bowl, put in the warm water and add the yeast and whisk. Allow to mix for 5 minutes so that foam appears.
• Add 1 cup of flour and mix in the stand mixer at its slowest setting.
• Add the cold water and continue to mix.
• Slowly add the rest of the flour. The dough will still be very sticky and will not look very smooth yet.
• Wet your hands and pull the dough off of the hook
• Add the salt and continue to mix for another 1 minute
• Add 1 teaspoons of olive oil and continue to mix. You may need to stop the mixer and pull the dough from the hook occasionally to ensure the dough is mixing well.
• Use a brush to coat a baking pan with 1 teaspoon of oil.
• Wet your hands and transfer the dough to the baking pan.
• Re-wet your hands.
• Stretch the dough by pulling it left and right, then fold the stretched parts on top.
• Turn the pan a quarter turn and repeat. It will look like an envelope.
• Fold the corners into the center and pinch together.
• Turn over the dough using your wet hands and smooth the edges.
  
• Cover the pan in plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
  
• Place the covered pan in the refrigerator for 24 hours (up to 48 hours).

Day 2: Finishing the Dough and Making the Pizza

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for 1 to 2 hours on the countertop.
• Use a brush to oil a second baking sheet with another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Invert the first pan and allow the dough to fall from the first pan onto the second. The dough will still be very sticky, so use a wetted spatula or dough scraper if it does not completely come away by itself.
  
• Flip the dough over so both sides are oiled.

First Stretch

• Gently using the fingers of both hands, press the dough outward (not pulling) to stretch the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet. The dough won’t likely get all the way to the edges this first time. Don’t tear the dough trying to get to the edges, but try to get it about the right shape of the pan.
  
• Let the dough rest uncovered in a warm space away from any draft for 30 minutes. The dough will contract but it will also start expanding.

Second Stretch

• Oil your fingers and gently “pillow” (press like you’re playing the piano) the dough to cover the entire pan. Try to preserve the airy texture but also trying to get the dough evenly distributed across the pan. It will still likely not reach the corners completely.
  
• Let the dough rest uncovered again in a warm space, away from any draft for 90 minutes. The dough should rise to the edge of the pan and fill it entirely now. Even if it doesn’t, do not stretch or press the dough again.
  

Cooking the Pizza

• Preheat your oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone big enough, you can cook the pizza in the pan on top of the pizza stone.
• Add your sauce, toppings (except the basil), then cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan.
• Bake for another 7 minutes until the top of the crust is golden and the cheese is browning.
• Remove the pan and let stand for 5 minutes.
  
• Use a spatula to transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
• Add the basil.
• Sicilian pizza is generally cut “tavern style”, meaning into squares or rectangles.
  

Notes

This pizza fits a 15″ x 10″ standard baking sheet (cookie sheet).

This is a 2-day recipe. To make this pizza the same day, use one 1 package of dried instant yeast and start in the morning.

Nutrition

Calories: 463kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 19gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1293mgPotassium: 271mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 622IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 359mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Grandma Pizza, Pan Pizza, Sicilian Pizza

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save

Todd Mitchell

Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.