Grandma pizza has a thin, crispy crust topped first with cheese, then dolloped with a garlicky tomato sauce. It's not the usual way of assembling pizza, but the cheese melting right into the crust really makes some magic happen. It's said to have been created on Long Island while trying to make a quick pizza at home without a pizza oven, and since then, it's spread to pizza shops throughout New York. Since it's traditionally made without a pizza oven, it's very easy to re-create this New York classic in your own home.
The star of this pizza is the crust. For a thin crust that's crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside, use a lot of oil in the pan and don't allow your dough to proof all the way. Don't skimp out on the oil—it really helps the crust get crunchy and adds immensely to the flavor, similar to focaccia. I suggest letting your dough cold ferment in the fridge overnight. The yeast will work slower and more evenly in a cold environment, which will result in a chewier and more flavorful crust. But if you're in a hurry, letting the dough rise at room temperature for just over an hour also works and will still be completely delicious.
Pizza dough is usually a pretty moist dough and can be sticky—I call for a stand mixer to knead the dough to make it a bit easier. If you wanted to do this by hand, you absolutely could; just keep your dough in a large bowl as you knead it, and use a bench scraper from time to time to incorporate the dough from the sides of the bowl.
The sauce for this pizza is really simple to make—you'll be shocked at how flavorful it is. The extra garlic really adds to create an authentic grandma pizza flavor. Make sure to buy a nice can of Italian whole, peeled tomatoes; it will really make all the difference in the quality of your sauce. Want to swap it out for your favorite jarred sauce? Go for it!
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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- Prep Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
- 2 tsp.
active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 c.
lukewarm water
- 1 tsp.
granulated sugar
- 4 c.
(480 g.) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp.
kosher salt
Pizza
- 1
(28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 4
cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
- 6 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for pan
- 1 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt, plus more
- 16 oz.
low-moisture mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced
- 1/2 c.
fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Directions
Dough
- Step1Grease a large bowl with oil. Place yeast in a small bowl. In another small bowl, stir water and granulated sugar until sugar dissolves, then sprinkle over yeast. Let sit until frothy, about 5 minutes.
- Step2In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt, and oil. Pour in yeast mixture, then beat on medium speed until well combined. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and becomes smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Step3Transfer dough to prepared bowl. Let rise until doubled in size, at least 1 hour and 30 minutes at room temperature or preferably up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Pizza
- Step1Let dough come to room temperature, at least 1 hour, if needed. Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 500°.
- Step2Drain tomatoes in a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Using your hands, crush tomatoes as finely as you can. Let sit in sieve to continue draining, about 2 minutes. Discard or reserve liquid for another use.
- Step3Place tomatoes in bowl. Add half of garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and mix to combine.
- Step4Generously grease a baking sheet with oil. Gently punch down dough and transfer to prepared tray. Using your fingers and sides of your palms, gently stretch dough to fill whole tray. If dough springs back, cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest at room temperature 10 minutes. Top dough with cheese and dollop with sauce, leaving a 1/2" border on all sides.
- Step5Bake pizza until cheese is bubbling and crust is deeply golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Step6In a small bowl, mix basil and remaining garlic and 4 tablespoons oil; season with salt. Drizzle basil sauce over pizza.
