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Philly Tomato Pie (Pizza)

 
5 from 3 votes
ByMarie On Updated on Main Meal, Pizza

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More than just pizza, Philadelphia tomato pie is a cherished slice of the Philly’s soul – right up there with our twisted soft pretzels and legendary roast pork sandwiches. This room-temperature pizza features a perfectly crisp rectangular crust crowned with thick, subtly sweet tomato sauce and a sharp dusting of Pecorino Romano cheese.

Tomato pie proves once again that Philly knows comfort food. Whether you’re hosting friends for the game or craving a taste of home, this Philly staple delivers satisfaction by the square slice. Our version stays true to the original with its medium-thick base, signature sauce that walks the line between sweet and savory, and that essential shower of grated Pecorino that adds just the right tangy finish. Always served at room temperature, tomato pie is great for entertaining or anytime you want to have a slice of “home”.

sliced tomato pie pizza with pizza cutter and slices missing

The contrast of the sweet sauce and the tart cheese is what makes this tomato pie soooo good!

Tomato pie is often served at parties, because it’s well loved and it’s easy to buy or make ahead.

Ingredient Notes

For the Dough

I like to make the dough using a bread flour with 65% hydration, 8% oil, 2% salt, 3% sugar, and 1% dry yeast (instant). The dough is fairly wet but not too wet to handle.

olive oil and salt in cups
oil and salt
water for pizza dough
water
Flour yeast and sugar in mixing bowl
flour, sugar, yeast
  • Bread flour
  • Water (room temp or slightly cool)
  • Salt (non-iodized if you have it)
  • Oil (I use olive oil)
  • Sugar (tenderizes the crust a little and helps browning)
  • Yeast (I like dry, instant and keep loads of it in the freezer)

For the Tomato Sauce

The tomato sauce for this pizza is cooked for about 40 minutes, to thicken it up and to also deepen the flavor. Both thickness and a bit of sweetness are key.

small bowls of tomato sauce ingredients on black background
Sauce ingredients: tomato puree, salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil, tomato paste (optional), oregano, and garlic (fresh is best or dried in a pinch)
  • Tomato puree (28 oz can)
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Oregano
  • Sugar (just a little bit!)
  • Hot pepper flakes

For the Cheese

Method Overview

  • Make the dough and let it rise (best is overnight in fridge but can be done same day)
  • Stretch out the dough and let it rise again in the pan.
  • In the meantime, cook the tomato sauce.
  • Top the risen and shaped dough in the pan with some sauce and bake.
  • Add the remaining tomato sauce to the pizza and sprinkle gently with grated cheese after it has cooled.
  • Slice and devour!
pizza dough drizzled with oil and set on black baking sheet
After dough has risen, place on pan with oil and let rest for about an hour
pizza dough stretched out in half sheet pan
Stretch dough to fit pan and let rise for 30 to 60 minutes
Thick sauce poured about on top of pizza dough
Add 1/3 of the saue and bake at 450 for 30 to 40 minutes (check at 20 minutes)
par baked tomato pie with minimal sauce
Baked pizza will have dried sauce
Baked tomato pie with additional thick sauce poured on top
Add the remaining sauce which must be thick
just baked tomato pie sprinkled with grated cheese unsliced
Sprinkled grated cheese on top after cooling
tomato pie with pizza cutter and piece showing under crust
Bottom of pizza nice and golden! Bake in bottom portion of the oven about 10 inches from the oven floor

Variations

Tomato pie is typically served plain, with tomato sauce and grated cheese. That said, Corropolese, one of the most popular bakeries in the Philadelphia area also makes it with a number of toppings including:

  • Sweet peppers
  • Mixed veggies (tomato, broccoli and cheese)
  • Spinach
  • Eggplant
  • Hot peppers
  • Pepperoni
  • Surpreme (pepperoni, sweet peppers, and cheddar cheese).

They’ll also use a stencil to apply various designs, to top of the pizza using the grated cheese – most often I’ve seen sports team logos dusted on top of the pizza.

Try Tomato Pie in Philly!

Don’t want to bake? Visiting Philadelphia? Here are some places to try tomato pie (if you’re a local and want to recommend a place, please leave a comment!). Or narrow the list by reading the local newspapers **winners:

  • New York Bakery (Center City Philadelphia)**
  • Liberty Kitchen (Philadelphia)**
  • Park Pizza (West Philadelphia)**
  • Pizza Shackamaxon (Fishtown in Philadelphia)**
  • Marchianos (Roxborough in Philadelphia)**
  • Sarcones (South Philly)**
  • Carlino’s (Ardmore, West Chester)**
  • Pizzeria Beddia (Center City)**
  • Corropolese bakery (Various locations Philly suburbs) **
  • Aversa (South Jersey and NJ Beaches)
  • Caccia Bakery (South Philly and South Jersey)
  • Liscio Bakery (South Jersey)

**Read highlights of the cities best and narrow the list by reading about the Philadelphia Inquirer’s (local newspaper) tomato pie winners.

Storage

Philly tomato pie is really best eaten the day it’s made, after it cools off. Leftovers can be enjoyed for a day or two but not as good as first day!

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📖 Recipe

close up view of sliced tomato pie pizza

Philly Tomato Pie

Philadelphia tomato pie is a medium thick rectangular pizza topped with a slightly sweet thick tomato sauce and a dusting of grated cheese (typically pecorino Romano). Always served at room temperature, tomato pie is great for entertaining or anytime you want to have a slice of home.
5 from 3 votes
Author: Marie
Print Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Bulk and final rise 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian American
Servings 16 slices
Calories 248 kcal

Equipment

  • Sheet pan for baking pizza ("half sheet pan"; ~18 inch x 13 inch x 1 inch) OR two "1/4 sheet pans" (~9 inch x 13 inch x 1 inch)
  • Stand mixer optional but highly recommended
  • wire cooling rack optional but helpful

Ingredients
 

For the Dough

  • 484 grams (4 cups) bread flour (see "How to Measure Flour" in Recipe Notes below).
  • 302 grams (1.3 cups) water
  • 32.5 grams (2.5 tbsp) olive oil
  • 9 grams salt
  • 4.5 grams instant dry yeast can also use active dry but must activate it first using a bit of water from this recipe and a pinch of sugar (wait 5 minutes to make sure it foams, which means it's active)
  • 14 grams sugar

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 28 ounce (3 cups) tomato puree can use crushed or whole if you prefer but blend into a puree.
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste optional, if you have it
  • 2 tbsps (2 tbsps) olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup water may need more after cooking if it's too thick

For the Topping

  • 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) pecorino Romano cheese (grated) more if you'd like

Instructions
 

To Prepare the Dough

  • Add flour, yeast, and sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer and mix until combined.
  • Slowly add water and mix on low until all the flour has been incorporated.
  • Add the oil and mix until incorporated.
  • Cover and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before adding salt.
  • After 20 to 30 minutes, add salt and mix on medium speed for about 5 to 6 minutes total. Alternatively you can hand knead for about double the time, taking breaks every few minutes.
  • To bake the NEXT day (highly recommended), form dough into a large ball and then place in a gallon ziplock or a large bowl covered well with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator.
  • To bake the SAME day: Allow dough to double in a covered bowl for about 1 hour, at room temperature.

To Make the Tomato Sauce

  • Add all ingredients to a medium sized pot and bring to a low simmer, reduce heat if necessary and simmer for about 40 minutes. Keep lid slightly ajar so sauce can thicken. May prepare the sauce ahead of time and store in the refrigerator overnight.

To Bake the Pizza

  • For overnight method: Remove dough from refrigerator, remove from plastic wrap/bowl, and place on a well oiled baking sheet. Pour a little oil on top of dough, cover loosely and allow it to come to room temperature (~60 minutes or so). Stretch to fit into well oiled baking sheet (18 by 13), press finger tip along the sides for form the cornicione (edge/rim), and let rise for 30 to 60 minutes.
    pizza dough drizzled with oil and set on black baking sheet
  • For SAME day baking: After the dough has doubled in size, remove dough from bowl, and place on a well oiled baking sheet. Stretch the dough gently to fit into the pan (18 x 13) using a tiny bit of oil on your hands if needed. You may need to let the dough rest between stretches. (It is easier to stretch if you refrigerate overnight.) Form the edge/rim (ie, cornicione) by pressing fingertip along the edge of the dough. After stretching, let rise for about 30 to 60 minutes.
  • When reading to bake: Preheat oven to 450F and set rack in bottom third of oven (ie, about 8 to 10 inches from bottom). Baking this pizza closer to the bottom of the oven helps to crisp the bottom of the pizza.
  • Top the dough with about 1/4 of the tomato sauce mixture, taking care to leave a rim about the edges (and reform if needed), and then place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes (check the pizza at 20 minutes – edges should be golden brown and bottom should be golden). It will take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes – everyone's oven is different. If my oven has been on a while it'll take closer to 20 minutes whereas if it has just come to temperature it'll take longer.
  • After the pizza is done and the edges look golden (also be sure to check if the underneath is golden), remove pizza from oven, add remaining sauce (which should be thick- If it's not thick, continue to cook with lid ajar).
  • If you have a wired rack, remove pizza from pan and cool on wire rack to keep crisp.
  • After the sauced pizza cools for at least 15 to 20 minutes, dust liberally with grated cheese. I use about 3 tablespoons
  • To slice, move pizza to pan or wooden board and cut pizza into 16 equal slices. An easy way to do this is to cut it in half both length wise and widthwise. Now cut each quadrant into 4 pieces.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Baker’s percentages:
  • Bread flour 100%
  • Water 65%
  • Oil 7%
  • Sugar 3%
  • Salt 2%
  • Dry yeast 1%
Recipe (1x) yields approximately 825 grams of dough for 13 by 18 pan. Baked thickness is approximately 3/4 inch high. 
PLEASE NOTE: Kitchen scale is recommended; recipe is based on weight and converted to volume for convenience. Volume amounts are estimates as a measurement of 3.82 cups would not be practical. 
How to Measure Flour: If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure flour by spooning flour into a measuring cup and leveling off with a knife. The flour should not be directly scooped as this may result in compacting flour, resulting in adding too much flour. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 281IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
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Hello! My name is Marie, and I love to cook! I was born and raised in a Italian American community in Philadelphia. Many of my happiest memories were with my mother or father cooking happily in the kitchen and their passion definitely inspired me. I'd like to share my recipes for pizza, breads, Italian cakes and cookies, as well as other family favorites with you!

8 Comments

  4. 5 stars
    Worked in Trenton for awhile and the lunchtime bar served Philly pizza, just don’t call it pizza. It is call tomato pie, you’ll call it pizza once! I learned my lesson, the pie is really good and this recipe brought back memories, thank you. 😊

    Reply

    1. Oh yes, I was so so confused by the Trenton tomato pies, which are “pizzas” to many of the rest of us! They do look absolutely delicious though!

      Reply
5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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