This tomato pie is a classic Philly dish. I didn’t realize until recently that it wasn’t common elsewhere and was a specific regional specialty. Essentially, it’s a square Sicilian-style pan pizza with minimal to no cheese—more of a garnish, really. I typically had this served at room temperature, mostly at holiday gatherings. Everyone would mill about, watching the game, and grab a slice while moving between rooms.
The base is a focaccia-style dough, similar to what’s used for sfincione. It’s a wet dough with a high water-to-flour ratio, enriched with olive oil. Even more oil goes on the pan before baking, giving the tomato pie a crispy, fried exterior. Delicious!
A non-traditional touch in this recipe is the salt water brine during the final rise. It seasons the dough, enhances the crust edges’ texture, and makes the dough lighter and more moist. This technique is common in focaccia-making—ever since trying Samin Nosrat’s Ligurian Focaccia, it’s become my go-to method. It might seem unusual if you’ve never done it before, but trust the process.
This tomato pie is a classic Philly dish. I didn’t realize until recently that it wasn’t common elsewhere and was a specific regional specialty. Essentially, it’s a square Sicilian-style pan pizza with minimal to no cheese—more of a garnish, really.
Classic Philly Tomato Pie
Learn how to make the ultimate Philly Tomato Pie – A Sicilian-Style pizza topped with a rich tomato sauce, dried oregano and grated cheese. An Italian-American classic perfect for gatherings and holiday parties!
Philly Tomato Pie, a beloved regional specialty that captures the heart of Italian-American cuisine. This square Sicilian-style pan pizza represents more than just a dish—it’s a culinary tradition deeply rooted in Philadelphia’s food culture. Unlike typical pizzas, this tomato pie is pretty minimal when it comes to toppings, simply a rich tomato sauce and just a garnish of cheese.
Traditionally enjoyed at holiday gatherings and family events and served up at room temperature, this is a great party recipe. Perfect to grab a slice between conversations and watching the game.
In This post:
Ingredients for making the Perfect Philly Tomato Pie
For the Focaccia-Style Dough:
- Flour – All purpose works just fine here. If you can get your hand on a high quality 00 pizza flour, use that.
- Active Dry Yeast – Primary leavening agent for the dough
- Olive Oil – You’ll need lots for this recipe. Its used in every part of the recipe from enriching the dough, to creating crispy exterior, and as a final drizzle
- Salt – Diamond Crystal kosher salt is what was used for this recipe
- Warm Water – Tepid temperature to activate yeast without killing it
For the Tomato Topping:
- Whole peeled tomatoes – Get the best quality you can
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is what you want here, it’s cooked along with the tomatoes to make the sauce topping for this pizza
- Olive oil – More oil, of course.
- Salt
The Final Garnishes:
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino – Use whichever you like. I typically like pecorino here for its sharpness, but Parmigiano-reggiano also works.
- Dried oregano – optional, but encouraged. You only need a small pinch. Dried oregano can be pretty pungent, so don’t add too much.
How to Make Philly Tomato Pie
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!
All About Philly Tomato Pie: FAQs
Is tomato pie just pizza without cheese?
Not exactly. Think of it more like a focaccia that gets topped with tomato sauce. The dough is enriched with lots of olive oil and the tomato topping is more complex that you might expect. It’s acidic but also sweet from being reduced and caramelizing when baked.
Is tomato pie a Philadelphia thing?
Absolutely! It’s a beloved regional dish deeply connected to Philadelphia’s Italian-American community.
What makes this different from regular pizza?
First off, it’s a square, or what you would call a Sicilian-style pizza. It gets served at room temperature, minimal cheese, and the focus is fully on that rich dough and delicious tomato sauce.
Some Variations on A Classic Slice of Tomato Pie
If you’re serving this to a crowd, keep all your toppings on the side, ready to go on, and everyone can top their slice up however they want.
Add Anchovies
Skip the final sprinkle of cheese and instead add a few fillets of high quality anchovies packed in oil.
Thin Sliced Charcuterie
Once the pie is out of the oven top with some thinly sliced cured meats, like pepperoni, soppressata or spicy salami.
Red Pepper Flakes
Add a generous sprinkle for a spicy kick.
Fresh Basil
Skip the dried oregano, and top with lots of fresh basil.
Calabrian Chil
Add in a heaping spoonful of Calabrian chili paste to the cooked tomato sauce for a delicious spicy twist.
Sfincione-style
Add a generous topping of breadcrumbs tossed with olive oil in the last 5 minutes of baking for a crunchy, sfincione-style pizza.
Philly Tomato Pie
Equipment
- 1 1/4 sheet tray (9x13")
- Digital scale
- Pizza or baking stone *optional
Ingredients
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!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
