Originally from Long Island, New York, the grandma-style pizza is as beloved as Italian-American grandmothers themselves. The style is similar to—but not to be confused with—the classic Sicilian style. Think of it as a thinner, crispier cousin to the Sicilian, with a heartier chew and a lot of homespun charm.
Leah Scurto, the renowned founder, managing partner and chef at PizzaLEAH in Windsor, California, generously shared this recipe for her Rosemary Sicilian Grandma Pie with PMQ Pizza a few years ago. Check it out and try it for yourself!
Rosemary Sicilian Grandma Pie
Courtesy of Leah Scurto, PizzaLEAH, Windsor, CA
Dough Ingredients:
- 281g high-gluten flour
- 120g bread flour
- 282g water
- 1.5g instant yeast
- 8g kosher salt
- 12g extra-virgin olive oil
- 2g dried rosemary
Mushroom Medley
Thinly slice 5 cremini mushrooms, 6 shiitake mushrooms and 3 heads of oyster mushrooms. Add EVOO to a large sauté pan and cook shallot until it turns translucent. Add mushrooms, butter and thyme. Cook on medium-high until mushrooms are tender but not overcooked. Add a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor.
Pizza Ingredients
- 25-oz. dough ball
- 15” x 15” grandma pan
- 5 oz. crushed tomato sauce
- 3 oz. whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
- 1.5 oz. truffle Gouda, shredded
- 2 oz. Toma cheese, shredded
- 1.5 oz. mozzarella block cheese, cubed
- 3-4 oz. sautéed mushroom medley
- 2 oz. cup-and-char pepperoni
- 1 oz. pepperoni, pan-fried
- 5 basil leaves, chiffonade
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions:
Soak the rosemary and olive oil for one hour before making dough. Cold-ferment the dough ball for 48 hours. Pull the dough ball out of refrigerator an hour before stretching. Generously oil the grandma pan. Place dough ball in the middle of the pan and gently push dough out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour. Then push the dough out one more time so it reaches the corners of the pan. Par-bake at 500-525˚ degrees for about five minutes or until slightly browned.
Place par-baked dough on lightly oiled pan. Evenly spread out your three shredded cheeses, leaving one inch of crust around the edges. Spread half of your mushroom medley out and drizzle with sauce. Add cup-and-char pepperonis. Layer remaining mushroom medley around pepperonis. Bake the pizza at 525˚ for 7-10 minutes until crust is golden-brown.
Remove pie from the pan. Drop small diced cubes of mozzarella into the middle of the pepperoni cups and add pan-fried pepperoni on top. Return pizza to oven straight on the brick for 30-45 seconds to make the bottom of the pizza golden-brown and crispy. Finish with chiffonade of basil and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
