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Grandma Pizza

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 17, 2013

Time

1 hour, plus 1¾ to 2¼ hours rising

Yield

Serves 4

Grandma Pizza

Ingredients

Dough

3 tablespoons olive oil ¾ cup water 1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) bread flour 2 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 teaspoon sugar ¾ teaspoon salt

Topping

1 (28-ounce/794-gram) can diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon salt 8 ounces (227 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Before You Begin

If the dough snaps back when you press it to the corners of the baking sheet, cover it, let it rest for 10 minutes, and try again.

Instructions

    for the dough

  1. Coat rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Combine water and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. With mixer running, slowly add water mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer dough to greased baking sheet and turn to coat. Stretch dough to 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. Stretch dough to corners of pan, cover loosely with plastic, and let rise in warm place until slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
  3. for the topping

  4. Place tomatoes in colander and drain well. Combine drained tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, and salt in bowl. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in second bowl. Sprinkle cheese mixture over dough, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Top with tomato mixture and bake until well browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Slide pizza onto wire rack, sprinkle with basil, and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

Grandma Pizza

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Time

1 hour, plus 1¾ to 2¼ hours rising

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Dough

3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup water
1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) bread flour
2 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

Topping

1 (28-ounce/794-gram) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (227 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Dough

3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup water
1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) bread flour
2 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

Topping

1 (28-ounce/794-gram) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (227 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Dough

3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup water
1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces/234 grams) bread flour
2 ¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

Topping

1 (28-ounce/794-gram) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (227 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Using bread flour and lengthy kneading gave us the open-structured chewy crust we wanted, but it was difficult to stretch. Proofing the dough on the same oiled sheet pan that we were using to bake the pizza allowed it to stretch on its own as it proofed (and saved us a dish at cleanup time). For an easy and fresh-tasting chunky tomato topping, we simply stirred drained diced tomatoes together with salt, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Baking the pizza on the lowest rack and cooling it on a wire rack yielded the crisp bottom crust we sought.

Before You Begin

If the dough snaps back when you press it to the corners of the baking sheet, cover it, let it rest for 10 minutes, and try again.

Instructions

    for the dough

  1. Coat rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Combine water and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. With mixer running, slowly add water mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer dough to greased baking sheet and turn to coat. Stretch dough to 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. Stretch dough to corners of pan, cover loosely with plastic, and let rise in warm place until slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
  3. for the topping

  4. Place tomatoes in colander and drain well. Combine drained tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, and salt in bowl. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in second bowl. Sprinkle cheese mixture over dough, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Top with tomato mixture and bake until well browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Slide pizza onto wire rack, sprinkle with basil, and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

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