MOZZARELLA & TOMATO SQUARE “Grandma” PIZZA

This pizza recipe is in the style of both the classic New York or New Jersey “Grandma Mozzarella Pizza Pie” and the square pizzas of Detroit, Michigan. Its base is a favored recipe on this site, Mrs Di Tomas’s White Pizza.

RECIPE: Grandma-Style Mozzarella & Tomato Sauce Pizza
Makes 1, 18x13 inches.

Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast (not rapid rise)
1 teaspoon plus 4 teaspoons white cane sugar, separated
1/2 cup plus 2 cups lukewarm water (100 degrees), separated

4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
16 ounces fresh hand-turned mozzarella, grated (close to 3 cups; see note)

1 and 1/2 cups tomato (“marinara”) sauce, best-quality jarred or homemade (some small chunks are OK)
Dried Mediterranean (not Mexican) oregano, red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
Proof the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup lukewarm water for 10 minutes. 

In a large bowl, add the flour, the 4 teaspoons of sugar, and the salt and mix together well. Add the proofed yeast mixture, the olive oil and 2 cups lukewarm water, stirring to combine. The dough will be wet, not unlike a quick bread dough (though thicker), much less sturdy than a traditional firm bread dough.

Let rise, the bowl covered by a breathable kitchen towel, in a warmish place for 1 hour. Punch down and mix again; let rise another hour. Using all 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, pour the dough into an oiled 18 x 13 x 1-inch baking sheet pan, scraping out the bowl, to a thickness of between 1/2 to 2/3-inch thick. (There may be more than enough dough; do not exceed 3/4 of an inch in thickness.) Let rise another 1 hour, loosely covered with a floured towel or nothing at all.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 450 degrees. with one rack set in the lower 1/3 of the oven and another rack in the top 1/3.

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Top the raw, unbaked dough with the mozzarella and evenly distribute splotches of the tomato sauce. Bake for 8 minutes on the lower rack, rotate the pan, and cook for another 8 minutes on the lower rack. Then, cook for 8 minutes on the upper rack; and again, after rotating the pan, for another 8 minutes on the same rack, or until the pizza is golden brown and crisp on its bottom and sides. (Which may necessitate another 3-4 minute bake on the lower rack once more.)

Serve, cut into hand-able squares, dusted with the oregano and/or pepper flakes, if desired.

Note: It is best to use fresh, white-milk, hand-turned mozzarella, instead of the ivory-colored, more dried sort of mozzarella cheese commonly used to make pizza and other dishes. However, if that’s all that you can access, it’s fine, too.