Grandma pizza: the thin square pan pie of New York

Grandma pizza is a thin, rectangular pan pizza from Long Island, New York, with a crisp, oily base, mozzarella spread first and crushed tomatoes on top. The dough rises only briefly in the pan, so a grandma pie is lighter and thinner than a thick Sicilian square.

What is grandma pizza?

Grandma pizza is a thin-crust square pan pizza associated with Long Island and New York pizzerias, where it is cut into rectangular pieces. It is the style that sits between a round New York slice and a deep Sicilian pie.

The dough is pressed into an oiled sheet pan, topped, and baked without much proofing. The cheese goes on the dough first, then chunks of tomato, olive oil, garlic, basil and sometimes grated hard cheese. The result is a crisp, golden base with sauce that tastes fresh and bright, since the tomatoes bake in about the same time as the crust.

Where does grandma pizza come from?

Grandma pizza is commonly traced to Long Island, New York, where Italian-American home cooks and later pizzerias baked thin pan pies. The exact shop and year are told in different ways, and no single origin story is firmly documented.

The name suggests a home-style recipe, the kind of pie a grandmother makes at home on a regular sheet pan when a round pizza stone or a deck oven is not available. Pizzerias later put the pie on their menus and the name stuck.

What does grandma pizza taste and feel like?

Grandma pizza tastes like toasted bread, tomato, garlic and melted mozzarella, with a crunchy bottom crust and a soft, thin crumb above it. The pie has less breadiness than Sicilian pizza and more crunch than a plain slice.

• Crust: thin, crisp and golden, with an oil-fried underside.
• Cheese: mozzarella baked directly onto the dough, often browned at the edges.
• Sauce: crushed tomatoes with a fresh, uncooked flavor and bright acidity.
• Seasoning: garlic, olive oil, basil and often a little dried oregano.

Because the pan is square, corner and edge pieces get the crispest bits.

Grandma pizza vs Sicilian pizza: what is the difference?

Grandma pizza is thin and crisp with cheese under the sauce, while Sicilian pizza is thick, airy and often has sauce on top. Both are baked in a rectangular pan.

The tomato layer on a grandma pie is chunkier than the smoother sauce typical on a Sicilian pie. The dough itself can be similar, but the time in the pan changes the structure.

How is grandma pizza made?

Grandma pizza is made by pressing a yeast dough into an oiled sheet pan, adding mozzarella, then crushed tomatoes and seasonings, and baking in a hot oven. The dough rests briefly instead of rising for hours.

1. Mix a basic dough of flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil, and let it ferment in the refrigerator for a day if time allows.
2. Oil a sheet pan generously and press the dough toward the corners, resting it if it springs back.
3. Let it rest in the pan for 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Cover with sliced or shredded mozzarella, edge to edge.
5. Spoon crushed tomatoes over the cheese in dollops, then add garlic, basil and olive oil.
6. Bake at 475 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes until the base is crisp and the cheese is browned.

How do you serve and reheat grandma pizza?

Grandma pizza is cut into squares or rectangles and eaten flat, not folded. It is best served within a few minutes of baking, while the base is crisp.

To reheat leftover pieces, put them in a hot oven or a dry skillet for a few minutes, bottom side down. A microwave softens the crust and is not recommended for pan pizza. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for a few days in a covered container.

What toppings and cheese suit grandma pizza?

Grandma pizza suits restrained toppings: mozzarella, crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil, plus a little grated hard cheese. Heavier toppings can weigh down the thin crust.

• Cheese: sliced or shredded low-moisture mozzarella, laid edge to edge so it browns against the pan.
• Tomatoes: whole or crushed tomatoes, drained a little and seasoned with salt.
• Extras: thin slices of garlic, torn basil, a drizzle of olive oil.
• Optional: sauteed mushrooms, roasted peppers or onions, cooked first so they do not release water.

A common variation is a white grandma pie, with ricotta, mozzarella and garlic and no tomato at all.

What mistakes spoil grandma pizza?

The most common problems are a base that stays pale, a topping that is watery and dough that shrinks back from the corners. Each has a straightforward fix.

1. Pale base: use a dark pan, plenty of oil and a lower oven rack.
2. Watery topping: drain the tomatoes and do not overload the pan with cheese.
3. Shrinking dough: let it rest for 10 minutes and press again, so the gluten relaxes.
4. Burnt cheese on the edge: lower the oven by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and bake slightly longer.
5. Soggy bottom after cooling: move the pizza to a wire rack right after baking.

Is grandma pizza on Fascati Pizzeria’s menu?

Not according to what is recorded. Google Maps describes Fascati Pizzeria in Brooklyn Heights as a thin-crust New York-style shop, and the menu lists a plain slice, pizza by the slice, a whole pizza and an anchovy slice. A grandma or square pie is not named.

Since menus change, ask the shop whether any pan pies are available. See the menu page for what is recorded and the hours and location page for the address. This guide is independent and takes no orders.

Common questions

Before you go, check the Fascati Pizza Brooklyn guide for the current hours and the menu.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Fascati Pizzeria itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.