Yes, Philadelphia is famous for the cheesesteak, but it’s also known for tomato pie: focaccia-style bread topped with a thick tomato sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
I was born, raised, and still live in Philadelphia. I’ve never lived anywhere else. The city is made up of many distinct, diverse neighborhoods, and having lived in several of them I feel like I’ve experienced a lot of what Philadelphia offers.
My favorite neighborhood is the one I live in now, just east of the center of the city. It’s a place full of history, excellent restaurants, green spaces (especially in spring and summer), independent shops, and theaters.
When the #SundaySupper group picked “hometown foods,” I wanted to share something that felt truly local. The cheesesteak was off the menu that day because someone at home was trying to eat healthier, so I chose tomato pie instead.
Many people outside the region don’t know what Philadelphia tomato pie is. Some confuse it with the Southern tomato pie, which is a different dish. The local version is built on a thick, focaccia-like or Sicilian-style dough rather than a thin pizza crust.
The focaccia bread is spread with a very thick tomato sauce, almost paste-like. Some bakeries and home cooks finish it with a light dusting of grated Parmesan; others skip the cheese. Tomato pie is traditionally served cold or at room temperature. It’s eaten as a main course with a salad or served as a party or tailgate snack.
For my version I used Peter Reinhart’s focaccia recipe. The dough is straightforward and forgiving, and I like it finished with a drizzle of herbed olive oil. The tomato sauce recipe yields more than you’ll need for the pie; I reserved half while it was reducing to use later for spaghetti and meatballs.
Philadelphia Tomato Pie
12 servings
Ingredients
For the bread
- 5 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for dusting (about 22.5 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups water at room temperature (68–72°F)
- ¼ cup olive oil, for greasing and drizzling
For the tomato sauce
- 6 pounds medium tomatoes on the vine (about 2.5 quarts when roasted)
- 29 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the tomato pie
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the focaccia
- In a stand mixer bowl combine the flour, salt, and yeast with the paddle attachment. Mix water and olive oil together and slowly pour into the flour while mixing on low just until incorporated.
- Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed about 5 minutes, until the dough forms a ball that clears the bowl but remains slightly sticky.
- Dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough onto it and pat into a rectangle. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Stretch the dough into a long thin rectangle and fold a third from one end toward the center, then fold the other end over like folding a letter. Lightly mist with nonstick spray, dust with flour, cover loosely with plastic wrap and rest 30 minutes.
- Repeat the stretch-and-fold, mist, and rest sequence two more times, allowing one hour final rest after the last fold.
- Line a 12″ x 17″ sheet pan with parchment and drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over it. Use a pastry scraper to transfer the dough to the pan, keeping the rectangular shape as much as possible.
- Use fingertips to dimple the dough, pressing out air and spreading it to fill the pan. If it shrinks back, rest 15 minutes then continue. Loosely cover and let rise 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F while the dough rises.
- Bake the bread 10 minutes, rotate pan 180°, then bake another 5–10 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer the baked focaccia to a wire rack and cool completely.
For the tomato sauce
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil and lightly mist with nonstick spray.
- Quarter the fresh tomatoes, place them on the pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, grated garlic, sugar, balsamic, dried basil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium, stirring frequently.
- Add the roasted tomatoes to the saucepan and puree with an immersion blender until slightly chunky. Continue simmering until the sauce is very thick and most water has evaporated. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator.
- When the sauce is chilled, spread about 3 cups over the cooled focaccia using an offset spatula, leaving a ½-inch border. Add more sauce if you prefer a thicker layer.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the sauce. Serve the tomato pie cold or at room temperature.
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The focaccia recipe is adapted from Peter Reinhart; the tomato sauce is inspired by a Serious Eats approach. I like to reserve extra sauce for pasta or meatballs later.
Other #SundaySupper Hometown Foods
Breakfast
- Alamo City Breakfast Tacos
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
- Mickey Mouse Waffles
- New York Style Bagels
Drinks
- Candied Kumquat Peels, Kumquat Syrup, and Kumquat-Ade
- Wine Pairing Recommendations for Hometown Food
Appetizers and Snacks
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Cuban Sandwich Crostini
- South Jersey Boardwalk Popcorn
Main Dishes
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Crockpot Cincinnati Chili
- Fried Rice Vermicelli with Vegetable Fritters
- Honey Cola Baked Ham
- Hot Brown Ham Sliders
- Joe’s Special
- Lentil, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry
- New England Beans and Cod
- Oven Toasted Ravioli
- Philadelphia Tomato Pie
- Pierogies
- Portobello “Philly Cheese Steak”
- Revved-up Poutine
- Rice with Pork and Pineapple
- San Francisco Cioppino
- Seattle-Style Dungeness Crab Roll
- Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas with Chile con Carne
- Upper Peninsula Pasties
- Victory Pig Sicilian Style Pizza
- Xiang La Tu Zi // Hot & Spicy Rabbit
Side Dishes
- 1905 Salad
- Chicken Rice Pilaf
- Classic Italian Risotto in Bianco
- Korean Steamed Eggs
- Smoke House Cheesy Garlic Bread
Desserts
- Apple Crisp
- Buckeye Cupcakes
- Carob Bumpy Cake
- Chocolate Earthquake Cake
- Chocolate Pocky Cake
- Grandma Sweeney’s Chocolate Cream Pie
- Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake
- Memories of Mom; Michigan Apple Cake
- Mile High Strawberry Pie
- Pear Parkin
- Vegan Timbits
- Vernors Cake