Description
Rhode Island Pizza Strip features a light, airy bread dough topped with a flavorful tomato sauce and finished with hard grated cheese and optional herbs and spices. This style of pizza is baked in a sheet pan for a crispy bottom and a soft, dimpled surface, creating a delicious, thin-crust pizza that is perfect for sharing in rectangular slices.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 3 cups (360g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (213g) water, lukewarm (95°F)
- 2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (12g) olive oil, for the pan
Topping and Sauce
- freshly grated hard cheese (e.g. Parmesan, Asiago, Romano), for topping
- olive oil, for topping; optional
- red pepper flakes, for topping; optional
- dried oregano, for topping; optional
- 1 3/4 cups (400g) crushed red tomatoes
- one 6-ounce can (170g) tomato paste
- 3 large cloves (21g) garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (19g) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian Herb Seasoning or oregano
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Weigh or measure the flour accurately. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add lukewarm water and olive oil, mixing until combined. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and springy.
- First Rise: Cover the dough and place it in a warm spot (70°F to 75°F) for 75 to 90 minutes until it doubles in size and feels puffy and jiggly.
- Prepare the Pan: Coat a Grandma-style pizza pan or a 13″ x 18″ half-sheet pan thoroughly with olive oil, including the sides.
- Shape the Dough: Transfer dough to the pan and turn to coat with oil. Use fingertips to gently press and stretch the dough, dimpling the surface and encouraging it to cover as much pan area as possible. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, then dimple and stretch again into the corners.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough and let it rise 45 to 60 minutes until slightly puffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°F with racks on the bottom and upper third.
- Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, olive oil, sugar, Italian Herb Seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Set aside at room temperature.
- Top the Pizza: Gently press dough into pan corners if needed. Spread sauce nearly to edges, leaving a thin 1/4″ border of dough exposed. Some sauce spreading over the edge is acceptable.
- Bake the Pizza: Bake on the bottom rack for 20 to 25 minutes until bottom is brown. Use a spatula to lift and check the crust. Then move pizza to the top rack and broil 2 to 4 minutes until charred in spots, watching carefully.
- Cool the Pizza: Remove from oven and transfer pizza carefully to a cooling rack to avoid sogginess, using a large spatula if needed.
- Finish Toppings and Serve: Sprinkle freshly grated hard cheese, drizzle olive oil, and add red pepper flakes and dried oregano if desired. Slice into rectangular pieces before serving.
- Storage: Best enjoyed the day it is baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. To reheat, wrap in foil and warm in a low-temperature oven until heated through.
Notes
- Using a Grandma-style pizza pan will yield a thicker crust compared to a half-sheet pan, which results in a thinner pizza strip.
- Ensure water is lukewarm (around 95°F) to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Dimpling the dough is key to producing the characteristic texture and preventing large bubbles during baking.
- Broiling at the end adds a beautiful char and extra flavor; watch carefully to avoid burning.
- For best taste and texture, consume soon after baking as the crust softens when stored.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: Rhode Island Pizza Strip, Grandma Pizza, Sheet Pan Pizza, Italian-American Pizza, Thin Crust Pizza, Bread Dough Pizza
