Tomato Pie
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Make a soft yeasted dough, let it rise until puffy, press it into an oiled pan, spread it with a simple cooked tomato sauce and oregano, then bake until golden. Cool to room temperature before slicing, the Philadelphia way. Makes 1 large pie serving 8.
Tomato Pie is Philadelphia’s quiet bakery legend. No cheese, no toppings, no fuss, just soft yeasted dough, rich tomato sauce, good olive oil and oregano, baked golden and served at room temperature. It is the slice you grab from a bakery case on the way home, and it tastes even better the next day.
Why you’ll love it
- Pantry simple: flour, yeast, canned tomatoes and olive oil.
- Made ahead friendly, it is best at room temperature the next day.
- Soft crumb, crisp golden base, bright tomato flavor.
- Feeds a crowd cheaply, one pan makes 8 generous squares.
- No cheese and no toppings to fuss over, the sauce does the work.
Ingredient notes
All purpose flour: gives a soft, tender crumb. Bread flour works too for a chewier bite, but all purpose is the bakery classic here.
Active dry yeast: proof it first in warm water with sugar. Foamy yeast means a lively rise, and a lively rise means a light pie.
Crushed tomatoes: the star, so use good canned tomatoes. Simmer them thick with garlic and oregano until they taste like sauce, not like a can.
Olive oil: in the dough, in the pan and over the top. It flavors the crumb, crisps the base and finishes the sauce with fruitiness.
Dried oregano: the signature herb of Philadelphia tomato pie. A little goes a long way, and fresh oregano works too if you have it.
The thick sauce and full rise rule that makes or breaks it
Two rules decide tomato pie, and both are about patience. First, the sauce must be thick before it meets the dough. Thin sauce soaks straight through and leaves a soggy middle no amount of baking can fix. Simmer it until it mounds on a spoon. Second, the dough must rise until truly puffy, not just a little bigger. A rushed dough bakes dense and heavy, while a fully risen dough bakes soft and airy with a crisp oiled base. Thick sauce, full rise, cool completely, and the pie slices like a bakery classic.
Variations
- Garlic tomato pie: add an extra clove of garlic to the sauce and finish with thinly sliced raw garlic on top before baking.
- Spicy tomato pie: add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a gentle background heat.
- Herb tomato pie: add fresh basil leaves after baking, torn over the cooled pie, for a fresher herbal finish.
- Mini tomato pies: press the dough into muffin pans, top with sauce, and bake for 15 minutes for party sized bites.
What we learned testing it
- A thick simmered sauce beat a thin raw sauce clearly. The thin sauce batch turned soggy in the middle, while the thick sauce batch stayed crisp underneath.
- A full rise beat a rushed rise in the side by side test. The rushed dough baked dense and heavy, while the fully risen dough baked light and soft.
- Cooling to room temperature beat slicing hot. The hot slices fell apart and tasted muted, while the cooled slices held clean edges and tasted brighter.
Read how we test recipes.
Tomato Pie
Makes 1 large tomato pie · 1 hr 55 min total · Medium
Ingredients
Equipment
Large mixing bowl · Sheet pan or rectangular baking pan · Small saucepan · Wooden spoon · Wire rack
Instructions
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Mix and rise the dough
Stir the yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and soft. Cover and let it rise for 1 hour, until doubled and puffy.
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Simmer the tomato sauce
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often, until thick enough to mound on a spoon.
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Press the dough and spread the sauce
Oil a sheet pan generously and press the risen dough evenly into it, dimpling the surface with your fingertips. Spoon the cooled sauce over the dough and spread it to the edges, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with a little extra oregano.
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Bake golden and cool completely
Bake at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the bottom sounds crisp when tapped. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely to room temperature before slicing into squares.
Notes
- Let the dough rise until truly puffy. An under risen dough bakes dense and bready in the wrong way, while a well risen dough bakes soft and airy.
- Keep the sauce thick. Watery sauce soaks the dough and makes a soggy middle, so simmer it until it mounds on a spoon.
- Oil the pan generously. The oil fries the bottom of the dough as it bakes, giving you a crisp golden base under the soft crumb.
- Serve at room temperature. Tomato pie is meant to be eaten cool, when the sauce flavor is brightest and the crumb has set.
- No cheese on a Philadelphia tomato pie, and that is the point. The sauce, oil and oregano carry the whole pie.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Crushed tomatoes
- Use whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, for a chunkier sauce with the same rich flavor.
- Dried oregano
- Use 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves, or a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, for a slightly different herbal note.
- All purpose flour
- Use bread flour in the same amount for a chewier crumb, adding a splash more water if the dough feels stiff.
Storage and make-ahead
Store tomato pie covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve fridge cold slices at room temperature by letting them sit out for 30 minutes. Reheat slices in a 350 F oven for 8 minutes if you prefer them warm.
Frequently asked questions
What is tomato pie?
Tomato pie is a Philadelphia bakery classic: soft yeasted dough, like focaccia, topped with rich tomato sauce, olive oil and oregano, and served at room temperature. It has no cheese and no toppings, and it is sold by the slice in bakeries all over the city.
Is tomato pie served hot or cold?
It is served at room temperature, or even fridge cold. Hot tomato pie tastes muted and falls apart, while cooled tomato pie slices cleanly and the tomato flavor shines.
Is tomato pie the same as pizza?
No. Pizza has cheese and is served hot, while tomato pie has no cheese, a thicker softer dough, and a cooked tomato sauce that is the star. Think of it as a cousin of pizza, not a version of it.
Why is my tomato pie soggy in the middle?
The sauce was probably too thin, or the dough did not rise enough. Simmer the sauce until thick, oil the pan well, and let the dough rise until puffy before baking.
Can I make tomato pie ahead of time?
Yes, it is made for making ahead. Bake it a day before serving, cool it completely, and keep it covered. Serve it at room temperature the next day, when the flavor is at its best.
