Tomato Grandma Pizza

 Another tomato season recipe I found and decided to try.  What I used:

Dough:

• 3 ¼ cups homestyle white bread flour
• 2 cups warm water, at approximately 95°F 
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for baking sheet

Toppings:

• 1 cup "Rao's" marinara sauce
• Fresh local tomatoes, sliced into rounds as needed
• 6 slices Provolone cheese
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella, diced
• Greek oregano, sprinkled over sauce to taste
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste, over tomatoes
• Fresh basil, for garnish

Add the bread flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on low speed for just 15-20 seconds to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the warm water. Turn the mixer on low speed for about 5 minutes, making sure all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated with no clumps of flour.  I think the paddle attachment would have worked better than the dough hook as this was so thin.  The dough will be very wet and sticky. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rest in a dry, warm place for 30 minutes. 

Once rested, wet your hands slightly to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to your fingers. With one hand, scoop the edge of dough on the farthest side from you, and stretch slightly to gather it in the middle. Rotate the bowl slightly and continue this process until all edges of the dough have been folded to the center. Cover the bowl up again with the plastic wrap or silicone lid, and allow to rest for an additional 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Prepare a baking sheet by adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the center, and use a pastry brush or fingers to evenly coat the pan, including the sides. Turn the focaccia dough out onto the oiled baking sheet, using a rubber spatula if necessary to get all of it out. With oiled hands, gently work the dough and stretch until it almost covers the whole pan.  Allow the dough to rest in a warm place, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  With oiled fingers, gently stretch the dough to cover the entire pan. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers to form dimples all throughout the dough. I didn't even touch it, it was the wettest, stickiest dough I have ever worked with.  

Evenly spread the pizza sauce and oregano over the dough working gently and try not to press the dough down too hard. Place the Provolone over the dough.  Scatter the slices of tomato over and dot with the mozzarella. Evenly sprinkle the salt and pepper over the tomatoes.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Top with the fresh basil over the whole pizza. Slice and serve.

Mine was not as pretty as the recipe picture.  I set the oven for 45 minutes and it started burning at 30.  That being said, we loved the dough (crispy) and tomatoes the best.  

This felt "light" while you ate it and the tomatoes were the star while all the other flavors enhanced each other.  It ate good cold too.  I won't make this one again, but it was worth trying.  I'd probably look at more focaccia recipes and compare if I did attempt it again...