Cheesy Salami Grandma Pizza

Perfectly fluffy yet crispy crust topped with double mozzarella and salami makes this grandma pizza a guaranteed family-favorite.

Ingredients

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

• Flour. 
• Instant yeast. 
• Sugar. 
• Salt. 
• Olive oil. 
• Tomato puree/Tomato passata. Alternatively, use store-bought pizza sauce.
• Oregano. 
• Mozzarella. I used both low moisture mozzarella and Fior di Latte (fresh mozzarella).
• Salami. 

What is Grandma Pizza?

Grandma pizzas are rectangular or square pizzas cooked in the oven. My first encounter with a “Grandma Pie” was when I was a little girl. My dad’s business partner is Italian and his mother used to bring the entire office lunch a few times a week. Our family was invited one day and this tiny, adorable old lady came out holding giant sheetpans filled with cheesy, melty pizzas. It’s a great way to feed a crowd and is always a hit, wherever it is served.

How to make Grandma pizza

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix warm (not hot) water with instant yeast and sugar. Allow to stand for 5 minutes until foamy then add the flour, salt and olive oil. Mix with the dough hook attachment until a soft, smooth dough is formed. The dough will be slightly sticky but if it is very sticky or wet, knead in a little extra flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, cover well and allow to proof in the fridge overnight.
2. Prepare the toppings: Mix the tomato passata/puree with oregano, a pinch of salt and sugar. Grate the low moisture mozzarella and tear the fresh mozzarella into chunks.
3. Assemble the pizza: Add a few tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a sheetpan. Transfer the dough to the pan and gently press into the corners. If the dough doesn’t want to stretch all the way, leave it for 10 minutes and continue. It will relax enough for you to get it all the way to the edges. Top the dough with sauce, low moisture mozzarella and then salami. Finish by dotting the fresh mozzarella over the salami and add any extra sauce there might be left over (this step is optional but I think it makes for a prettier end result).
4. Bake: Bake the pizza in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown and crisp. Carefully lift the sides of the pizza to make sure the bottom is also golden. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.

Can I make this ahead?

The dough and sauce can be made two days in advance and kept in the fridge. Any leftover pizza can be wrapped in foil and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot pan until the crust is crisp.

Serving suggestion

I think this pizza is pretty perfect on its own but you could add a simple green salad with lemon-Parmesan dressing if you’d like to serve a side with it.

Pizza recipes

1. Grilled Pizza Margherita
2. Easy pizza toast
3. Bacon, mushroom and onion pizza