Italian Grandma Style Pizza Recipe

Grandma Pizza is a nostalgic Italian-American tradition that requires only a basic sheet pan to create a crispy pizza with lots of melty cheese and just the right amount of tangy sauce.

Grandma’s Pizza Is Low Stress But High Flavor

My husband always jokes that I’m an Italian Grandma in spirit, and well, he’s right. I love making big Sunday dinners and showing my love for people through food.

So trust me, I’ve perfected the Grandma Pizza. After many Sundays spent testing this recipe, I’m confident that this one has the best ratio of crispy crust edges to bready centers, plenty of cheese, just the right amount of tangy sauce, and some finishing touches that take it to the next level.

What’s A Grandma Pizza?

Grandma Pizza is a unique style that comes from home kitchens in Italian-American communities, especially on Long Island, New York. It’s named after the way grandmothers traditionally make rustic pizza at home without a dedicated pizza oven.

You don’t need even a pizza stone or pizza pan. You bake it on a regular old sheet pan, generously coated in olive oil for a thin but sturdy crust with a crispy bottom and edges. Low stress but high flavor!

A solid layer of cheese is layered over the crust, and then a small amount of pizza sauce is spread over the cheese (rather than under), a classic grandma pizza method that keeps the crust crisp and prevents it from getting soggy.

Grandma pizza is known for its minimalist approach, so beyond the cheese and sauce, toppings are generally kept to a minimum on this pie.

Think of Grandma pizza less like your traditional American pizza loaded with sauce and toppings. It’s more along the lines of a focaccia bread with some garnishes than what we normally think of as pizza.

Grandma Style Pizza Recipe Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• pizza dough – the foundation of the pizza. You can use our recipe for homemade pizza dough or use store-bought dough. You’ll need 2 pounds of dough (this is a big pizza)! You’ll need active dry yeast, warm water, honey, olive oil, kosher salt and all-purpose flour to make the homemade dough.
• olive oil – coats the pan and helps the pizza crisp up.
• mozzarella cheese – it’s a classic on pizzas for a reason!
• pizza or marinara sauce – I generally just use a jar of high-quality prepared pizza sauce, such as Rao’s or San Marzano brand.
• Parmesan cheese – an umami-rich finishing touch to this grandmas pizza.
• chopped fresh oregano (or fresh basil), hot honey and/or flaky sea salt – these are optional finishing touches for just before you serve. I highly recommend ALL of them!

What Size Pan For Grandmas Pizza?

A traditional grandma pizza recipe is typically baked on a rectangular rimmed baking sheet. A “half sheet pan,” which is 13 x 18-inches, is the most commonly used size. This allows the dough to spread out thinly and create the characteristic crispy crust.

How To Make Grandma Pizza

1. PRESS. Use olive oil to grease the bottom and sides of the pan, then press the dough evenly into pan. Let the dough rest 10 minutes, then again press the dough all the way into the corners of the pan.

2. CHEESE. Sprinkle the dough with mozzarella, spreading it all the way to the edges.

3. SAUCE. Dollop the pizza sauce over the cheese and spread it out just a little bit. You don’t need to go crazy trying to get an even layer. It should look rustic!

4. BAKE. Transfer to the preheated bottom oven rack and bake until crust is completely cooked through and deep golden brown on bottom and edges, rotating the pan halfway through cooking.

5. FINISH. Sprinkle the pizza with Parmesan cheese, then let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Serve garnished with oregano, hot honey and/or sea salt, if desired.

What To Serve With Grandma Style Pizza

My favorite side dish for a grandma style pizza is a nice fresh salad, like mixed greens with Italian salad dressing, or a summer berry salad (hold the chicken).

The only other thing you need is a cocktail! I think that either a basil cocktail or a bourbon mule would be a perfect pairing.

Tips For Storing Grandmas Pizza

If you have leftovers, transfer them to a storage container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

How To Reheat Grandma Style Pizza

Grandma pizza can be reheated in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through.