Hello and welcome to our next attempt at a dish that is a Rhode Island favorite!
Sure, you can get pizza anywhere in the world. Some good, some bad, some you think you died and went to heaven from eating. But only in Rhode Island can you get a pizza that is unlike any other. We're talking about Pizza Strips!
Cissa's Attempt:
Every bakery has their own recipe, and the preferences vary. I asked some of you on Facebook and got a bunch of answers: Calvitos, DeFusco's, Crugnales, DePetrillo's. No matter what your preference (mine personally is Calvitos!), everyone who's ever left Rhode Island has wanted to have the strips once they've left. I think my attempt can help you.
The Recipe:
2 lbs pizza dough (home made or store bought -- I made my own dough)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon grated Romano cheese
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
Divide the dough in half. Spread the dough onto 2 baking sheets, 11 x 17 inches each, that have been wiped with a little olive oil.
In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle lightly with additional olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees until crust is crisp, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the pizza on each baking sheet into 15 squares, each approximately 5 x 3 inches in size.
How It Went:
This was insanely easy to make. The most work was making the dough earlier in the day. I had Minion 2 help me mix the sauce, and by the time I spread out the dough in the pans, it was ready to be spread! Of course, nothing goes right perfectly for me, so I actually had to cook the first pan longer because my oven decided to stop actually working for a few minutes. The second pan came out perfect after 15 minutes....
The sauce is ready to be mixed up
Home made dough is all spread out in the pan
Fresh out of the oven, it smelled AWESOME!
Seriously, it looks just like how I remember!
My family actually loved this. We ate it hot because I was heading out the door to go to the movies, and I wanted their feedback. When I tried it...it seemed just a little too sweet. I think next time I make this, I will use 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of three. But all the same, I was amazed that it came out just about exactly how I remember Pizza Strips to be!
This morning, I just had to try it again. Every true Rhode Islander knows Pizza Strips are not exactly right unless they're cold or at least room temperature. The consistency of the sauce was better, and but it still had a little too much sweetness for me, but that didn't stop me from eating 4 squares of it today!
I think 1/4 of the olive oil was too much. Even after wiping down the pans before adding the dough and sprinkling the oil on the sauce before it went in the oven, both sheets of it, I had about 1/8 cup left in my measuring cup.
Ruling:
No doubt this was a total success for my family. A day later, and two pans worth (30 pieces) is almost gone! Sure, next time I will use less sugar, and maybe even a little less dough to make the crust slightly thinner, but even if I don't, it was delicious. I actually can't wait to have this again! This would be great for a party, and you can even make it the night before because letting it cool and sit at room temperature before serving is the way it should be. :-)
And now it's Cira's turn....
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Cira's Attempt:
Split decision on this one. This week Cissa and I used similar recipes we found online, but with one difference - the dough.
The Recipe:
Pillsbury pizza dough (I used the store brand from the market)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
Use a 9x13 cookie pan. Place olive oil on the pan and lay out the dough. Add the sauce liberally.
Cook at 400F for 12 minutes. Let cool. Sauce is enough to make 2 9x13 pizza's. (I bought 2 ready made pizza dough so I could use all the sauce.)
How It Went:
I have to say this was super, super easy to make. Oil the pans, lay out the dough... mix the sauce, apply and bake. I took a taste of the sauce and was amazed at how much it tasted just like what comes on the strips we buy. Impressed and excited to try the pizza.
Here it is when it came out of the oven:
If I were to do this over again I would use much less than 1/4 cup olive oil. Definitely too much.
I made the pizza a few hours before dinner so it would have time to cool completely. When my husband came home for dinner he took a look at it and actually wondered which bakery I picked the pizza strips up at. Great sign, right? I have to say after 2 small slices I was done. Trust me, not a good sign. The sign of really good pizza strips? You would want to eat more than your stomach could fit.
The flavor of the sauce wasn't the same after it was cooked, the dough was extremely thin and a bit greasier that it should have been. I was not.a.fan. My husband on the other hand? LOVED it. The boys? Started out saying they liked it. The twins each ate 2 pieces but then complained they didn't like it. My oldest? Barely ate one slice. Let me have him sum it up for you.
Ruling:
Mmmm hmm. Denied by all but one. I think our search is still on.
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Tune in next Wednesday when we bring you another Rhode Island dish!
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