Tomato Pie: Ode to Corropolese
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tomato pie
“Tomato pies are the strippers of the food world: They’re usually ordered for special occasions, and everyone tends to get a little too excited around them. But you’ve got good reason to freak if you ordered from Corropolese Bakery & Deli.” – Philadelphia City Paper
Well said…although I’ve never ordered a stripper for game day. Then again, maybe I just need to live a little.
Tomato pies are indeed utterly delicious, and as I’ve learned, are hard to come by outside of the south Jersey/Philly area. Keep in mind, this is not to be confused with the southern, Paula Deen-style tomato pie that is made with mayonnaise and contained in a pie shell. No, no, this tomato pie is more like a sweet simple pizza, minus the gooey cheese. Before you stop reading right there, let me assure you, you don’t even miss the cheese! (I know! I never thought I’d utter those words.)
I came across my first tomato pie in Norristown, PA, courtesy of Corropolese. And oh yes, I freaked when I had my first taste of that crispy, thick, Sicilian-style crust, covered in sweet, tangy tomato sauce. Nothing else, save a sprinkling of grated parmesan. There is something completely addictive and magical about that sauce. Which is why you need to buy tomato pie by the sheet (as in one sheet tray), because you will surely inhale multiple slices and still want more for breakfast the next day.
Ever since my first taste, I consistently crave this, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn how to make my own. While there is really no replacement or substitution for Corropolese, when I find myself far from Norristown this will now satisfy my craving.
I plan on making this crowd pleaser for Sunday’s big game. No promises on a stripper.
Tomato Pie (Ode to Corropolese)
The Sauce
Ingredients:
6 Roma tomatoes
3 cups tomato puree
3 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
¼ tsp oregano
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare roasted tomatoes: slice the tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and roast in oven for 30 minutes.
While they cook, combine other ingredients and let it simmer until thickened. Add in roasted tomatoes when done and mix until there are no large chunks.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F to 115°F)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour (I like King Arthur Bread flour, it has 12.7% protein)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal (for dusting)
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Mix warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over it and stir to dissolve. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 10 minutes.
Add oil, salt, and about 75 percent of the flour. Combine with the yeast mixture. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Mix in the rest of the flour. Transfer dough to floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl brushed with oil, turning the dough to coat it with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
Pizza dough after first rising
Punch the dough down, and reshape into a ball. Place it back into the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 4-12 hours.
Pizza dough rolled out
Roll out the dough. Sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal, and lay dough on top. Spread tomato sauce on top (it should be really thick layer of sauce).
Bake at 450 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden and center is cooked through.
Print RecipeNo related posts.
That tomato pie looks really good. I’m hungry now!!!
I didn’t even know Tomato Pie existed until now. I am loving it! Note to self: must make me some tomato pie! YUM!
I’m freaked just looking at your images! Tomatoes are one of my absolute favorite foods – cooked any way possible. This Tomato Pie makes my mouth water out of control!
I WANT A TOMATOEPOE
This looks scrumptious. I bet you are right that you don’t miss the cheese, not when you have this intense, sweet fruitiness from the tomatoes. Man, a big slice of this with a bowl of soup would make an ideal meal.
5 Star Foodie: thanks! mission accomplished
Reeni: yes yes, do it! you will thank yourself.
Peppercorn Press: haha thanks! If you love tomatoes, you must try this. the sauce is just sooo good!
tomatopie: TOMATERPIR
Carolyn Jung: Thank you! Yes, the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes is really brought out by the balsamic vinegar in this as well
before i jumped to read the rest of the article, i couldn’t figure out why “norristown” was a tag! i grew up about 10 minutes away, so you’ll be damn sure i’ll be visiting Corropolese the next time i’m visiting mom and dad. thanks for the tip!
do you know that it wasn’t until recently that i knew that tomato pie was a local thing? i thought EVERYONE just had tomato pie available for a quick snack after school! it’s best cold in my opinion.
Looks tasty. So what is the difference between a pizza pie and a tomato pie? Nice photo’s
We Are Never Full: no way! my b/f grew up in plymouth meeting and went to PW. we’re heading back for the holidays and let me tell you…i cannot WAIT to stuff myself full of real authentic tomato pie. i totally agree. cold is best. some of my other favorite spots in the area:
oh, and the thick, slightly sweet crust…
Franzone’s (their pizza is sooo good…love their sweet sauce and thin, flaky crust), Izenberg’s (for the best reuben ever. prepare to be in food coma for about a day and a half), and of course cheese steaks at D’Alessandro’s. I may just suffer a coronary while i’m visiting.
what are some of your favorites?
foodphotoblog: thanks! well…in my mind, a typical pizza pie has cheese on top…tomato pie is all about the thick layer of delicious tomato sauce. nothin else needed
IN MY EXPERT OPINION, MARCHIANO’S BAKERY IN MANAYUNK HAS THE BEST TOMATO PIE. MANY YEARS AGO, CONSOLO’S BAKERY HAD THE BEST TOMATO PIE AND BREADS, HOWEVER, THEY NO LONGER EXIST. MUST ALSO TRY MARCHIANO’S OREGANATA. I NO LONGER LIVE IN THE AREA AND MISS THESE TREATS TERRIBLY!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to check this out next time I’m in the area
This recipe looks great, I have to try it out. I love your site, do you mind if I link to it on mine??
Ali: thanks so much — of course you can link to it! i’m honored
I’ll return the favor…i love your site too. you have a great style that reminds me of..well…me. haha — to the point, sophisticated, with some sass.
I am another Phily/SE PA native and tomato pie is one of my absolute hometown favorites, but I haven’t been as courageous as you and try to make one. BRAVO! Yours looks just as tasty as the hundreds I’ve eaten through the years. Mangia!
Pizza Cutta: grazie! always nice discovering fellow tomato pie lovers who know the real deal
[...] Specimen 2: A Tomato Pie from Corropolese! The real thing. Straight from Norristown. If you read this, you know how obsessed I am. [...]
I enjoy all flavors of Corropolese pies. Sweet pepper is realyy good. The tomato pie is fantastic!!! Thany you for the home recipe. I will still buy plenty from Corropolese. The legend lives on!!!
This is my 2 yr old daughters favorite food as she won’t eat cheese on pizzas. Thanks for your recipe.
Never had this before, but really intrigued now. Now it’s a matter of dragging myself to NJ/PA or bribing you to ship some over to me
Belated congrats on the Foodbuzz glory, btw!
I love tomato pie!! Pure bliss on its own or with rosemary or basil!! Yum!
This may pass muster for good sicilian pizza in PA, but in NYC we have L&B Spumoni gardens Pizza in Brooklyn. The place is over 100 yrs. old and is known for the sicilian pie (also referred to as: upside down pie or old fashion sicilian, depending on what part of new Yawk you are from). It is similar to the PA tomato pie except a thin layer of fresh mozzerella cheese is under the tomato sauce, then grated chees sprinkled on top of sauce.
oooohhh nom nom nom, when are we going, cuz?
My mother-in-law grew up near Norristown and always brings back some tomato pie when she comes back from a visit. I never heard of it until she brought some back after one of her trips. Thanks so much for this recipe, I’m going to try making it tonight for my mother-in-law… I hope she likes it!
I just wanted to give an update after I had made this — the sauce was definitely too sweet. I put in the 3tbsp, and at the time it seemed like quite a lot of sugar. Was it meant to be 3tsp instead? Also, I already had a pizza dough made up so I used that instead, but after baking it for 35 minutes it was waaaay too hard. I’m going to try again with your crust recipe, reduce the sugar and reduce the cooking time and see how it turns out!
Hi Rakel, sorry this didn’t work out for you! The sauce is supposed to be on the sweet side, but if in doubt, just add a little at a time and taste as you go. The crust recipe here is more on the bready side than normal pizza dough (hence the longer bake time). Hope your adjustments work out for a better 2nd go!
[...] This is my recipe and I am following it exactly, except for the temperature on the roasted tomatoes. I reduced it to 300 and will roast them longer in order to enhance the flavor even more. [...]
[...] thanks to LickMySpoon.com! This is the sauce and the dough in the early stages. Roasted tomatoes, Roma, were part of the [...]
You are AWESOME!! My family has been getting tomato pie from a local bakery ever since I was a kid. I still have it whenever I visit my parents. Unfortunately, I can’t find it around where I live now. I made this last night. I did use a bread machine to make the dough…it’s came out a little dense, but still yummy. It’s not exactly the same, but pretty close. So happy!!
haha i know
i’ve come to terms that nothing will ever beat the real thing! haha
i am going to try to experiment with the dough though…maybe a brioche dough? in any case, so glad it was a success for you!
[...] [...]
I am actually eating a slice of Corropolese tomato pie right now:) We got a sheet last night and yea, it was definetly breakfast the next day:) I like to eat the inner slices cuz they seem more loaded with that sweet sauce….i could just drink the stuff, screw the crust (although it is yummy too).
I would love to get the recipe from one of the Corropolese family, but they are kinda crabby…shiesty mafia type people who also own the nearby towing company and impounding lot looool…….so I’ll make my own up.
Hahaha hilarious
yeah, don’t risk pissing them off — you may find your car missing.
What size baking pan is used, it is difficult to tell from the picture. We are looking forward to trying this recipe as we cannot get tomato pie locally. Thanks.
Hi Joe! I used a 13 x 18 in sheet pan. enjoy the tomato pie!
Your tomato pie looks soooo good! I have been craving a slice, or three, for months now and thanks to your recipe I can finally make my own. There’s still no substitute for the real deal baked in a big oven but this is darn close!! Thanks again.
thanks, Deborah! I hope this recipe satisfies your craving
I grew up on tomato pie! We always got it in Wilmington DE. You can get it at a place called Serpe’s Bakery in Elsmere Delaware OR Pappa’s Market in Little Italy in Wilmington.! thanks for the recipe, I now live in Virginia and these “southerners” don’t have a clue about good pizza let alone what a tomato pie is!
haha you must show them the way!
Oh Jonathan.. I so agree… Virginia knows nothing about Tomato Pie like Serpe’s ! It is a MUST for me when I go back home to Wilmington from Virginia Beach… my whole family loves it.. Can’t wait to see if we can replicate the recipe… maybe i need to import the water too..
Give the revamped recipe a shot and let me know what you think
http://lickmyspoon.com/recipes/tomato-pie/
Thank you sooooo much for posting this. I am going to give it a try. I moved from the Norristown area a few years ago to Florida and cravvvveeee this stuff. Corropolese has the best tomato pie with Rocco’s in Kimberton a second fave of mine.
Can’t wait to make this, now if I could just get some of their rolls to make an authentic cheesesteak I’ll be in heaven!
oh my goodness yes! those cheesesteak rolls are like clouds. hope the recipe gives you a little taste of home! do let me know how it turns out.
Why is it that you can’t get bread ANYWHERE like the the bread from the Philly area??
Dang! Now I’m hungry for Corropolese tomato pie and it’s only 8:30 a.m. here!
Honey, ANY time is a good time for tomato pie
You should all try Kate and Al’s at the Columbus Market in New Jersey. The best!
Thanks for the reco, Rob! I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in the hood.
I eat a tomato pie every week from the Norristown store. For the first time about two weeks ago, I went to the Limerick location. The pie tasted overwhelmingly of earth which led me to believe that beets play some part in the sweetness of the sauce.
I tired this recipe a couple of times and I experimented with a small amount of beets. Basically, after a lot of experimentation, I found that half a regular sized beet, boiled for about an hour, added to the sauce really makes this taste like the Corropolese-real thing.
Hey Nick, kudos on the experimentations! Could it be?! You’ve cracked the secret ingredient?!! I look forward to trying this
Thanks for your recipe! I’ve never had tomato pie come so close to what I want it to taste like when made myself.
full disclosure: Not quite the culinary lightning bolt I made it out to be.
I am from New York City and I have a bit of knowledge of NY pizza making techniques. It is pretty common to add beets in some form to NY pizza sauce esp. at the best places. Usually in NY its not a fresh beet, like I used, but often beet juice or concentrate. Both of these help give the sauce its deep read color and a bit of a natural complexity. I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this is at work in this sauce too. I also happened to have a number of fresh beets on hand but, I would recommend trying the more industry friendly options first (concentrate &c) if we’re really looking for THE Corropolese secret ingredient.
Thanks again and keep these posts coming!
I’m so excited to find this recipe online and cannot wait to try it next weekend. Pizza is one of my favorite foods (growing up in the Philly area) and cooking pizza is now one of my favorite recipes out here in Denver. So many Philly foods do not make their way out here, and this is one. It was my go-to food to bring to parties (people would always say, ‘tomato pie from Corropolese!) Out here, people say, ‘tomato pie’?
yay!! tomato pie manifest destiny commence!!
Utica, NY is the only other place that has Tomato Pie. Its historically an Italian-American city from the 1920s up to now. Italian cuisine is deep rooted in the citys history.
For a city of only 16 square miles, there are over 100 pizzerias. Also, O’Scugnizzo’s predates Lombardis in Trenton I believe, for Tomato Pie. either 1912 or 1914. The pies served there are with the sauce on top, kind of like Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn.
I agree Utica, New York has awesome Tomato Pie. Actually Utica is well known for having many eateries family owned not chain restaurants. We are spoiled here, we have many types of pizzas in this area that are not chain restaurants.
Corropolse does have good tomato pie but I always liked the Bake Meister tomato pie better. The tomatoes were more juicy and less pasty. They were off of Main Street just before you get into East Norriton. I always ate at least three slices standing outside my car before I could leave the parking lot. I would put the box next to me on the front seat and then on the way home I would have another slice or two and the tomato sauce would drip all over me and my car. Oh my God they were the good old days! I’m gonna have to make this recipe. Thanks
Thanks for the tip, Steve! I’ll have to check out Bake Meister next time I’m in town. Hope the recipe serves you well, and let me know if you have any tips on improving it. I know it’s not a perfect remake of the original thing, but I think it’s close.
Sorry to disappoint anyone but the Bake Meister has been closed for some time. The building is still there but in disrepair (Main & Forest Ave). Corropolese tomato pie is the best – just like the pie I was given by Joey’s family when I was a kid (late 50′s).
[...] perfectionist in me.If you’ve been reading LMS for awhile, you know all about my love for Tomato Pie. The Tomato Pie I’m talking about is not like pie pie. There’s no pastry crust, no [...]