PHILADELPHIA TOMATO PIE

Steps:

• For the sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray
• Cut each tomato into quarters and place them on the baking sheet
• Drizzle them lightly with oil, then season well with salt and pepper
• Roast for 30 minutes or until softened
• Meanwhile, combine the crushed tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, garlic, sugar, vinegar, dried herbs and more salt and pepper, as needed, in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently
• Once the tomatoes in the oven are done roasting, add them to the saucepan, being sure to include any caramelized bits
• Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree just until slightly chunky
• Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times, to form a thick sauce
• (Most of the liquid will have evaporated
• ) Transfer to a large, heatproof container; cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight
• The yield is 6 cups
• For the focaccia: Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer (paddle attachment) and beat on low speed
• Combine the water and 6 tablespoons of the oil in a large measuring cup, then gradually pour it into the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated
• Add the salt and beat to incorporate
• Switch to the dough-hook attachment; increase the speed to medium and beat/knead for 5 minutes to form a dough that gathers into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl but is still somewhat sticky
• Sprinkle more flour in a 6-inch rectangle on a clean work surface, then scrape the dough onto it, patting the dough into a rectangle that covers the floured work surface
• Let rest for 5 minutes
• Stretch the rested dough from end to end into a long, thin rectangle
• From one end, fold a third of the dough back toward the middle, then repeat on the other end, as if you were folding the dough like a letter
• Mist the dough lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and sprinkle lightly with flour
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes
• Stretch and fold the dough again, then mist with nonstick cooking spray, sprinkle with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest another 30 minutes
• Repeat the stretching and folding one more time, then cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour
• Line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the parchment paper and use your hands or a brush to spread it over the parchment
• Use a bench scraper to help as you carefully transfer the dough to center of the baking sheet, maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible
• Use your fingertips to press in and dimple the dough all over, simultaneously pressing out air and spreading the dough to fill out all corners of the baking sheet
• If the dough shrinks back, let it rest for about 15 minutes, then continue spreading
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free spot for 1 hour or until about doubled in size; it will be soft and puffy
• While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 450 degrees
• Uncover the dough; bake (middle rack) for 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet from front to back; bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown
• Immediately transfer the bread to a wire cooling rack to cool completely
• When ready to assemble, use an offset spatula to spread about 3 cups of the sauce (or as needed) evenly over the focaccia, leaving a 1/2-inch margin at the edges
• Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly over the sauce
• Serve at room temperature or cold; pass more sauce at the table