“The school is too cheap to afford *cheese,*” I would often say loudly when I was a good bit younger. But now, the oily, saucy blend of subtle flavours draws me to it. What makes it special? Why can it only be found in this one place?
On a visit to my home town, I picked up a container of the sauce from the small bakery that makes it. Through some sleuthing, I found the basics: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian spices.
That’s was a good starting point. I whipped up a simple focaccia dough out of 00 Italian flour and slathered on the sauce before baking it. Then I let it sit out on a wire rack until it was good and cold. The result was oily and delectable.
But there were herbs… I could taste them and they reminded me of my grandmother’s home cooked meals. What were they?
“I need your taste buds,” I told my wife. “What is that?”
“Rosemary,” she said. Then she made a face. “And oregano. I’d know that anywhere. I hate oregano.”
But that wasn’t the only secret. A few batches later, I found the other secret: oil, and lots of it. Olive oil, canola oil, it doesn’t matter, as long as you put in as much as you dare. So here is a reverse-engineered recipe, for anyone that misses Hamilton style slab pizza from the Roma bakery.
​
* 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes * fresh basil leaves * At least 8 or 10 tbsp olive oil and/or canola oil. Add as much as you dare, the more the better! * 2 tsp salt * 2 tsp sugar * 1.5 tsp garlic powder * 1 tsp onion powder * 1/2 tsp dried oregano * 1 tsp black pepper * 1 tsp dried rosemary
Blend with hand blender. No need to cook it down at all. When you bake the pizza, the moisture will steam off. Also, if you leave it in a jar in the fridge, some water will float to the top and you can pour it off.
When you put it on the pizza, you need to really slather it on, in a layer at least 4mm thick. The sauce is the star of this show. After baking, leave it out for a few hours, or put it in the fridge, for that authentic kids birthday party or school function taste!
wrenhunter
I once made focaccia from a Reinhardt book, and accidentally doubled the amount of olive oil. I served it to my Italian language teacher, and she loved it!
Climbingtillifall
Where’s the cheese tho? Jk looks bomb
Eso
Great story, love hearing about ultra-local regional dishes.
5 Comments
Growing up in Hamilton, Ontario, I never appreciated this unique style of slab pizza. This plain slab, served cold, is nothing but sauce and bread, and it is a staple of any school function or birthday party in the area. It’s sold in grocery stores, and at the [original Roma bakery on Barton St](https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2021/03/31/hamiltons-roma-pizza-offers-a-slice-of-home-to-the-homesick.html). But outside Hamilton it does not exist.
“The school is too cheap to afford *cheese,*” I would often say loudly when I was a good bit younger. But now, the oily, saucy blend of subtle flavours draws me to it. What makes it special? Why can it only be found in this one place?
On a visit to my home town, I picked up a container of the sauce from the small bakery that makes it. Through some sleuthing, I found the basics: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian spices.
That’s was a good starting point. I whipped up a simple focaccia dough out of 00 Italian flour and slathered on the sauce before baking it. Then I let it sit out on a wire rack until it was good and cold. The result was oily and delectable.
But there were herbs… I could taste them and they reminded me of my grandmother’s home cooked meals. What were they?
“I need your taste buds,” I told my wife. “What is that?”
“Rosemary,” she said. Then she made a face. “And oregano. I’d know that anywhere. I hate oregano.”
But that wasn’t the only secret. A few batches later, I found the other secret: oil, and lots of it. Olive oil, canola oil, it doesn’t matter, as long as you put in as much as you dare. So here is a reverse-engineered recipe, for anyone that misses Hamilton style slab pizza from the Roma bakery.
​
* 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes
* fresh basil leaves
* At least 8 or 10 tbsp olive oil and/or canola oil. Add as much as you dare, the more the better!
* 2 tsp salt
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1.5 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1 tsp dried rosemary
Blend with hand blender. No need to cook it down at all. When you bake the pizza, the moisture will steam off. Also, if you leave it in a jar in the fridge, some water will float to the top and you can pour it off.
When you put it on the pizza, you need to really slather it on, in a layer at least 4mm thick. The sauce is the star of this show. After baking, leave it out for a few hours, or put it in the fridge, for that authentic kids birthday party or school function taste!
I once made focaccia from a Reinhardt book, and accidentally doubled the amount of olive oil. I served it to my Italian language teacher, and she loved it!
Where’s the cheese tho? Jk looks bomb
Great story, love hearing about ultra-local regional dishes.
That looks amazing bro