As featured on Recipe Club's Pizza Night episode

Rhode Island Pizza Strips
Recipe from Farideh Sadeghin for Gozney, adapted by Brandon Monk

"I grew up calling this "Bakery Pizza", but a lot of Rhode Islanders call this “Party Pizza” or simply "Pizza Strips". The red pizza strip is a Rhode Island staple at big celebrations, holidays, family gatherings, and was the ultimate treat/big deal for a birthday party when you were a kid.  

Growing up my mom or grandmother would go to the local bakery to buy ours because the quality was the best. This is a pizza that is bought and eaten at room temperature. It is usually wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap when you purchase it. In addition to bakeries, you’ll also find it at the checkout of mom-and-pop convenience stores or small boutique food markets. It is served with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese so light that sometimes it disappears/dissolves into the sauce. People will often add more parmesean to it when they get it home based on their personal preference. You buy it as long strips or whole pies but everyone usually cuts it up into little squares to serve on platters for parties." - Brandon Monk

Source Recipe: Farideh Sadeghin's Rhode Island Pizza Strips 

"I followed Farideh’s recipe via the link above, but I only made the red pie, so I cut the dough recipe in half.  I did make some tweaks though…" 

This recipe is halved, and Brandon's notes below in italics

Dough
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 
2 tsp sugar 
1 cup water 
2 1/2 cups of bread flour 
1 Tsp Celtic Sea Salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cornmeal 
1/2 stick unsalted butter 

Sauce
24.5 ounces of passata (The Mutti Brand is the best) 
2 garlic cloves peeled and grated
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning 
1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated parmesan to spring on top of the pizza after it is cooked and at room temp. 

For the dough, in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, honey and water. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

I swapped out the honey for sugar. I swapped out sea salt for Kosher salt because that's what we had in the house.

I also mixed the dough in a food processor rather than a stand mixer since that's what I had in my kitchen. 

Divide the dough into two equal-sized balls. Drizzle two quarter sheet trays each with ½ of the olive oil and, using oiled fingers, gently spread the pizza dough onto the pan. Be gentle with it, it won’t spread all the way to the edges. Drizzle each with the remaining oil over the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size in a warm spot, about 1 hour.

For the red pie tomato sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Preheat your pizza oven to 800°F / 420°C (stone floor temperature). Using oiled fingertips, spread the dough to the corners of the pizza trays. Spread a thick layer of the red tomato sauce onto one of the trays — you want it to be thick. Spread the sauce almost entirely to the edge, leaving about ½-inch border.

Based on trial and error, I also tweaked the dough recipe so that it tasted most like what I remembered from childhood. Also, instead of using a pizza oven, I put the dough in a traditional oven at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  

I lined the baking sheet with parchment paper, greased it with unsalted butter, and added a very thin layer of corn meal before adding the dough to the baking sheet.  I find it gives the crust a little extra crunch once baked, especially since the pizza is served at room temp.  

On the other tray, brush the dough with half of the butter and half of the parmesan, plus all of the Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Let both doughs rise uncovered, for 30 minutes longer.

Before popping the first tray into the oven, cut the flame on the oven. Bake the pies, one at a time and rotating every couple of minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the pie is puffed, about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pie.

Cool completely.

To serve, mix together the olive oil, Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Slice each tray into 4 strips and serve with the seasoned olive oil.