There are a few things that Rhode Islanders miss when they move out of state... saugy hotdogs, coffee syrup, Del's lemonade, and bakery Pizza. Coffee syrup is now available in grocery stores in other states, I have found that Jordan's franks are close enough to Saugies to get by, Del's lemonade has a take home mix (which isn't as good but acceptable) but I can't find anything similar to bakery pizza and I have no idea how to make it. Does anyone from RI have any idea how you would make this? For those of you not from RI, bakery pizza is basically dough and tomato sauce. The dough kind of looks like foccaccia bread but doesn't taste like it. The tomato sauce isn't just sauce it is lumpy and oily. I don't really no how to describe it to do it justice. People who have never tried it laugh until they have the chance to try it and then they can't believe how good it is. So, if anyone out there has had bakery pizza and knows how to make it and would share the recipe with me that would be great.

Thanks,
Mary

It sounds like what we call tomato pie here in Philly. You don't find it at pizza shops but at bakeries. It's probably about the thickness of a slice of white bread and comes the size of a sheet pan. No cheese, just red sauce and some spices. You can get it here at any Italian deli that has a bakery. You can do a search for Philadelphia tomato pie and you might find a recipe. If I can find one I'll post back.

Since I am a native RI'er, your post caught my eye (moved to Texas in 1969, but will move back to RI next year). So, I did some googling and came up with this from another board: "The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook", author Linda Beaulieu. The poster claims that there is a recipe in it for Bakery Pizza (aka strip pizza). Since I don't have the book, I can't verify that it does - but it is a relatively inexpensive cookbook ($11.00), so it might be worth getting it to see if it does.

The description from the Amazon.com website is "Rhode Islanders have an ongoing fascination with food. Some attribute this to the state's ethnic mix: a large Italian population that has an inherent love of food, wine, and the good life; people of French and Portuguese descent, whose ancestral recipes are now a part of Rhode Island cuisine; and the Native Americans who were the first to use the bounty of the sea and land to prepare their meals. Whatever the reasons, Rhode Island's food traditions are steeped in history and today are part of a vibrant food subculture. In The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, author Linda Beaulieu explores the food of the Ocean State, especially in and around Providence, and reveals how such a small state can have so many big flavors.
With more than 200 recipes and engaging sidebars about food, local lore, and state history, this book celebrates the dishes and culinary terms that are unique to Rhode Island. Home cooks will learn how to make their own Wimpy Skippys (spinach pies) or Zeppoles, and visitors will discover what a quahog is, how a cabinet can fit neatly in their hand, and why an Awful, Awful isn't awful at all."

Hope this helps!

Suzanne

Very interesting, Suzanne. Isn't there an ancient Portuguese fishing community in RI? Didn't the Basques make it there as well?

You find that type of pizza in all Italian bread bakeries here in Montréal (I live in La Piccola Italia) - I make my own because (at home anyway) I only eat wholegrain organic flour, for health reasons. Simple to make - just tomato, olive oil, herbs, garlic (if desired) and spices.

A similar dish is bakery foccaccia with no tomato, but olive oil and rosemary.

There are actually a number of Portuguese communities in RI - not sure if they started as fishing communities or not.

I think I'm going to order the cookbook for myself and see what recipes are actually in it! It sounds interesting.

Suzanne

Suzanne - This is great. I think I will order the cookbook.

I don't think I could move as far away from RI as you did. I need my RI food fixes! There were so many things that I didn't even realize I would miss when I moved away. I always thought that bakeries were everywhere. I can tell you they aren't in NH! We always had bakery items on the weekend for breakfast. If you went to someone's house you could just stop at the bakery and pick up something to bring with you. If I could work magic I would either move RI closer to the mountains or better yet, move the mountains closer to RI. After all, RI is the biggest little state in the Union!

Anyway, thanks for the info on the cookbook. Good luck with the move back to RI.

-Mary

Yes, it was difficult moving away - especially Texas in 1969 (prior to many other "Northerners/Yankees" moving here). I couldn't believe it at first when the only type of tomatoes or tomato sauce I could get was Hunt!!! No Contadina or Buitoni! No bagels! And, the only choices for pizza were - Shakey's, Pizza Hut or Pizza Inn. No good Italian bread either.

Fortunately, it has changed through the years and many things are available now - especially at the specialty stores. But I am looking forward to moving back to RI.

I was fortunate in that my family would send me care boxes of Junket, Eclipse Coffee Syrup, Jonnycake mix and Devil Dogs. As for Saugy's, I could only bring them back when I went for a visit - these were the days before FedEX and other types of reasonably priced overnight services.

Hopefully, this cookbook has all the recipes you need to keep a little bit of Rhodey in your home.

Suzanne