Sesame-Crusted Grandma Pie with Broccoli Rabe & Hot Honey

Oct 25, 2024

Pizza Friends, hello! And happy Friday.

I had hoped to post today about my home-oven pizza results using Petra 0102 flour, but as some of you know, I spent last weekend in Nashville, and upon returning home, I felt inspired to make something else.

Last Saturday, during the “Dough Whisperers” panel at Pizza City Fest, I was transfixed listening to Paulie Gee talk about the Sicilian pizzas served at his restaurants, which are crusted in sesame seeds, and about his favorite pizza on his menu, The Vegan Vidalia, which is topped with tomato sauce and caramelized vidalia onions.

It all sounded delicious. I have never been to any of the Paulie Gee’s pizzerias, though I’ve long wanted to ever since reading about “The Hellboy,” in Peter Reinhart’s Pizza Quest.

You likely know the story, but if you don’t, here it is: In 2010, a guy named Mike Kurtz was working at Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. One day, Mike brought in a bottle of his homemade chile-infused honey for Paulie to try on his pizza. Paulie liked it so much he asked Mike if he could make enough for the restaurant to add it to the menu. Shortly thereafter, they debuted it on a pizza featuring soppressata, tomatoes, mozzarella, and parmesan. And so, the Hellboy — and Mike’s Hot Honey — was born.

Today’s pizza is neither Sicilian nor vegan nor a Hellboy derivative but it is inspired by Paulie Gee nonetheless: it’s a sesame-crusted grandma-style pie topped with vodka sauce, mozzarella, and sautéed broccoli rabe, and, out of the oven, it’s drizzled with hot honey. I love the flavor and texture the sesame seeds lend to the crust, and while hot honey typically shines drizzled over pepperoni and other cured meats, I think it’s as nearly a perfect match for bitter greens.

There is video and photo guidance below. As always, let me know if you have any questions 👋 🍕

The Video: Sesame-Crusted Grandma Pie

The Recipe: Sesame-Crusted Grandma Pie

The process of making this Grandma pizza is the same as usual, but here, before the dough is added to the pan, the pan gets coated in sesame seeds:

Because of this, you’ll need to proof your dough briefly in another vessel. This will allow the dough to relax, which will allow you to lift it up and lay it into the pan as opposed to stretching it out in the pan — this is all in an effort to keep those sesame seeds in place.