If you’ve been lucky enough to travel to Italy, you’ve probably had a taste of authentic pizza. And like me, you may have never gone back (to Papa’s, that is).
True Italian pizza is delicate, with a thin flatbread-like crust, fresh tomatoes and herbs, and a light sprinkling of cheese. Our indulgent American side goes heavy on the mozzarella… make that the crust and the toppings too.
Recently, I found a place on the Main Line that offers some of the most authentic pizza I’ve had since my last trip to Italy. And if you’ve never had it, I beg you to give it a bite.
It’s being offered at The Ultimate Bake Shoppe in Wayne’s Strafford Farmer’s Market. You may know this place for the never-ending options of muffins, cakes, biscotti and other baked goods, but yes, they’re doing pizza too.
And there’s good reason for it. Owner James D’ippolito, whose family hails from Sicily, has been making large pans of this authentic style pizza at home for decades. But it was only until recently that he introduced this pie to the masses.
The Tuscan Tomato Pie is flat and crispy. The dough is rolled thin and baked. Freshly cut tomatoes, basil and natural tomato juices are spread on top of the dough, which is sprinkled with whole milk mozzarella and baked again. Adele Cohen, James’ wife and manager of the Shoppe’s Wayne location, actually grows many of the tomatoes and herbs used in the pies.
“Although the Tuscan is our classic signature, we also offer pepperoni, a whole wheat variety, as well as a Sicilian tomato pie,” Cohen told me. “The Sicilian features a thicker crust, a tomato sauce and oregano.”
On my most recent visit, I took home the Tuscan and Sicilian, and it was hard to tell which one was most popular – both were gone by dinnertime. The pies are available by the slice, by the half or as a whole. Eat it at room temperature or heat until warm (400 degrees for 5 minutes).
And of course I couldn’t walk away without cookies in hand. (Tell me, could you resist?) The Ultimate Bake Shoppe got started about three decades ago when James began selling his family’s signature chocolate chip cookies – thin and crispy – to delis and stores up and down the Main Line. Cookies led to oversized muffins, healthy scones, cakes and more.
Today, it’s biscotti that have taken center stage on the sweet side. Traditional Italian biscotti features simple flavors like vanilla, anise or maybe lemon. But James and team have given this Italian cookie a twist, baking up more than a dozen varieties of this cookie, many of which are low in fat and sugar. Favorites? The fat-free healthy fix is loaded with apricots, cranberries, raisins and rolled outs, and just a little sugar for sweetness. The “ultimate” chocolato paradisio is an orange scented biscotti packed with chocolate chips and almonds.
If you’re like me, you’ll stop in for some tomato pie, and linger a little longer over the biscotti and sweet side of this biz. With fresh summer tomatoes bursting with flavor, it’s probably the best time of the year to stop in and try a slice of this authentic Italian pie.
Find The Ultimate Bake Shoppe inside the Lancaster County Farmer’s Market at 389 W. Lancaster Avenue of Wayne or online at www.theultimatebakeshoppe.com.
