Deep Dish Pizza (Italian)

[Guest guest]

NOTE: Organic ingredients are recommended...

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:

Approx. 2 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 pkg. fast rising yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 c very warm water

FILLING:

1 c pizza cheese

2 whole tomatoes (plum would've been best, but I didn't have any)

1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped

cracked black pepper, salt and oregano to taste

4 large cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 large onion, sliced thinly

1 lb leek (or spinach)

1 fresh tomato, thinly sliced (optional)

METHODS:

To make the crust, combine the yeast, salt, sugar,

1 c of the flour and the cup of warm water.

Mix thoroughly.

Since you aren't proofing the yeast first,

the water needs to be a bit hotter than usual.

Add enough of the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour to form a soft dough.

Knead it for a few minutes, then put it back in the bowl,

cover and set aside to rise.

In the meantime, prepare the veggies.

Saute the onions in some red wine until caramelized.

Squeeze the moisture out of the thawed spinach.

Break up the tomatoes slightly and set them in a sieve to drain.

You don't want them soupy.

Save the juice for something else.

When the pizza dough has more or less doubled in bulk

(usually in less than an hour -

I find you don't need to be too technical with pizza dough), punch it down.

Lightly spray a 10 inch spring form pan with extra virgin olive oil.

Press the dough into the pan and up the sides.

Spread the shredded cheese over the crust.

Top with the tomatoes which have been mixed with the basil leaves.

Season with the salt, oregano and black pepper.

Sprinkle the minced garlic over the tomatoes,

then the add the sauteed onions.

Top the onions with the leek (or spinach) and then arrange the sliced tomato

(optional) decoratively on top.

Bake at 400F-425F in the middle of the oven for about 30-40 minutes or so.

Since it's so thick, it takes quite awhile for the filling to heat

all the way through.

It makes a lovely presentation when you remove the ring from the spring form

pan.

The fillings I used are what I happened to have around the house.

You can use anything you wish.

I think artichokes, mushrooms, eggplant, roasted peppers

and broccoli would be especially good.

 

 

 

Shape in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today!