Wednesday, April 1, 2009

40 Meatless Meals - Chicago-Style Stuffed Spinach Pizza


Note: This recipe is the latest iteration, as I'm always working to perfect it, and any suggestions are welcome. I'm going for something akin to Giordano's here, in case the real purists are curious.

Crust:
3/4 c. warm water
1 package yeast
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3 T. canola oil
1 T. olive oil

Combine water, yeast and sugar, and allow to sit. Meanwhile, mix 2 c. flour and salt. Add yeast mixture. Form the dough into a rough ball, then alternate adding the oil and flour a little a time until all of the oil is added and the dough comes together into cohesive ball. Knead very briefly. (Minimal handling of the dough gives it the more pie-like consistency Chicago-style is known for.) Let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, assemble the filling:
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 packages frozen spinach, well-drained
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 3/4 c. shredded mozzarella

Saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper in a large skillet until soft, remove from pan. Place spinach in the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the excess water is removed (about 10 minutes). Add to onion mixture and allow to cool before adding mozzarella.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out with a rolling pin. Allow to rest 10 minutes. Repeat.

Set aside 1/3 of the dough and roll the remaining 2/3 into a circle about 1/4" thick. Place in a greased 10" deep dish pan. Trim the dough close to the edge of the pan, and add filling. roll out the remaining 1/3 of the dough into a circle large enough to cover the pie. Place it on top of the pan, trim the edges, and seal, rolling the edge of the bottom crust over the top. Cut a 1" slit in the top to vent.

Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350F. When the crust is golden (about 10 minutes), remove the pizza and spread:

1/2c. crushed tomatoes*

onto the top crust. Sprinkle with basil and a bit of mozzarella, and return to the oven for 15-20 more minutes, until the cheese just begins to brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, and enjoy!

*Note: If you are using a cast-iron skillet, take care that the tomatoes don't touch the pan, as the acid is bad for the iron.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy. I think I'm going to try this one. One question: When you are mixing the dough, do you use a mixer or do you mix the dough by hand? Thank you.

Thérèse said...

Thanks, it's one of my favorites! I would mix this one by hand (though, not being blessed with a KitchenAid, I mix pretty much everything by hand). The trick is not to handle it too much, so it stays flaky. This last time I made it, I actually counted the flour/oil mixing as the kneading, and it seemed to come out pretty well.