PIzza Night

I've been craving pizza for a while. Specifically pepperoni pizza. That's not what I made for dinner though.  I guess that I have been craving pizza for such a long time that it really didn't matter if it was pepperoni, as long as it was pizza.
I was home with my daughter who was sick today, so I had some time on my hands to plot this pizza. I have been consciously trying to make sure that we use all of the produce that we are buying at the market, trying not to let it languish in the fridge until it becomes a science experiment, or until I lose interest. So when I came across a rather large bag of greens from the market I figured I had better use them.  


Disclaimer:  I do not know what kind of greens they were. 
Me to market guy: "Qu'est que c'est".
Market guy: "Sort of spinach".
That concludes the French speaking portion of the show.


So, what to do with sort of spinach/bitter greens and a pizza craving. Why hit up google of course.

This pizza really has a lot going for it. Salty, bitter, chewy, crisp....didn't miss the pepperoni at all.

Really, I didn't.

Pizza of Bitter Greens, Prosciutto, and Feta

Pizza crust, see recipe below or use your favorite

16 ounces of greens, spinach, arugula, escarole or broccoli rabe, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic thinly sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

4 slices of Prosciutto torn into thin strips

In a large pan heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sliced garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the greens and sauté until very soft and wilted.  Transfer the greens to a colander or sieve and allow to drain well. Press on them to release all their liquid. Set aside to cool while making the pizza crust.

Follow the directions below for making the dough and shaping the pizza. Bake the pizza crust on the lower oven rack till it looks and feels set on top, is just beginning to brown around the edges, and is still pale on top. This will take 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the crust.  Remove the partially baked crust as directed below and spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the crust. Top with the mozzarella cheese, the sautéed spinach, the prosciutto and the feta. Liberally top pizza with fresh ground black pepper.

Return the pizza to the oven and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted.

Pour a small amount of olive oil over the pizza before serving. Cut each pizza into 8 slices.

Pizza Crust

adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes enough dough for 2 pizzas

2 teaspoons instant yeast

3/4 to1cup lukewarm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups  All-Purpose Flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Combine all the ingredients including the yeast in a large mixing bowl. (The amount of water you use is dependent on your environment. Use less water if you live in a humid environment; use the greater amount of water in a dry climate. The same holds true for seasons. Use more water in winter and less in summer)

Mix and knead everything together until you have a soft, smooth, elastic, dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 4 to 5 minutes, and the dough should slightly clean the sides of the bowl.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow it to rise until doubled in volume. This will take about an hour, to 90 minutes.

Divide the dough in half, for two pizzas; or leave it whole for one pizza.

Shape the dough into roughly the same shape and size as the pan you are baking the pizza in. Don't pat it flat; just coax it into shape. Allow the dough to rest covered for 15 minutes.

Lightly grease the baking pan and then drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the pan. Place the dough in the pan. Press it over the bottom of the pan, stretching it towards the edges. You'll probably get about two-thirds of the way there before the dough starts shrinking back; allow the dough to relax again covered, for 15 minutes.

After the dough rests you should be able to pat it closer to the corners of the pan.

Allow the dough to rise, covered, till it's noticeably puffy, about 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the pizza on the lowest oven rack till it looks and feels set on top, and is just beginning to brown around the edge of the crust, but is still pale on top. This will take about 8 minutes for thinner crust pizza; about 10 to 12 minutes for a thicker crust.

Remove the pizza crust from the oven, and arrange the toppings evenly on top. Return to the oven, and bake on the upper oven rack for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, the crust should be nicely browned, both top and bottom, and the cheese melted. Check it midway through, and move it to the bottom rack if the top is browning too much, or the bottom not enough.

Remove the pizza from the oven, and transfer it from the pan to a rack to cool slightly before serving.

*If you are only planning to make one pizza follow the directions until the crust is partially baked.  Cool the crust completely, wrap with plastic wrap and either store at room temp for 2 days or freeze.