Deep Dish Spinach Pizza Food

GIORDANO'S FAMOUS STUFFED DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough for the pizza one to two days before you plan to build the pizza. You can make the dough in a standing mixer or stir it by hand. Start by dissolving the yeast and sugar in the water in a small bowl.
• Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil, margarine and yeast solution, then mix well until the dough forms a ball. Don't knead the dough too much. Place the dough into a covered container and store it in your refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
• Make the sauce by dumping the canned tomatoes into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until simmering for 5 minutes, then use a potato masher to smash the tomatoes into smaller bits. The sauce should still be a little chunky. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, except the basil, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fresh basil and cook for another 5 minutes. Cover and cool. You can make this sauce when you make the dough and keep it stored in your refrigerator until pizza time.
• A couple hours before you plan to make the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature. When you are ready to make the pizza, place a pizza stone into your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Slice off one-third of the dough and set it aside, then roll the larger portion of dough into a circle that is 16 inches across. Place this dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan or cake pan with a 2-inch high edge that has been rubbed with 1 tablespoon of softened margarine. Arrange a single layer of each of the fillings you choose onto the dough. Fill the dough with the cheese and use your hands to make it even all the way around.
• Roll the smaller portion of dough out to a 12-inch circle. The dough should be thinner than the bottom dough. Place this dough onto the pizza and press it down onto the cheese in the corner all the way around. Press the edges of the two doughs together then use a knife to trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Slice a few holes in the center of the dough so that it doesn't puff up as it bakes.
• Use a spoon to spread about 1¼ cups of the sauce over the dough. Spread the sauce to the edge of the dough. At the restaurant, to indicate what's inside the pizza, they'll add one piece of each of the fillings onto the top of the pizza, in the middle. That's handy when lots of pizzas are in the oven and they all look the same.
• Bake the pizza for 35 to 40 minutes until it begins to brown on top. Spin the pizza around about halfway through the baking so that it browns evenly.
• Combine the Romano and Parmesan cheeses in a small bowl. When you take the pizza out of the oven sprinkle it with the cheese blend.
• Run a flexible spatula around the edge of the pizza to make sure it's loose, then get the spatula under the pizza while holding the pan (using a mitt) with the other hand and scoop the pizza out onto a pizza pan or cutting board for slicing. Slice the pizza 3 times through the middle with a large sharp knife, making 6 slices.

CHICAGO-STYLE VEGGIE DEEP DISH PIZZA WITH RICOTTA, SPINACH, AND ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Before You Cook Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Let preheat, at least 10 minutes If using any fresh produce, thoroughly rinse and pat dry Prepare a baking sheet with foil Cooking Guidelines To ensure food safety, the FDA recommends the following as minimum internal cooking temperatures: Steak and Pork 145° F (rest cooked meat, 3 minutes) | Seafood 145° F | Chicken 165° F | Ground Beef 160° F | Ground Turkey 165° F | Ground Pork 160° F 1 Prepare Ingredients and Make Filling Coat inside of pie pan with cooking spray. Cut roasted red peppers into 1/4" dice. Place a large pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp. olive oil to hot pan. Add spinach and roasted red peppers. Cook, stirring often, until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from burner and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow to cool, place in a wire-mesh strainer or kitchen towel, and squeeze out liquid. Measure out 1/2 cup flour and set aside. Place remaining flour in a mixing bowl with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, all but 2 Tbsp. yogurt, and a pinch of salt. 2 Knead the Dough Mix dough until a loose, crumbly ball forms, 1-2 minutes Dough will be shaggy until kneaded. Lightly dust a clean work surface with reserved flour. Turn dough onto dusted surface and knead 5 minutes, folding dough over on itself and pressing down with the heel of your hand. Dough should be slightly sticky. If it feels too wet, add some reserved flour. If it feels too dry and crumbly, add some reserved yogurt. 3 Roll the Dough Using a rolling pin or wine bottle, roll dough into a 13" circle about 1/4" thick. Dust underneath dough with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Carefully lift dough into pie pan and press against sides. Avoid stretching dough. Instead, lift excess dough from sides further down into pan. Trim overhanging dough. 4 Build the Pizza Spread ricotta on dough. Top with 1/3 the mozzarella. Chicago deep dish pizzas are "upside-down" and have cheese on bottom and sauce on top. Place an even layer of filling on cheese and add remaining mozzarella. Top with pizza sauce and season with 1/2 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. 5 Bake the Pizza Place pizza pan on prepared baking sheet (to catch any drips) and bake until crust is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Cooling allows pizza to better hold together, making it easier to remove from pan. 6 Plate the Dish Carefully remove pizza from pan with a spatula. You may have to bend or cut the disposable pan with scissors. Garnish with grated Parmesan, oregano, and red pepper flakes (to taste).

DEEP-DISH FLORENTINE PIZZA

Steps:

• For crust:
• Grease a 14-inch deep dish pizza pan. (or 2 9-inch square baking pans).
• Sprinkle with 4 teaspoons cornmeal.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water & sugar in mixing bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup cornmeal, oil, salt and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour.
• Mix well.
• Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
• Knead for about 5 minutes.
• Shape to form ball; place in greased bowl, turning once to coat surface. Cover, let rise in warm place about 45 minutes until double.
• Punch dough down.
• Cover.
• Let rest 10 minutes.
• Roll out or stretch dough to fit pan and come up sides forming a 1 inch rim. Let rise from 5 minutes - 20 minutes depending on how you chewy you want the crust.
• For topping:
• While dough is rising, thaw spinach in microwave.
• Squeeze moisture from spinach.
• Remove meat from casing if necessary.
• Brown in a 12-inch skillet with onion & garlic.
• Drain the fat off.
• Add spinach, cook about 10 minutes more.
• Spread cheese evenly over crust.
• Arrange meat mixture over cheese.
• Top with mushrooms.
• Combine pizza sauce & water.
• Spread over toppings.
• Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 - 18 minutes.
• Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over pizza.
• Bake an additional 5 - 10 minutes.
• Let rest 5 - 10 minutes before cutting.

DEEP-DISH VEGGIE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Lightly coat a 12-inch heavy oven-proof pan or cast-iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Unroll 1 package of pizza dough and shape into a circle.
• Press dough into prepared skillet; shape onto bottom and halfway up sides.
• Bake 5 minutes, remove from oven.
• In a large skillet sautee onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil about 5 minutes, or until tender.
• Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Cook and stir until spinach is heated through.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of pizza cheese, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the red pepper flakes.
• Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the bottom of partially baked crust.
• Spread the ricotta mixture over the spinach layer.
• Top with the sliced tomatoes and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the pizza cheese.
• Unroll remaining pizza dough and form into a 12 to 13 inch circle.
• Place dough on top of layers.
• Brush with remaining olive oil.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden.
• Top with remaining pizza cheese.
• Bake 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted.
• Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

ARTICHOKE & SPINACH DIP PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Place crust on an ungreased pizza pan; brush with oil. Spread spinach dip over top. Sprinkle with cheese, artichokes, tomatoes and onion. , Bake until cheese is melted and edges are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces.

CHICAGO-STYLE STUFFED SPINACH PIZZA

Steps:

• Crust: dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a large bowl; let stand until bubbly; stir in oil then stir in 4 cups of the flour until smooth; add additional flour as needed to form a stiff dough.
• Lightly flour the work surface; knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes; put into a greased bowl; turn to coat top then let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Sauce: heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic, cook 2 minutes; stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper; simmer until very thick, about 30 minutes or so.
• Filling: mix spinach, mozzarella, mushrooms, parmesan, romano, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• Heat oven to 450°.
• Punch down dough; let rest 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil a 12-inch pizza pan that is at least 2" deep.
• Roll two-thirds of dough into a 16-inch circle; let sides overhang the pan.
• Put the spinach mixture into center of dough; smooth evenly over the surface.
• Roll the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; place over the spinach filling then pinch the edges together and cut excess dough at the edges so that the bottom dough is level with the top crust.
• Pour sauce over the dough to cover.
• Bake until crust is golden, 20-40 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into wedges for serving.
• Ice cold beer or root beer is great with this pizza.

DEEP DISH SPINACH AND MOZZARELLA PIZZA

Steps:

• Position an oven rack on the second-lowest level in the oven and place a baking stone, if using one, on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Brush a 14 inch round deep-dish pizza pan with the olive oil. Starting in the middle and using your fingertips. press the dough evenly to cover the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
• To assemble the pizza, lightly press the dough up the sides of the pan if it has slid back down. Lay half of the mozzarella slices over the pizza dough, overlapping to cover the dough completely.
• Toss the spinach with the garlic and a few grindings of pepper. Arrange the spinach mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the rest of the mozzarella over the spinach. Ladle the tomato sauce evenly over the mozzarella. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top of the sauce.
• Place the pizza in the oven on the rack or baking stone and reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F. (Work quickly so the oven temperature doesn't drop too much). Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and a deep golden brown, and the cheese is golden, about 30 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Use a knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan.
• Cut the pizza into large wedges and then slide a metal spatula until the bottom crust to remove and lift out the wedges. Serve immediately.

PIZZAPIAZZA DEEP DISH SPINACH PIZZA

Steps:

• Place spinach in a large saucepan, cover and cook over medium heat three to four minutes, until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat, place in a colander, rinse spinach under cold water and then squeeze dry with the hands. Chop spinach.
• Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add spinach and mix with a fork for a minute or so. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch round baking pan 1 1/2 inches deep. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle and fit into pan. Dough should just cover the bottom and sides of the pan with no overhang.
• Mix cheeses together and spread 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture in the pan. Spread the tomato sauce over the cheese, covering the cheese completely. Spread spinach mixture over the tomato sauce, breaking up any clumps with your hands or a fork.
• Arrange alternating slices of tomato and basil leaves around the edge of the pan over the spinach. Fill the center with tomato slices. Then arrange alternating slices of green and red pepper in a spoke fashion over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes, until cheese and crust are golden and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

DEEP-DISH SPINACH PIZZA

Steps:

• Crust: Proof yeast in water with sugar; in a food processor or in a bowl, mix 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and salt; add oil to bubbly yeast mixture and stir or process into flour mixture until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
• Scrape dough onto floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (or process until smooth and elastic), using up to 1/4 cup more all-purpose flour, if needed, to keep dough from sticking.
• Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise, in warm place, until doubled; punch dough down, wrap it well and refrigerate until needed.
• Sauce: In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until soft; reduce heat to low and add tomatoes and their liquid; break up the tomatoes slightly and add the salt, sugar, pepper, and pepper flakes; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 30 minutes.
• Topping: Cook spinach in covered saucepan until wilted, about 3 minutes; drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze dry; chop coarsely; saute garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds; add spinach and cook, stirring, for 1 minute; set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the cheeses and set aside.
• Assembling: Move oven rack to lowest position and preheat to 475°; grease a 9" springform pan and sprinkle with corn meal.
• Roll half the dough out to a 12" circle; reserve other half of dough for another use; line the bottom and sides of the pan with the dough, but don't let any dough hang over the edge; spread 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture over the bottom of the crust.
• Spread tomato sauce evenly over the cheese; spread spinach over the tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese; arrange the tomato slices vertically, along the side of the pie, alternating the slices with the basil leaves.
• Place the remaining tomato slices in a circle in the center, alternating with the pepper slices, interspersing red and green strips; bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly; let set 5 minutes before removing side of pan and cutting.

DEEP-DISH SPINACH AND LEEK PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with olive oil. Stretch dough to an 8-inch round, then press into bottom and up sides of plate. If dough springs back, let rest 5 minutes before continuing.
• Combine leeks, spinach, and a pinch each of red-pepper flakes and salt.
• Spread dough with pesto, top with leek mixture, and dot with goat cheese.
• Drizzle pizza with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through and crust is crisp and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.