Pizza Pie

Dear Readers, Followers, and (dare I hope one day) Minions,

(OK, I'm just joshing you about the minions bit.  But I really wanted to work it into a blog post somehow.  I'll keep working on it!)

I would like to announce that today will be yet another post about a pie.  I know.  I know.  How many times can The Mrs the Monarch bake a pie?  Even worse, how much pie does she eat?  And a question that's been eating at me (I know, groan) for a while now: with this much pie around me, am I starting to look like one myself?!?

Well, sweet Readers, today I will borrow from my favorite cartoon character's repertoire of dining pleasures, and offer you some insight into the making of a PIZZA PIE!  Yes, that's right.  Fred Flintstone's fave take-out item.  Perfect with some cactus juice.  Loaded with a bedrock of toppings!

Heck, even the Great Gazoo couldn't conjure up such a dish!  (Don't you just love that ego-maniacal little alien?)  Oh, but this Dumb-Dumb sure can!

So, rev your engines a la Goggles Pisano and let's speed down the Indianrockolis 500 towards that pizza pie......

PIZZA PIE

Letting the dough rise....

Can you believe it....six years and I've finally discovered that I have a bread proofer as one of my oven features!  Maybe I really am a Dumb-Dumb.....

Prepping the toppings

Stretching out the dough

Loading it up!

Yabba dabba doo! 

PIZZA PIE DOUGH (adapted - barely - from Martha Stewart)

1 cup warm water (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
Coarse-grain cornmeal, for dusting
3 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for bowl

Directions
Heat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.  If you're using a pizza stone, place it on the lowest shelf position.

Pour warm water into a small bowl. Add sugar and sprinkle in yeast. Using a fork, stir the mixture until yeast is dissolved and water has turned a tan color. Let yeast stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, use blade to combine the 2 3/4 cups flour and salt, and pulse three to four times. Add yeast mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed until dough is smooth, not tacky, when squeezed. Transfer to clean surface; knead four or five turns into a ball.

Brush the inside of a medium bowl with olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and press your fist into the center of the dough to punch it down. Fold the dough back onto itself four or five times. Turn dough over, folded-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the warm spot to rise again until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Punch down the dough.  Lightly flour a clean surface, place the dough on top, pat into a flattened rectangle, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes. Using your fingers, begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center. Do not press the dough all the way to the edges. Leave a slightly raised border, about a half-inch wide, around entire circumference of pizza dough.
 
Leaving the raised edge uncovered, pour 9 tablespoons of the pizza sauce onto the dough. Using the back of a tablespoon, evenly spread the sauce leaving a half-inch border of dough uncovered. Arrange half of the mozzarella slices on top of the sauce. Add your toppings.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp on the edges and the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.

Pizza Pie Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole Italian peeled plum tomatoes, (two-pounds)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Pour olive oil into a large skillet, and place over medium heat. Using your hands, squeeze tomatoes to crush them. Add to the warm olive oil, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium
 

PIZZA PIE TOPPINGS

mushrooms

peppers

pepperoni

fresh mozzarella cheese (I find that this is much lighter tasting that using regular shredded mozzarella)

basil (note: in future I will make a basil pesto, since laying basil on top of the pizza pie just causes it to wilt and brown)