Stuffed Broccoli Pizza
Chicago is known, among other things, for its deep dish pizza. In the late 1970s Edward Jacobson began making a stuffed deep dish pizza in his pizzeria (Edwardo’s) in Rogers Park on the far north side of Chicago . These pies differed from typical Chicago deep dish pizzas by not only having a top crust, but by also using a typical Sicilian dough that does not include cornmeal. Edwardo’s became best known for their soufflé-stuffed pizza in which a vegetable was sautéed in olive oil, garlic and red pepper and then mixed with grated fresh mozzarella before being put into the pie. While the most famous of these was made with chopped fresh spinach, other vegetables were also used, including broccoli. Ed shared his recipes for both his broccoli and spinach stuffed pizzas with Evelyne Slomon, and they appeared in her classic 1984 The Pizza Book (ISBN: 978-0812911138). As a result we have made many a soufflé-stuffed pizza. Our primary alteration to the original has been to use chopped tomatoes on the top crust, as this makes for a lighter pie that allows the flavor of the filling to come forward. 1½ cups water Combine yeast with ½ cup water; let rest until foamy. Pour activated yeast and remaining water into a medium bowl and add in olive oil and 2 cups flour. Mix thoroughly with a spatula or wooded spoon. Mix in a third cup of flour, and as the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl knead in the remaining flour a bit at a time. Knead until the dough no longer feels sticky. Place in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover securely, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 500º F. Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add in broccoli, garlic, and red pepper and saute, stirring constantly, until the broccoli is just tender. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings with salt and black pepper. Allow mixture to cool to just above body temperature and stir in shredded mozzarella. Set aside. Punch down risen dough and remove 1/3; set this small piece aside. Lightly oil a 15-inch deep dish pizza pan. Take the larger piece of dough and roll into a 16” diameter circle and place into the pizza pan. Fill with the broccoli-cheese mixture. Roll out the remaining smaller piece of dough into a 14” circle and place on top of the filling. Crimp and seal the edges of the pie. Cut a few small holes in the upper crust to allow steam to escape. Let pie rise for 15 minutes. Bake at 500º F. for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 400º F. and continue baking another 10 minutes. Remove pie from oven and top with tomatoes, basil, and parmesan. Return to oven and continue baking a final 10 minutes. When done the crust will be golden-brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
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