Italian Spinach Pie Recipe

Italian Spinach Pies

In Providence RI, Italian bakeries sell spinach pies. Similar to a spinach calzone. Delicious try this recipe:

Dough

• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• !/2 to 1 teaspoon yeast (the longer you are willing let it rise the less yeast you can use. Less yeast and longer rise time yeailds better texture, bigger holes)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 cups bread flour

Filling:

• 1 lb spinach fresh or frozen - NEVER EVER canned!
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup canned slice black olives
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• garlic salt

Dough:

In a mixer whisk water a Little flour and yeast together and allow to stand for 3 minutes. Then Whisk in oil, salt and flour. Knead to make dough.

Allow to rest for a few minutes and then form into a ball. Let rise for 4 hours or better over night.

Filling:

If you are using frozen spinach thaw and drain well. If you are using fresh spinach just clean and dry and use it as is, alternatively you can saute is slightly to mak it easier to work with . Put the spinach in a bowl and add the olives, mushrooms, garlic, salt, olive oil and crushed red pepper. Mix lightly with a spoon.

Stretch the dough like for pizza and cut into 4 pieces. Place filling in the center of each piece and roll the dough over like a calzone forming a pocket.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake pizza for 15 minutes at 425 F. Reduce heat to 375 F. and continue baking (for a total of 30 to 35 minutes) or until golden brown.

Cool and eat at room temperature.

Italian Bakery Pizza recipe

Italian Bakery Pizza

In Providence RI, italian bakeries sell a crusty pizza with simple toppings (crushed tomatoes, herbs, olive oil) with no cheese or pepperoni. It has a great olive oil and garlic taste. Try it. Here is a recipe for that pizza.

• 510 grams cold water
• 1/2 package instant yeast (the longer you are willing let it rise the less yeast you can use. Less yeast and longer rise time yields better texture, bigger holes)
• 28 grams olive oil
• 14 grams salt
• 710 grams bread flour

Topping:

• 1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes - drained
• 2/3 cup tomato puree
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic - crushed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (or dry)

• garlic salt

Dough:

In a mixer whisk water a little flour and yeast together and allow to stand for 3 minutes. Then Whisk in oil, salt and flour. Knead to make dough.

Allow to rest for a few minutes and then form into a ball. Let rise for 4 hours or better over night.  Fold and stretch the dough.  Let it rise for another hour.  

Topping:

Drain tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Crush well with your hands add puree. Add pepper and salt (to taste), oil, herbs and garlic.

Deflate dough. Line a 20-by-15 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat pan generously with olive oil - about 1/4 cup (this seems like a lot but trust me) and sprinkle with garlic salt. Press out dough to fit pan. If dough resists, let it rest for a few minutes, then gentle coax it to fit the pan. Drizzle olive oil lightly on top of dough then sprinkle with garlic salt. Let the dough rise in the pan for about 15 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 425 F.
 
Bake for 15 minutes or until the top starts to brown a little. Then take it out of the oven and paint the top with some olive oil.  Then spread on the tomato topping and drizzle the top with a little olive oil.

Bake pizza for 10 more minutes at 425 F. Reduce heat to 375 F. and continue baking (for a total of 40 minutes).

Cool and eat at room temperature.