Siciliano pizza rustica, with artichokes and sardines
Pizza dough:
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cups warm water (100 degrees)
1 ½ tablespoons yeast (2 granulated packets)
1 ½ tablespoons sea salt (fine)
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (Imported Italian of course) plus a little extra oil, for later
5 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour (King Arthur brand)
1 cup whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand)
Instruction:
In large, tempered glass bowl mix yeast into warm water, then add honey (or sugar), lightly stir then add extra virgin olive oil. Let sit a few minutes so that yeast becomes active, if yeast does not slightly bubble and smell “yeasty”, discard and try again as yeast may be “dead”.
In a large stand mixer first gently (with your clean, dry hands) combine flour and yeast mixture, then set mixer on medium setting with hook attachment and mix well for about 5 minutes (until the dough makes a nice slightly sticky ball). Transfer to oiled glass bowl and cover with towel, allow dough to sit for about 2-3 hours at room temperature (or area about 70-75 degrees).
Remove dough from bowl and punch middle of ball once or twice this allows dough to “breath” and allows you to double proof which adds air and lightens your finished product. Lightly oil ball of dough and return to glass bowl, cover and let set an additional 2-3 hours in 70-75 degree area.
Take bowl with dough in it cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours.
When done chilling cut into 4 equal pieces, either roll your dough out to about a 12-16 inch diameter, or work the dough with your hands, stretching and pulling into round thin pizza crust.
The pizza topping
Ingredients:
2 large fresh artichokes
7 sardines (fresh, cleaned or packed in olive oil imported from Italy
12 cured black olives (imported from Italy
1 tablespoon black pepper corns (whole)
5 sage leaves (fresh)
5 basil leaves (fresh)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Instruction:
First place a medium steamer on the stove and bring water to a boil, meantime wash artichoke thoroughly, then remove excess leaves (until you get to the green “meatier leaves”); then cut the top ¼ of the each leaf off. Cut off a small portion of the stalk (just a few millimeters, much like cutting off the very end of a carrot). Place artichoke in steamer for about 30-45 minutes or until outer leaf can be pulled off without much effort. Remove from heat, and allow to cool about 2 minutes, then I would eat all the leaves (what I like to do is prepare a dipping oil for this, very simple: olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and grated cheese); remove and eat or save for appetizer all of the leaves. You will be left with the “heart”, Remove the very top of the heart with a paring knife careful only to remove the hard portion while preserving the soft moist, delicious heart. Cut hearts into quarters and save for pizza.
Take a mortar and pestle and add cleaned sardines, dry cured olives (pitted), black pepper corn, sage, basil, sea salt, and olive oil, then mash ingredients together into a somewhat smooth paste. If you don’t like sardines (I think your missing out big time) you can do the recipe without them and it is still delicious.
Pre-heat oven to highest setting or better yet fire up your grill or wood fired pizza oven to highest heat. Place dough on lightly oiled cooking sheet (or prepare on hard lightly floured surface if using pizza stone).
Place dough on work surface, spread paste evenly on dough, add artichokes evenly on top.
Cooking time:
Oven: 500 degrees 10-12 minutes, a little less when using pizza stone
Grill: 700-800 degrees 3-4 minutes
Pizza oven: 800-900 degrees about 2 minutes
Hint: When you see bubbles and golden brown crust on the edges, it’s done!
Nero d'Avola-Perricone-Frappato e Nerello, "Quater Rosso" by Firriato, IGT, Sicily, Italy. Siclian Italian red wine. Deep red in color with aromas of cherry, coffee, and herbs, a medium bodied wine with flavors carried through of cherry, coffee, herbs, spices, forrest, earth and mushroom; rustic and savory with a open finish. Pairing suggestions include rich meat sauces, grilled foods including vegetables, pizza and red meats and some elaborate fish; aged Italian cheese, dry cured meats and marinated vegetables.
*Original recipe by J Nappi
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