Recipe: Deep-Dish Pizza

Deep-Dish Pizza

Crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 stick plus 2 T butter, or use half wheat germ oil margarine and half butter
1/2 t salt
3 to 4 T ice-cold water
1 egg white for egg wash

Stir together the flours, wheat germ, and salt. Quickly cut in butter and/or margarine and roll briskly between the palms of your hands until it is evenly distributed and the consistency of cornmeal. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and when the dough begins to adhere gather into two balls, one slightly larger than the other.
Place the larger ball on a lightly floured sheet of wax paper. Press the dough down and place another piece of paper on top. Roll out and peel off the top piece of paper. Butter a deep baking dish or pie pan and line it with the crust, peeling off the wax paper that is now on top. Press the dough into the dish and pinch the edges. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Wrap up and refrigerate the other ball, which you will roll out later for the top crust.

Tomato Sauce:

3 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 tomatoes, chopped
1 12-ounce can tomato paste
2 t dried oregano
1 T fresh basil or 1 1/2 t dried
1 t honey
1/8 t cinnamon

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and saut onion and 2 cloves garlic until onion is tender. Add oregano, basil, and honey and simmer gently for 1 hour or more. Add cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Cook a little while longer. This can be made a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated.

Filling:

5 eggs
1 pound ricotta
2 to 4 T minced onion
1 cup parmesan, grated
2 to 3 T chopped fresh parsley
1 large bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
1/2 pound mozzarella, sliced thin
1/4 cup romano, grated

Brush the crust with egg white and prebake 5 minutes at 350 degrees, and set aside. Beat the eggs and stir in ricotta, chopped onion, parmesan, and chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread half this mixture over the piecrust. Top with half the mozzarella. Cover this with half the tomato sauce. Then top with the bell pepper and half the olives. Sprinkle half the romano over this and repeat the layers, topping with the remaining romano.
Roll out the rest of the crust and cover the pie, pinching the edges together with the edge of the bottom crust. Pierce or make a slash or two through the top crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, until browned. Let it stand half an hour before serving.