New Orleans Stuffed Pizza Rustica

Pizza dough:

1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the water and sugar; stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes. If the yeast doesn’t proof (get foamy) pour it out and start again. It is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2. Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the proofed yeast mixture. Turn the mixer, fitted with a dough hook, to high (labeled “knead” on my mixer) and turn on. Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hook (scrape the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hook as needed).

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly-tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Olive salad:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the olives, garlic, capers, celery, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, vinegar, and olive oil. Correct seasoning with black pepper and salt.

2. If not used immediately, transfer the mixture into a covered glass jar (or other covered, nonreactive container), and refrigerate. Otherwise, cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to marinate for at least 1 hour before using.

Stuffed pizza construction:

1. Place an appropriately-sized pizza stone on the bottom (not on a shelf—putting the stone in contact with the oven bottom will allow it to get hotter and provide the SLIGHT charring on the bottom of the pizza that is the signature of a good Italian pizza) of your oven and preheat the oven to 450° F.

2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead gently and shape into a 12-inch log. Cut the log into 2 equal pieces. Knead each piece into a smooth ball and set one of the balls aside covered by an inverted bowl to keep it from drying out while working with the other ball.

3. Working with one of the dough balls at a time, place the dough ball in front of you on the lightly floured work surface and, with fingertips, press it into a disk of dough approximately 10 to 12 – inches round and about 1/8 inch thick. (If necessary, use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness. Don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round ; that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy.)

4. Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough round to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel. Alternatively. place the pizza base on a 12-inch round, metal pizza pan which has been previously sprinkled with some corn meal.

5. Evenly distribute (spread) several tablespoons of the olive salad over the base, leaving a clean 1-inch edge all around the pizza base. Top this layer with the slices of salami, then the slices of provolone, then the slices of pepperoni, then the slices of mozzarella, then the slices of cappacola, and finally with the slices of prosciutto, taking care of maintain the 1-inch clean edge.

6. Working with the remaining dough ball, place the it in front of you on the lightly floured work surface and again, with fingertips, press it into a disk of dough approximately the same size as the one created for the base and also about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the same 1/8-inch thickness).

7. Lightly brush the 1-inch clean margin with some of the beaten egg and carefully place this second disc over the first, pressing and rolling the edge of the stuffed pie to seal it. Evenly brush the surface with some of the egg wash.

8. Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t, gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does). Using the peel, slide the pizza onto the stone or alternatively, place the round, metal pizza pan into the oven (on the pizza stone or on the lower deck of the oven) and bake the pizza until it turns golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes in a 450°F oven (keep an eye on the bottom of the pie—slight charring is desirable but heavy charring is burnt!). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut into eight wedges and serve accompanied by a green salad.