Author Topic: Sebastopol Sweet Stuffed Pizza (Read 11029 times)

Les · « **Reply #20 on:** October 18, 2005, 12:52:21 AM »

2. While it bakes, check to make sure no large bubbles have formed under the larger dough portion in the braiser. In the picture below, you can see a large bubble at the bottom of the picture:

Les · « **Reply #21 on:** October 18, 2005, 12:53:59 AM »

To eliminate such bubbles, gently lift the dough near the bubble and allow the gas to escape.

3. Spread the provolone layer on the bottom of the dough.

Les · « **Reply #22 on:** October 18, 2005, 12:55:31 AM »

4. Spread the spinach mixture on top of that and press down to make a firm, compressed layer.

Les · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2005, 12:56:59 AM »

5. Measure the diameter of your pizza at the point of the spinach layer. Using a plate or saucer that is about that diameter (if you don’t have one, cut a piece of cardboard that size), and use the plate/cardboard as cutting guide to trim your dough:

Les · « **Reply #24 on:** October 18, 2005, 12:58:30 AM »

6. Place the baked crust into your pizza:

Les · « **Reply #25 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:00:10 AM »

7. Spread the artichoke-mozzarella layer on that crust:

Les · « **Reply #26 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:01:58 AM »

8. Spread the tomato-sauce mixture on that, and then top with the olive-garlic-oil-parmesan mixture:

Les · « **Reply #27 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:04:40 AM »

Bake

Bake on the bottom shelf for 10 minutes. Watch your crust carefully. With the slightest sign of browning, cover your pizza with the lid (or use aluminum foil). Bake for another 10-15 minutes. When the dough is just brown, transfer to the top shelf of the oven and turn on the broiler for a minute to brown the cheese a bit.

Les · « **Reply #28 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:06:33 AM »

Notice in the cross section picture how the integrity of the layers were preserved. That’s due to both drying carefully, and prebaking the middle crust. Make this pizza and your friends with be begging you to cook for them. Bon appetite!

Pete-zza · « **Reply #29 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:21:31 AM »

Les,

I stayed up late tonight to see the final photo. You have created a true culinary masterpiece. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this project for the benefit of our members. It's a selflessness to be truly admired.

Peter

Les · « **Reply #30 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:26:48 AM »

Quote from: chiguy on October 18, 2005, 12:20:26 AM

Hey Les,
You sure do find the coolest kitchen supplies. I can get an idea from the books in the background of reply #1 what you may have done for a living,but i think you may have missed your true calling, a CHEF . Your recipes and techniques are always very inspirational. Especially the vegetarian aspects.

Thank you for the compliments. That's funny those "background books" are showing in the picture. I just snapped the picture in the first space I found unoccupied. But they don't say anything about my [former] profession. I hope you try out the pizza, it is so good my wife says she dreams about it afte I make it for her.

Les · « **Reply #31 on:** October 18, 2005, 01:29:30 AM »

Quote from: Pete-zza on October 18, 2005, 01:21:31 AM

Les,

I stayed up late tonight to see the final photo. You have created a true culinary masterpiece. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this project for the benefit of our members. It's a selflessness to be truly admired.

Peter

Thanks Peter.

Les · « **Reply #32 on:** October 24, 2005, 11:45:32 PM »

Just a little report on an experiment I've wanted to try for a long time.

I wanted to see if halving the oil in the recipe would help prevent over-browning. It's a perennial problem with stuffed pizza because by trying to get the stuffed part to get hot, one can burn the exposed crust. Well, it worked to prevent burning, but the crust lost some of the biscuit-like quality. Not worth the trade in my opinion. The better option is to adjust by covering the dough with foil for the appropriate time, or if you have the braiser pans, use the lid.

Related to this issue, I wanted to try heating the spinach mixture in the microwave so I wouldn't have to depend on the oven to get it hot. That was a major success. Heat it to 120 degrees or so and you'll have more control over the finished product.

BIG Daddy · « **Reply #33 on:** October 25, 2005, 08:48:07 AM »

Good Morning Les;
Just a note to let you know that your pictures and specific preparation and cooking instructions have convinced me to give "deep dish" pizza another go. I have never been a fan of deep dish because all I have ever tried were too "loose" for me (more of a 'scoop and plop' on the plate rather than a 'slice and serve'). Your pizza holds its intergity when cut and looks very professional. I hope to report back on my (hoped for) success within the next week or so. Also, Sebastopol is a fantastic little town. My wife and I lived in Sonoma for around 25 years and then in Petaluma for around 5 years. We visited Sebastopol frequently; her favorite restaurant was a sushi bar in town. We have since retired and now live in Oklahoma. Thanks much for the recipe......
BIG Daddy

buzz · « **Reply #34 on:** October 25, 2005, 10:40:07 AM »

It certainly looks great--you put a lot of effort into it! It seems like a layered Easter pie. Personally speaking, I would get rid of the corn meal and semolina, but as always, all tastes are entirely individual! I'm not familiar with the taste of sesame oil (very rarely do i eat Chinese food)--is it noticeable?

Les · « **Reply #35 on:** October 25, 2005, 03:44:51 PM »

Quote from: buzz on October 25, 2005, 10:40:07 AM

It certainly looks great--you put a lot of effort into it! It seems like a layered Easter pie. Personally speaking, I would get rid of the corn meal and semolina, but as always, all tastes are entirely individual! I'm not familiar with the taste of sesame oil (very rarely do i eat Chinese food)--is it noticeable?

Thanks, it is one of the most labor-intensive foods I make.

The reason for the corn flour, besides taste, is so the dough isn't chewy. The pie itself has so many flavors going on it seems best served by a crust that doesn't take the focus away from that by requiring more work to chew than the other ingredients. This crust almost melts in the mouth, yet still stands out as a distinctive flavor.

Sesame oil that is made from roasted seeds has that really strong flavor you get in oriental dishes. But unrefined sesame oil (i.e., made from raw seeds) adds a subtle nutty-sweet flavor which I think really compliments the other flavors of this particular pizza.

Les · « **Reply #36 on:** October 25, 2005, 03:50:16 PM »

Quote from: BIG Daddy on October 25, 2005, 08:48:07 AM

Just a note to let you know that your pictures and specific preparation and cooking instructions have convinced me to give "deep dish" pizza another go. I have never been a fan of deep dish because all I have ever tried were too "loose" for me (more of a 'scoop and plop' on the plate rather than a 'slice and serve'). Your pizza holds its intergity when cut and looks very professional. I hope to report back on my (hoped for) success within the next week or so.

I know what you mean, if I hadn't had Zachary's pizza to let me know how a stuffed pizza should end up, I would have quit after my first few attempts since I basically got the same results as you. However I think my pizza is even "dryer" than Zachary's, and definitely has more layers and ingredients.

I hope you try it, I am dying to see how well my instructions work for other cooks.

canadianbacon · « **Reply #37 on:** January 08, 2006, 08:37:01 PM »

Thanks for the posts and the great images !, loved and enjoyed reading this thread.
The finished product looks amazing.

by the way, I LOVE your pans.... they look expensive, about $300 or so each ? .... if not they sure look like
it, as they look like professional kitchen pans.

Anyway it always amazed me how seeing a few images of something can get you excited about doing something. It's the same with any cookbooks.... I'm so much more ready to try something in a cookbook if I can see an
image of the final product.

Anyway thanks again for taking the time to do all those great images for us !

Mark

Les · « **Reply #38 on:** January 12, 2006, 12:35:46 AM »

Quote from: canadianbacon on January 08, 2006, 08:37:01 PM

Thanks for the posts and the great images !, loved and enjoyed reading this thread.
The finished product looks amazing.

by the way, I LOVE your pans.... they look expensive, about $300 or so each ? .... if not they sure look like
it, as they look like professional kitchen pans.

Anyway it always amazed me how seeing a few images of something can get you excited about doing something. It's the same with any cookbooks.... I'm so much more ready to try something in a cookbook if I can see an
image of the final product.

Anyway thanks again for taking the time to do all those great images for us!

Mark

You are welcome Mark. You can find the pans here: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/stainless.htm?FamilyBD=16 They aren't quite as expensive as you fear. But I too love them. I use the heck out of them for everything from casseroles, curried dishes and paella to roasting veggies and of course deep dish pizza. The lids are really nice to have for adding more control to cooking the dishes and keeping them warm.

JodyB · « **Reply #39 on:** March 16, 2006, 07:49:49 PM »

I studied your recipe for 2 weeks before trying it. Saturday night I finally made it for a dinner party I gave. I can't express what a hit it was. My friends were drooling, begging for the recipe, wondering how I learned to cook overnight.

Thanks so much so sharing all your hard work and pizza secrets with us!!! I can't wait to make your American pizza recipe, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Jody