Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

• 1 tbsp yeast
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup warm water for yeast
• 1 cup warm water for mixing (Note: you may not need all of it, see below)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

Stuffing Ingredients

• 11 oz prosciutto cubed
• 2 oz capicola cubed
• 9 oz virginia ham cubed
• 3 oz soppressata cubed
• 1 lb ricotta
• 7 oz mozzarella cubed
• 5 oz cacciocavollo (or parmigiano cheese) cubed
• 4 eggs scrambled and seasoned with black pepper

Instructions

Making the dough

1. Add the yeast into the 1/2 cup of warm water and mix. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
2. While you are waiting for the yeast, add the flour, salt, sugar, and olive oil into a large mixing bowl.
3. After the 10 minutes, add the yeast mix into the bowl of flour and start to mix all the ingredients. If it is still too sticky, slowly add in the extra water as needed. Only add a little bit at a time. Continue to knead until it is evenly mixed and the dough is not too hard or too soft.
4. Once the dough is done, form it into a ball and then cut it in with one dough ball a little larger than the other to make two pizza dough balls. Sprinkle some flour into two separate bowls and place each dough ball into each bowl. Sprinkle some flour on top of each pizza dough ball and cover with saran wrap. Let it sit in a warm area for at least an hour to allow the dough to rise.

While you are awaiting the dough to rise, it is time to cut up all the meats and cheese. Place it all in a big mixing bowl and mix all of the stuffing ingredients together. Make sure that the eggs are completely mixed in.

Keep about two tablespoons of the egg mixture to use for later.

How to assemble the pizza rustica

1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a 10″ springform pan and use a brush or a paper towel to evenly coat the oil on the bottom and sides of the pan.
2. After uncovering the dough, it should look relaxed and ready to be flattened. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour onto your working area. Begin flattening the larger dough into a pizza shape with your hands and then use a rolling pin to flatten it out. It needs to be big enough to sit in the pan with a little hang over. Place over the springform pan, letting it completely cover the bottom of the pan and the extra dough hang over the edge.
3. Pour the stuffing ingredients into the pan and spread it out evenly over the pizza dough.
4. Roll out your second pizza dough ball and drape it over the top of the pan, making sure to pack it in close to the top of the stuffing ingredients.
5. Press the top dough into the bottom layer dough to seal the stuffing inside. Cut off any of the excess dough from the top dough layer and remove from the pan. Fold the bottom layer dough over the top layer to seal in the stuffing.
6. Brush any leftover of the egg mixture on top of the pizza dough. This gives the dough a nice golden brown crust. Take a fork and poke holes into the top layer of the pizza dough to create vents. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 1 to 1.5 hours depending on your oven. Remove from the oven and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving. This allows for the filling to cool down and really stick together as one piece.
7. After the pizza rustica has fully cooled down to room temperature, slice a piece, serve, and enjoy! Don’t forget a nice glass of red wine. Yum!

P.S. Feel free to use the excess pizza dough
to make a personal pizza for all your hard work.