Deep Dish Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza

lucid501's Note:

From the book "Pizza" which has great recipes for various types of pizza. Deep dish spinach pizza is what I think of when I think "Chicago-style" and it is so yummy! This recipe uses the crust and sauce recipes from the same book, also posted by me. (Tomato Sauce for Chicago Style Pizza and Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza Dough)

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4-6

Yield: 1 14

• 7.39 ml olive oil
• chicago style deep dish pizza dough (Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza Dough)
• 566.99 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, thickly sliced
• 283.49 g baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 14.79 ml minced garlic
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 828.06 ml tomato sauce (Tomato Sauce for Chicago Style Pizza)
• 118.29 ml freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Position an oven rack on the second-lowest level in the oven and place a baking stone, if using one, on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Brush a 14 inch round deep-dish pizza pan with the olive oil. Starting in the middle and using your fingertips. press the dough evenly to cover the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
3. To assemble the pizza, lightly press the dough up the sides of the pan if it has slid back down. Lay half of the mozzarella slices over the pizza dough, overlapping to cover the dough completely.
4. Toss the spinach with the garlic and a few grindings of pepper. Arrange the spinach mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the rest of the mozzarella over the spinach. Ladle the tomato sauce evenly over the mozzarella. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top of the sauce.
5. Place the pizza in the oven on the rack or baking stone and reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F. (Work quickly so the oven temperature doesn't drop too much). Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and a deep golden brown, and the cheese is golden, about 30 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Use a knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan.
7. Cut the pizza into large wedges and then slide a metal spatula until the bottom crust to remove and lift out the wedges. Serve immediately.

Reviews

[Chef #768072]

We made it last night just as the recipe was written. It was very flavorful. And I would make it again.

[MarraMamba]

Out of this world chicago style pizza. My spinach wasn't very good so in the end, i just went ith a few basil leaves, i always had a plain one in chicago anyway. Oh this was good..i will be eating the whole pan. (used a 9 inch cast iron skillet since i had no deep dish pizza pan)

[Cookin-jo]

"Outstanding" doesn't begin to describe this pizza. It really is a must-try! I used your dough and sauce recipes, using half of each recipe to make one smaller deep-dish pie. Since I don't have a deep-dish pizza pan I used a 9 inch non-stick cake pan which worked perfectly. By the time I had all the ingredients in the pan there was no need to let it rise. Standing time after baking is essential for this pizza if you don't want it running everywhere when you cut it and I'd suggest closer to 10 minutes. Amazingly good, lucid!