Italian stuffed pizza with leafy greens
“Pizza ripiena” or stuffed pizza, is a classic recipe for pizza in Italy, and it has nothing to do with the Chicago stuffed pizza.
Stuffed pizza, or pizza ripiena as we call it in Italy, it’s a basic pizza dish you can find everywhere. “Pizzerie al taglio”, or pizza shops that sells pre-cut pizza or pan pizza, often sell this pizza. There are many fillings you can use to make stuffed pizza, I actually love to use leafy greens, it’s a great way to add a lot of fiber to my diet and the taste is amazing.
Stuffed pizza: The Italian Way
I have difficulties sometimes in translating the name of some recipes. I realizes that abroad some recipes are basically unknown or called something totally different. This one is a very good example. When I tried to look around to see if pizza ripiena is known elsewhere, I came across the Chicago stuffed pizza.
Having never been to Chicago, I was actually not aware of such recipe. I heard about deep dish pizza, but know it’s something else altogether.
In Italy you can find bakeries or pizzerie that sell pre-cut pizza. The ideal snack or street food you might choose when you want to grab a bite on-the-go, or if you have no time to cook. All these shops sell pizza ripiena. In a town nearby there is an incredible bakery that makes pizza bianca, simple white pizza, fluffy on the inside and crunchy and a bit oily on the outside.
This specific type of pizza bianca is typical in Rome and Lazio, whereas in other regions is very different. I would say more like a focaccia. If you cut open a slice of this pizza you can make sandwiches with whatever comes to mind, from salame to vegetables.
With the same pizza dough you can prepare a stuffed pizza. The difference with the pizza sandwich is that you cook the filling along with pizza. Usually it’s made with leafy greens like broccoli leaves, mustard greens, chards, or green chicory. The vegetables are blanched and then stir-fried with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and chili flakes. Many add sausages and cheese, or only cheese. You can make it with olives, capers and anchovies too.
Dough for stuffed pizza
The ideal dough to make stuffed pizza is highly hydrated. This way you’ll get all the air bubble in the crust that gives the pizza its characteristic fluffiness. To make the classic white pizza you use white flour. The refined flour, develops more gluten, and can be very elastic. This allow the dough to be more resistant to tearing when you spread it on to the pan. To make a high quality pizza, bakers use little to no yeast and prefer a very long rise (24/48h some stretch to 72h). Otherwise you can also find sourdough pizza.
I like sourdough best. I always have some in the fridge, so I prefer to use something that gives a bit more nutrition to the dough.
Health facts about pizza with vegetables
Many people think that pizza is not an healthy food. And that is the case when you eat a very bad quality one. When you use white flour and a lot of yeast and a very short rising time, that pizza will stay with you for a long long time. Literally. It’s like eating a tyre. The gluten that develops in that kind of dough is so elastic that your body has a lot of difficulties digesting it. Hence the bloating, the acid reflux and whatnot.
If you instead use sourdough or a mix some good things into the flour, you’ll get a wonderfully digestible pizza dough. Rich in protein and fibers and easy to digest. Moreover, since you’re pairing it with a filling of leafy greens, the fibers content skyrocket.
I usually add some whole wheat flour, soy and rice flour and durum wheat flour. The dough when cooked, becomes super crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Italian stuffed pizza with leafy greens
Equipment
- 1 12-inc cast iron skillet (you can use a baking tray as well)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 gr flour
- 350 gr water
- 100 gr of sourdough or 5gr dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
For the filling
- 500 gr of leafy greens (you can use swiss chard, collard greens, mustard leaves, spinach)
- 200 gr of melting cheese
- 1 clove galic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
How to make the dough with the sourdough
- In a large bowl put the flour, the yeast and 300gr of water. Mix well until all the water is incorporated. If the dough is too stiff add the remaining water a little at a time. The amount of water may vary depending on the flour.
- Let the dough rest for 3h, covered with plastic wrap or in an air tight container. You can make the dough the night before and then leave it to rest in the fridge overnight.
- After 3h (or in the morning) knead the dough for 1 minute and add the salt and the oil. Leave to rest until doubled in size.
How to use the dried yeast
- The day before you need the dough, mix water, flour and yeast until all the water is incorporated. As for the other dough, keep aside a bit of the water and adjust the consistency according to the flour you are using.
- Leave the dough covered to rest for at least 12h at room temperature. You can also leave it in the fridge up to 24h.
- After the resting time, take the dough and add the oil and salt and knead for a couple of minute, until it become smooth.
- Leave to rise until doubled in size.
When the dough is ready you can keep it in the fridge for up to 72h, ready to be used.
Prepare the filling
- Wash the vegetables and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes.
- Drain and chop them finely. If using spinach or chard, you can skip the blanching and cut it finely.
- In a pan put the oil, garlic clove (whole) and chili flakes. Cook for two minutes on medium and then add the vegetables and a pinch of salt.
- Cook for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Let it cool down.
Put it all together
- Pre-heat the oven to 250°C (480°F). Grease the pan with some olive oil.
- Divide the dough in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Use the bigger one to cover the bottom of the skillet. You can spread the dough with your fingers (oiled or wet).
- Put the cooled vegetables and the cheese (sliced or grated depending on the cheese you're using).
- Flatten the other piece of the dough on a floured surface, and cover the filling with the second layer of dough.
- Stretch the edge of the bottom dough, fold it over the top disc and pinch it to close the pizza.
- Brush the surface of the pizza with a mix of oil, salt and water.
- Cook for 25min or until golden brown.
