Pizza Fiorentina

As a lifelong pizza connoisseur I can’t wait to make it this evening! From 365 Ways to Cook, by Firefly Books (page 150):

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus making the pizza dough*)
Cooking time: 7-8 minutes per pizza

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling and grazing
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 pound baby spinach leaves
• 1 Basic Pizza Dough recipe *
• all purpose flour for, for dusting
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 7 ounces mozzarella cheese, chopped
• 20 black olives
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying panwith the garlic for 15 seconds, add the spinach and cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted.Season lightly with salt and pepper
2. Heat a baking sheet in a preheated 475 F. oven. Place 1 pizza dough ball on a 9 inch pizza pan, Push down on the dough with your fingertips, pressing it out to fill the pan, leaving the border slightly thicker. If you get any tears, forcefully pinch the dough around the hole together.
3. Soon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the base  and scatter wityh a quarter of the mozzarella, spinach and olives. Crack 1 egg onto the pizza, drizzle with oil to glaze. remove the baking sheet from the oven, slide the pan onto it, then quickly return to the oven. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until crisp and risen. Serve immediately. As the first pizza cooks prepare the next for the oven.

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From page 7:

* Basic Pizza Dough

Makes 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus rising

Ingredients

• 1/4 ounce fresh yeast or 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
• 1 pinch of granulated sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Disslove the yeast in a bowl with the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1/4 cup of water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to form bubbles. then add the remaining water. Add the salt and half the remaining flour and stir with one hand until you have a paste-like mixture. gradually add all the remaining flour, working the mixture until you have a moist dough.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a moist cloth and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough for 10 minute, until smooth and elastic. Shape into 4 equal-sized balls and place, spaced apart, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with a moist cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS