Pizza Rustica
Ingredients
For the crust:
3 cups flour
1 ½ sticks butter, cold cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt*
4-6 tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
4 eggs
16 ounces ricotta cheese (drained)
4-5 ounces prosciutto (½ inch thick, cut into ½ inch cubes)
4-5 ounces salami (½ inch thick, cut into ½ inch cubes)
4-5 ounces sopressata (½ inch thick, cut into ½ inch cubes)
4-5 ounces mortadella (½ inch thick, cut into ½ inch cubes)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese (½ inch thick, cut into ½ inch cubes)
4 ounces provolone cheese (½ inch thick, cut into ½ inch cubes)
½ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten, for brushing crust
Steps
Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl
Cut in the cold butter using 2 forks until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs
Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and add in the 2 eggs
Mix with a fork until the eggs are mixed in
Switch to mixing and kneading with your hands
Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and presses into a ball
Cut off ⅓ of the dough
Form both pieces of dough into discs and wrap in plastic wrap
Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour
While the dough is resting, in a large bowl, combine the 4 eggs, ricotta, prosciutto, salami, sopressata, mortadella, mozzarella, provolone, and pecorino romano
Mix thoroughly until extremely well combined; don’t worry about overmixing
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease the bottom and sides a 9 inch springform pan and dust with flour
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of dough for the bottom crust, using only as much flour as needed, into a 16 inch circle
Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared pan, guiding the dough upward
Tuck the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, being careful not to stretch it
Pour the filling into the bottom crust
Roll the remaining smaller piece of dough into a circle that’s slightly wider than the pan
Position the smaller rolled crust on top
Trim any excess overhang to 1 inch then press the edges of the two crusts together to seal and crimp
Brush the egg wash all over the top of dough to moisten the entire surface
Bake until golden for 1 hour and 15 minutes
Remove the pizza rustica from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes
Pop the tab on the springform pan and carefully remove the ring and let the pizza rustica cool for another 10 minutes
Cut into wedges to serve and enjoy!
*If using salted butter, no need to add the teaspoon of salt. Only add the salt if using unsalted butter!
