Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Guest Post Recipe: Reuben Pizza

My sister is amazing and multi-talented.  She runs her own editing service for authors and aspiring authors, Green Ink Proofreading, she works at Penzey's Spices, and, like me, she loves to cook.

A couple of weeks ago, she shared a picture of her latest culinary creation on Facebook.  I immediately begged her to write a guest post for me.  She obliged, and I am happy to present her amazing Rueben Pizza recipe to you!


Reuben Pizza 
(guest post by Ingrid from Green Ink Proofreading)

My favorite sandwich is the Reuben. The combination of flavors is - in my mind – one of the most delectable tastes in the world. Rye bread, with its unmistakable caraway flavoring, Russian dressing, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and corned beef. It is so simple and satisfying. But it can be messy, and it is hard to make enough to feed a crowd. Worse still, there are never any leftovers. Hence the birth of the Reuben pizza. It solves all the problems of messiness and there is plenty to go around.

I began with whole wheat pizza dough. I don’t typically follow specific guidelines when I am making bread dough, but these are the approximate measurements.

Pizza dough:
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour (I would have used rye, but it takes more rises to get right)
1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (for a better rise)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp ground caraway seed (for the rye bread flavor)
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 3/4 to 2 c warm water

Mix first five ingredients together (dry) in a stand mixer's bowl. Create a reservoir in the center of dry mix and add yeast. Mix a couple of tablespoons of water in and stir to dissolve yeast. Add remaining water and mix dough on low setting with dough hook until well blended. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, until flour combines fully. Dough should be firm, not gooey. Cover bowl with a cloth and let rise one hour, or until doubled. Punch down and allow time for a second rise, about one more hour.

Form dough out into pizza shape. I use a pizza stone, so I put it on parchment paper, but you could also put it onto pizza sheets. Depending on the thinness of the crust, you may have enough for two.

Let rise for about a half hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Spread olive oil liberally over the whole crust (about 2 Tablespoons). I also sprinkled more caraway and Penzeys Bavarian seasoning on top.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until firm. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before adding toppings. Turn oven down to 325.

Toppings:
1/3 - 1/2 c Russian dressing (I used thousand island light - it has a slightly different flavor, but it is much lower in calories)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim)
1/2 c Swiss cheese, shredded or chopped
1/2 lb sliced corned beef, chopped
1 c sauerkraut, plus 3 Tablespoons Russian dressing (here I used the real)

Brown sauerkraut in a non-stick pan and blend in Russian dressing. Let cool while you add other toppings.

Spread dressing evenly over cooked crust. Sprinkle both cheeses to cover sauce. Add corned beef and cooled sauerkraut. Bake another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the center of pizza is firm. Remove from oven and let cool about five minutes. I like to cool my pizza on a large cookie rack so the middle crust is crisper.

Slice to desired sizes and, for a little more authenticity, serve with half-sour pickles. VoilĂ : gastronomic nirvana.




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