Pizza Rustica
Instructions
Pastry Crust
Put the flour and salt in a food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to mix the dry ingredients.
Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and drop them onto the flour and pulse the machine in short bursts about 10 times. The mixture should be crumbly.
Put in the eggs and pulse a few times to mix the eggs into the dry ingredients.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water on top of the dough. Pulse 6 times for just a second or two. The dough should resemble cottage cheese. Pick up some dough and press it together. If it doesnt hold together, add another teaspoon of water until dough clusters form.
Scrape the dough clusters onto a floured board and need them together just to form a smooth, tight dough.
Form a flat disc and wrap the dough in plastic. Refrigerate for a few hours before using.
Filling
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, pecorino, pepper and eggs.
Add the mozzarella, prosciutto, sopressata and sausage and mix well into the cheese mixture.
To Assemble the Pizza Rustica
Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
Cut about 1/3 of dough and set aside.
With a rolling pin, roll out the remaining pastry dough to about 15 inches in diameter. It will be about 1/8 inch thick. Flour the board and top of the dough sticks to avoid the dough sticking to either the board or the rolling pin.
Place the dough in the pan to fully cover the bottom and sides.
Cut off any excess dough from the pan rim. If the dough breaks just patch it. This is a very forgiving dough.
Pour in the ricotta mixture.
Tap the pan on the board to ensure the filling is well settled.
Roll out the reserved dough into a 9?12 inch rectangle (the dough should be about an 1/8 inch thick) and cut 1/2 inch lattice strips on a diagonal. Flour the board and top of the dough sticks to avoid the dough sticking to either the board or the rolling pin.
Loosely place the lattice on top of the ricotta mixture. (You can brush a beaten egg wash on the lattice and rim crust to get a more golden color.)
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the ricotta filling is well set and a skewer place in the center comes out dry. Turn the pastiera once to ensure even baking.
Serve at room temperature.
