O, S: Olive and Spinach Pizza with Homemade Wheat Crust

Olives are one of the rare things my daughter eats with gusto. Black olives to be precise. And although they are technically a fruit, I still sometimes consider them a vegetable and feel happy when she munches away on them. They seem a healthy option and a happy compromise.

Spinach is less enjoyed. She has taken bites, tried leaves and such now and then... but has never really embraced it quite the way her parents do. So... this homemade pizza arose out of the hopes I might be able to sneak a bit of very healthy veg her way while quasi-bribing her with the inclusion of one she already knows and loves.

And it has worked—every time. We are all big pizza fans in this household, and although we LOVE ordering in from Lou Malnati's, this version is much healthier and probably also lower on sodium.

I was inspired by a crust recipe posted by Heidi Swanson and after much googling, experimenting, and alteration have now settled upon my own recipe, which I use and love regularly. I am also sharing a few tried-and-true tricks with you that has made my homemade pizza-making move from "oh that's nice" to "wow this pizza is delicious," because who doesn't want to be showered with compliments?

Beware: This pizza is not for the lactose intolerant or the non-cheese lover!

Olive and Spinach Pizza with Homemade Wheat Crust

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/4 c warm water
4 1/2 tsp yeast (or 2 packages quick-rise yeast)
3 c wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried basil
1/4 c olive oil

Toppings:
2 c or roughly 1/2 jar tomato sauce
3 slices provolone cheese
1 c black olives
1 c baby spinach
1-2 tbsp goat cheese
2 c mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Put the yeast into the warm water and stir until dissolved. (You can use a jarred yeast, which is cheaper over the long run if you intend to do this often; or, the pre-packaged Fleischmann's-type yeast works just as well.) Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour, sugar and salt.

3. Add in the olive oil and yeast-water and stir until everything is thoroughly combined. Dough will be sticky and moist. (I sometimes use my hands at this point, instead of the spoon, as I find this helps to mix the dough more evenly and ensure there are no hidden spots of dry flour remaining.)

4. Place a clean, dry towel over the bowl and let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 450º. Remove the towel from your dough, punch the dough down with your fist and gather it together. It is at this point you will need to assess whether more flour will be needed before kneading the dough a bit. I usually sprinkle a bit on the counter and rub some on my hands, which seems to suffice.

6. Knead the dough until it is nice and spongy... not too wet, not too dry. Not too hard, not too soft. (Maybe 4-6 passes at most.)

Split the dough in half and save the unused portion for later. You can either put it in the fridge if you plan to use it in the next day or two... or pop it in the freezer for longer storage. It's best to rub a bit of olive oil over the entire dough ball before placing it in your freezer-safe bag. This helps get it out more easily later and gives it a nice coating so it won't dry out. (Just be sure to thaw completely before using it for your next pizza!)

7. Cover your pizza stone or cooking pan with corn meal to prevent sticking. Take your dough and carefully begin to pull it into a larger circle... flatten and pull. Flatten and pull. Once you've got a salad plate-sized circle, place it on your pizza stone and use your hands to slowly work the dough out to the edges of your pan. I can typically get a 10-inch pizza out of one dough ball (half the total dough made).

8. Once your pizza dough is fully stretched out, cover the surface with tomato sauce. (I never make my own, though I'm sure that would be delicious. I find the jarred stuff works fine—particularly if it's organic.) Remember to leave anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch of space on the edges so you can pick it up later.

9. Place the provolone cheese slices over the pizza so that they cover most of the surface of the pie. Three slices tend to work perfectly for a 10-inch crust.

10. Sprinkle the goat cheese around the surface of the pizza, covering the entire area. Then place your olives around the pizza in whatever fashion you wish. I like to keep them evenly spaced and try to cover the circle, but you can make it as artsy as you like. Do the same with the spinach leaves.

11. Last, but not least, generously cover the entire pizza with the mozzarella cheese. I like to start in the middle and work my way out to the edges. (Just seems to help me get more even coverage.) Don't be afraid to use the full 2 cups of cheese!

The pizza needs roughly 20 minutes to get a nice golden crust to the cheese. I like to rotate it halfway through the cooking to compensate for any uneven heat in my oven. And somewhere in that last 10 minutes, I check on it, just in case it's cooking a bit faster than anticipated.

It helps to let it cool just a bit before cutting... really no more than 5 minutes or so. This stuff keeps great in the fridge and reheats like a dream on a bit of tin foil in a 350º oven. Hope you like it!