Store-bought fresh pizza dough, or home-made pizza dough

For home-made pizza dough
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 package traditional [Fieischmann's] dry yeast (8 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons)

For topping
about 1 to 2 rapini bunches, boiled and drained
4 garlic cloves, choppped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup diced ciccioli/fresh pork belly (optional)*
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
2 teaspoons rosemary (optional)
2 teaspoons hot red chilies (optional)

For decoration
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (optional)


Equipment needed
Rectangular or round pizza baking pan, brushed with olive oil

*"Ciccioli" are made with fresh,unsalted pork belly slices. They are diced and then browned, and some of the fat rendered. Some home cooks prefer to discard the rendered fat and others do not. Fresh, unsalted pork belly slices are often sold in Italian butcher shops as "pancetta." Please note that the type of "pancetta" generally sold in "real" Italian butcher shops is NOT cured, salted or seasoned. The "pancetta" sold in North American supermarkets, even if it is not cured, is generally salted, and does not match the original Southern Italian style fresh pork belly slices. Most Italian butcher shops only sell fresh (not cured) "pancetta" in the winter months, and not in the summer. Nowadays most North American food writers describe "pancetta" as Italian-style bacon, and while this might be the case when linked to modern Italian dishes, when it refers to traditional Southern Italian cooking "pancetta" it is not cured (at least it isn't when it refers to Molisani dishes).

Store-bought pizza dough

Keep the dough in extra large clear plastic bag, tie with twists; place in a container with a lid.

Let the dough rest in a warm room until it doubles in volume (about 4 to 6 hours).



To make home-made pizza dough:

Add sugar to lukewarm water.

Add yeast to lukewarm water, and stir.

Let the water-sugar-yeast rest for about 6 minutes -- if bubbles form and the mixture increases in volume then the yeast is in good condition and ready to be used.

Add olive oil to the proofed yeast.

In a separate bowl mix the flour and salt together.

Add the olive oil and proofed yeast mixture to the salt and flour mixture. Mix well.

Work into a malleable soft dough, kneading for about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough ball in a very large clear plastic bag and tie it with a twist (Should have ample room to double in volume).

Put the dough in a bowl and cover.

Let the dough rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume -- about 4 to 6 hours.



To make the topping:

Trim off tough bottoms from base of rapini stalks.

Place in a pot of boiling salted water, cook until tender about 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain.

Heat up olive oil in a large frying pan.

Add diced ciccioli (fresh pork belly) and cook until browned (optional).

Add chopped garlic and fry until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked rapini and mix thoroughly.

Add seasoning.

Cool.



When the dough has doubled in volume, remove from its container.

Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.

Flour a pastry board.

Using a floured pastry roller, roll out the dough to fit a pizza pan (One can also stretch out the dough to fit the pan as do professional pizza makers, but this requires a great deal of skill).

Place the dough on a well-oiled pizza pan.



Top the dough with the cooked & seasoned rapini making sure that the pizza dough surface is nicely covered -- brush the uncovered edges of the pizza dough with olive oil and if using, sprinkle a few shreds of Parmesan cheese in areas that isn't cover with rapini (The Parmesan will turn golden and make the pizza topping a touch more decorative).



Bake in a preheated 425 F. degrees oven until golden brown -- about 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the type of pizza pan used.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

My favorite Montreal Italian pastry shop, "Italia, La Casa della Pizza," at 5540 Jean Talon Est, sells pizza topped with rapini. I didn't know if I would like this topping, so I tried it at home, and was pleasantly surprised. In my opinion a rapini pizza topping is better than one made with spinach or Swiss chard. I don't know the exact recipe "Italia, La Casa della Pizza" uses, this recipe is my take on it. The shop doesn't include any "ciccioli" in it, but those who like the flavor might want to include it. In Southern Italy rapini is often combined with "ciccioli." I myself didn't include any "ciccioli" when I made this pizza, and found the vegetarian version quite tasty. It doesn't need "ciccioli" to make it flavorful, but those who are used to combining "ciccioli" with rapini can certainly do so. As noted in the list of ingredients "ciccioli" are made with fresh,unsalted pork belly slices. They are diced and then browned, and some of the fat rendered. Some home cooks prefer to discard the rendered fat and others do not. Fresh, unsalted pork belly slices are often sold in Italian butcher shops as "pancetta." Please note that the type of "pancetta" generally sold in "real" Italian butcher shops is NOT cured, salted or seasoned. The "pancetta" sold in North American supermarkets, even if it is not cured, is generally salted, and does not match the original Southern Italian style fresh pork belly slices. Most Italian butcher shops only sell fresh (not cured) "pancetta" in the winter months, and not in the summer. Nowadays most North American food writers describe "pancetta" as Italian-style bacon, and while this might be the case when linked to modern Italian dishes, when it refers to traditional Southern Italian cooking "pancetta" it is not cured (At least it isn't when it refers to Molisani dishes).... I recommend a rectangular pan for this style of pizza -- the light-colored aluminum pans sold in Middle Eastern shops seem to be quite good for pizza making. The rapini pizza currently sold at "Italia's" Montreal pastry shop is seasoned with rosemary and basil; it also has a touch of Parmesan cheese.... Growing up in the 1960s in Montreal I thought any pizza that didn't have a tomato topping wasn't a "real" pizza, but that was a big mistake on my part. Recently, I went through a lot of old Italian cookbooks and I noticed that pizza toppings can be made with almost anything -- from eggplants to shrimps. Basically when one eats pizza one eats bread with "a little something on top." Personal comments and photo: Mary Melfi.

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