Italian🍞 Bread & bakery

Pizza Rustica (Easter Pizza)

Name: Pizza Rustica (Easter Pizza)
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3½ cups All-Purpose Flour; 2 tsp Granulated Sugar; 2¼ tsp Instant Yeast; 2 tsp Salt (for dough); 1½ cups Warm Water; 4 oz Sliced Salami, chopped; 4 oz Prosciutto, chopped; 4 oz Mortadella, chopped; 4 oz Capicollo, chopped; 3 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped; 8 oz Sharp Provolone, chopped; 4 Raw Eggs; 1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta; ½ cup Grated Parmesan; to taste Freshly Grated Black Pepper; a pinch Salt (for filling, a pinch); ~2 tbsp Olive Oil (for brushing top)

⏱ 220 min

A classic Easter table centerpiece from Italian tradition, also known as pizza gaina or pizzagaina. A homemade dough is stuffed with cured meats, hard-boiled eggs, ricotta, and parmesan, then baked until golden. Best enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, this is a treasured family recipe passed down from an Italian nonna.

Adapted from a video by Laura in the Kitchen

Pizza Rustica

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour3½ cups
Granulated Sugar2 tsp
Instant Yeast2¼ tsp
Salt (for dough)2 tsp
Warm Water1½ cups
Sliced Salami, chopped4 oz
Prosciutto, chopped4 oz
Mortadella, chopped4 oz
Capicollo, choppedOptional addition4 oz
Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped3

Steps

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1
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour with sugar and instant yeast, mix briefly, then pour in the warm water.
2
Fit the mixer with a dough hook and start kneading, adding the salt in while it mixes.
3
Once the dough is smooth and elastic, cover it and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours depending on room temperature.
4
Dust your work surface with flour, turn out the risen dough, and set aside about a third of it for the top crust; the rest will be the base.
5
Oil a deep 10-inch pan with tall sides generously, then gently drape the base dough into it, letting the excess hang over the edges without overstretching.
6
For the filling, put the ricotta in a large bowl and season generously with a pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
7
Add the chopped salami, prosciutto, mortadella, and capicollo along with the chopped sharp provolone, and mix everything together.
8
Mix in the 4 raw eggs and grated parmesan, then gently fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs.
9
Spoon the filling into the dough-lined pan and spread it evenly.
10
Roll out the reserved dough with a little extra flour and lay it over the filling as a lid. Fold the overhanging bottom dough up and pinch it together with the top crust to seal, poking a small hole in the center to vent steam.
11
Cover the pie with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest and rise for about 45 minutes while preheating the oven.
12
Reinforce any slits on top, brush with a little olive oil for color, and poke a small vent hole to release air.
13
Bake for about 35-40 minutes until beautifully golden brown on top.
14
Let the pie cool for several hours before slicing. It's delicious at room temperature and even better chilled.

Pizza Rustica (Easter Pizza)

Ingredients

Steps

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