Pi Day Deep Dish and Gluten Free Berry Pie

In honor of Pi Day (3.14.15), I wanted to put together a Pi(e)-centric meal, complete with two Chicago style deep dish pizza pies (both regular and gluten free) and a gluten free berry pie!

Recently I have been on a pizza making kick, so Pi day presented a great opportunity to practice my craft. The problem is that my sister has to follow a gluten free diet. My solution was to make a 10" deep dish using my regular dough recipe and a 6" using a gluten free flour, followed by a dessert everyone could enjoy.

Whether you follow a gluten free diet or not follow these steps to make your own Pi(e)-centric spread!

Step 1: Making the Pizza Dough

The following steps should be performed twice, once using the ingredients for the regular dough and once using the ingredients for the gluten free dough.

10" Regular Pizza Dough Ingredients:

• 235 g all purpose flour
• 59 g semolina flour
• 3 g salt
• 4 g sugar
• 138 g water
• 2 g active dry yeast
• 18 g olive oil
• 35 g corn oil
• 17 g softened butter

6" Gluten Free Pizza Dough Ingredients:

• 147 g gluten free all purpose flour
• 1.5 g salt
• 2 g sugar
• 79 g water
• 1 g active dry yeast
• 9 g olive oil
• 18 g corn oil
• 9 g softened butter

1. Combine active dry yeast with a small amount of warm water, around 30 g
2. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl
3. After 10 minutes add the yeast water and the remaining water to the bowl
4. Mix until shaggy
5. Add the oils, mixing as much as possible
6. After mixing knead the dough for 3 minutes until fully combine
7. Knead in the butter for about a minute, without fully mixing into the dough
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit 6 hours

Step 2: Making the Pie Crust

Pie Crust Recipe:

• 180 g butter
• 90 g water
• 27 g vegetable oil
• 25 g sugar
• 1.5 g salt
• 300 g gluten free all purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 410 F
2. In a pyrex bowl combine the butter, water, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt
3. Put bowl in oven for 15 minutes until it begins to bubble
4. While the bowl is in the oven measure out the flour in a large heat resistant bowl flour
5. Remove the bowl from the oven and pour into the flour bowl
6. Reduce oven temperature to 355 F
7. Quickly mix together thoroughly
8. Grease a 9" spring-form pan
9. Evenly press the dough along the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan and let cool for 15 minutes
10. Use a fork to perforate the dough
11. Bake crust for 25 minutes

Step 3: Cooking the Sauce

Pizza Sauce Recipe:

• crushed tomatoes (6 lb 9 oz can)
• 4 oz italian sausage
• sugar
• honey
• oregano
• thyme
• basil
• salt
• 3 garlic cloves

1. Start by straining the tomatoes, you will want a thick sauce
2. Brown the sausage in a large pot over medium heat
3. Crush and add the garlic, cooking until browned
4. Add strained tomatoes to the pot
5. Cook sauce for 20-30 minutes adding remaining ingredients to taste
6. Taste the sauce often and don't be afraid to add more flavor (the sugar and honey are great for smoothing the flavor of the sauce)

Step 4: Assembling the Gluten Free Spinoccoli Pizza

Spinoccoli Pizza Ingredients:

• Gluten Free dough
• Butter
• Low moisture mozzarella
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Cheddar
• Pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 480 F with a pizza stone on the lowest rack
2. Butter a 6" deep dish pan
3. Press the gluten free dough evenly along the bottom and sides of pan
4. Slice the mozzarella and use to create a thick layer on the bottom (this creates a protective layer to keep the dough crispy
5. Steam the broccoli most of the way and lay it over the cheese
6. Chop the spinach and spread over the broccoli
7. Toss cheddar on the spinach
8. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of all of the ingredients

Step 5: Assembling the Sausage Pizza

Sausage Pizza Ingredients:

• Pizza dough recipe
• Butter
• Low moisture mozzarella
• Provolone
• Italian sausage
• Pizza sauce

1. Butter a 10" deep dish pan
2. Press the dough evenly on bottom and sides of pan
3. Slice and layer mozzarella to cover bottom of pan
4. Place a few slices of provolone over the mozzarella
5. Flatten the sausage to make a flat layer over the cheese
6. Pour the sauce into the pan to fill the pie to the brim
7. Place both pans on the pizza stone and lower the temp to 440 F
8. After 20 minutes rotate the pizzas to ensure even cooking
9. The pizzas should be done after 15-20 more minutes when the dough is golden brown

Step 6: Prepare the Pie Filling

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 300 g raspberries, room temperature
• 300 g blackberries, room temperature
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 125 g sour cream
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 300 F
2. Wash berries and combine in large glass bowl
3. Pour granulated sugar over berries, softly tossing to mix together
4. Allow sugar and berries to sit for 30 minutes until syrupy
5. Whisk together sour cream, powdered sugar and eggs in mixing bowl
6. Fill pie crust with syrupy berries
7. Pour sour cream mixture over berries
8. Place pie on center rack and bake for 25 minutes

Step 7: Enjoy Your Pi(e)s!!!

Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes to ensure that the sauce does not come out too runny. After this time, you can either serve the pie directly from the pan or you can lift the pizza out of the pan before serving. If removing the pizza from the pan, it is easiest to use a narrow plastic spatula which can be bent/wedged under the edge.

Allow the berry pie to cool for at least 40 minutes before serving with ice cream.

Pair your pizza and pie with a nice glass of wine or cool stein of beer to round out your perfect Pi-day meal! Enjoy with family or friends but whatever you do make sure that you enjoy it at a round table!