Tortas with Yeasted Olive Oil Dough

Ellen's Easy Freezable Yeasted Olive Oil Dough
Freezing Pizza Crusts
Baking Pizzas
Greek Vegetarian Winter Squash and Leek Pie
Butternut and Blue Cheese Torta
Provencal Squash and Rice Torta
Winter Greens and Potatoes Torta
Crust recipe corrected March 2003.

No Roll Freezable Yeasted Olive Oil Dough

one large 12" pizza or 10" torta
preheat oven to 425-525°(see variations)
A special note about flour: North American flours are of the "hard wheat" variety. This makes them more successful with yeast risen doughs. If you are in Europe (and even more so in Asia) use "bread flour" if you can get it. What ever you use, if it is not Canadian or American you will have to use more flour and, perhaps, beat it (after the initial addition of flour) a little more to stimulate the gluten. As a guideline - add up to 1/3 cup more flour, until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

1 1/4 cups unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 package yeast
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons ice water, approximately
1 clove garlic, crushed, optional
Italian seasoning, oregano, or whatever suits your recipe

This dough doesn't need to be rolled out, YAY! Also, it contains no cholesterol and very little saturated fat.
Stir the flour, yeast, and salt together in a medium bowl with a fork. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, mixing with the fork as you pour the oil over the dry ingredients. The mixture will resemble pea-size crumbs when all the oil has been added.
Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. Knead briefly to form the dough into a large ball. Divide as directed in the specific recipe. Flatten the dough into a disk and place it in an oiled 10-inch tart with a removable bottom. With your fingers, press the dough into the pan and up the sides.

For pizza: *Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead with a "push and turn" motion until the dough begins to feel responsive under your hand - about 5 to 8 minutes (5 minutes with a dough hook).
The dough should have just enough flour so that it is not sticky when kneading. Dust the dough lightly with flour during the kneading process if you find it sticking to your hands.
After kneading, pour a small amount of oil into your rising bowl and turn the dough in the oil so that it is coated. Cover the bowl and put it in a warm, draft free place to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Grease your baking sheets. Sprinkle with cornmeal. During this stage you may wish to prepare your toppings.
Preheat your oven to 475° F (230 C). When the dough has risen to double its volume, turn it out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly (or press out) to remove the large bubbles.

If you are going to refrigerate or freeze the dough at this point, punch it down, divide, and shape into balls. Seal the balls in plastic bags and or freeze. When you need it, thaw it early in the day, then shape it once it is no longer cold. You can also roll out the dough and refrigerate or freeze on the pizza pans. To freeze the already shaped crust, both grease and flour/ cornmeal your pan before freezing the pizza, that way it pops of the pan. Stretch, place it on the pan, brush with oil. Cover it well with stretch wrap or put it in a plastic bag and freeze it (you can replace the pan with a cardboard round after it freezes). Stack frozen crusts with waxed papers between, place in zippered plastic freezer bags with the air pressed out.When you want to use that pizza crust, preheat the oven, prepare the toppings and dress the frozen crust. Pull it out frozen. I put frozen crust in the oven on 400 not pre-heated. That way the crust starts thawing and cooking slowly without burning. Also I find doing it on a stoneware pan with no grease just flour or cornmeal works well.
To use at once, cover and let rest for about 3 minutes under a dry dish towel. For the tortas, shape and fill as directed below. If you are making pizzas, oil the pans lightly and sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina. Stretch/pat or roll out the dough and place on the baking sheets (if you can stretch the dough by hand it will give you a slightly softer crust). The dough is springy and elastic, and will at first shrink back each time you roll it- if it is VERY strong, let it rest for 20-30 minutes to relax the gluten. But persevere, turning the dough over from time to time. The dough should be rolled no thicker than 1/4 inch, thinner if possible. Spread on a little olive oil, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and some grated Romano.
Dress and bake about 20 minutes or until the cheese has begun to brown lightly.

What you cook your pizza on affects its color, crispness and baking time. Generally, the darker the baking sheet, the darker and crisper your crust (and the shorter your cooking time). For the crispiest crust and shortest cooking time, use a pizza stone (about $30), which must preheat for 45 minutes. While it heats, assemble your pizza directly on a wooden "peel," or pizza paddle, sprinkled with cornmeal. Use the peel to transfer the pizza to the heated stone.

I prefer perforated pizza pans but regular pans work well also. If you prefer a softer crust, Airbake© pans work very well. In the absence of Airbake© pans, doubling your pans(stacking one on top of another) will give the same result.

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Greek Vegetarian Winter Squash and Leek Pie


Active Work Time: 35 minutes, Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
8 servings

2 1/2 pounds winter squash, such as 1 large or 2 smaller butternut squash
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus 3 to 4 tablespoons for brushing fillo dough
3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 eggs
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
9 sheets fillo dough, or
yeasted olive oil dough

Halve the squash and scrape away the seeds and membranes, then cut the flesh into 4-inch-square pieces. (If using butternut, cut it in half crosswise just above the bulbous bottom part, then cut these halves into lengthwise quarters and scrape away the seeds and membranes.)
Place the yeasted dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and allow to rest briefly before rolling out.
Steam the squash until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a colander and allow to cool and drain for another 15 minutes (butternut squash will not be watery). When the squash has cooled, peel and place in a bowl. Mash it with a fork, a large wooden spoon, a potato masher or a pestle. Stir in the parsley, mint, nutmeg, feta and Parmesan.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until tender and just beginning to color, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute, until fragrant Remove from the heat and add to the squash. Beat the eggs and remove 2 tablespoons for brushing the tart, then mix with the squash. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush a 10- or 12-inch tart pan or cake pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and layer in 4 sheets of fillo dough, placing them not quite evenly on top of each other so that the edges overlap the sides of the pan all the way around. Brush each sheet with olive oil (or a mixture of olive oil and melted butter) before adding the next sheet.
Fill with the squash mixture and fold the edges over. Brush the folded-over fillo with olive oil, then layer 5 more sheets of dough over the top, brushing each sheet with olive oil. Crimp the edges into the sides of the pan. Brush the top with the beaten egg you set aside. Pierce the top of the pie in several places with a sharp knife.
Bake until the top is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recrisp the crust if necessary in a 375-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Each serving: 310 calories; 441 mg sodium; 99 mg cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 6 grams fiber.

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Butternut- Blue Cheese Torta


Serves 6-8

1 recipe yeasted olive oil pastry
2 pounds butternut squash
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head of garlic, (about 8-10 cloves) broken up but not peeled
1 small onion, finely chopped
10 fresh sage leaves, chopped (1-1/2 teaspoons dried)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 large egg, beaten


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds and fibers. Lightly brush each side of the squash with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place the garlic cloves in the cavities and turn the pumpkin halves cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for about 45-60 minutes until the flesh is tender.
Place the yeasted dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes). Punch down the dough and allow to rest briefly before rolling out.
Scoop out the squash into a large bowl and mash with a fork until fairly smooth. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and mash. In a small skillet, warm 2 teaspoons of olive oil over a low heat. Add the onion and sage and cook until the onion is soft and beginning to brown. Add to the pumpkin mixture along with the garlic and Parmesan. Mix well, season and stir in half the blue cheese.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured baking tray, roll out the dough into a 14" round. Spread the vegetable mixture onto the dough, leaving a 5 cm (2") border. Sprinkle the remaining blue cheese on top. Roll up the edges of the dough and brush with beaten egg.
Bake the galette until the crust is nicely browned — about 25 minutes.

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Provencal Winter Squash Rice Torte

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours * Vegetarian

In Provence, many of the vegetable tortes use cooked rice. This gives them both substance and texture, and makes them easy to slice, thus very portable. This wonderful torte seasoned with sage, also makes a terrific gratin; bake it in a butterd casserole without the crust.

2 to 2 1/2 pounds winter squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup cooked Arborio or medium-grain rice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, tightly packed (2 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
3 eggs, beaten
Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon or more)
Freshly ground pepper
One recipe
Yeasted Olive Oil Pastry Dough

Halve the squash and scrape away the seeds and membranes, then cut the flesh into 4-inch-square pieces. (If using butternut, cut it in half crosswise, just above the bulbous bottom part, then cut these halves into lengthwise quarters and scrape away the seeds and membranes.)
Place the yeasted dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes). Punch down the dough and allow to rest briefly before rolling out.
Steam the squash until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a colander and allow to cool and drain for another 15 minutes (butternut squash will not be watery). When the squash has cooled, peel and place in a bowl. Mash with a fork, a large wooden spoon, a potato masher or a pestle.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, another minute or two. Remove from the heat and toss with the squash, sage, rice, parsley, Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, all but 2 tablespoons of the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Heat the oven to 375°. Oil a 10-inch or 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or springform pan. Roll out two thirds of the pastry and line the pan with the edges overhanging. Fill the crust with the squash mixture. Top with the remaining pastry, then crimp the edges of the top and bottom pastry together. Cut 4 small slits in the top crust with a sharp knife, brush with the reserved beaten egg and place in the oven.
Bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This can also be served at room temperature. 6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 371 calories; 496 mg sodium; 114 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 6.55 grams fiber.

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Greens and Potato Torta or Galette


6-8 servings
Active Work Time: 1 hour, Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
This vegetarian pie works well all the mild tender greens--chard, rapini, beet greens, spinach. It's also quite dramatic as a galette.

3/4 pound small boiling potatoes such as baby Yukon Gold or new potatoes, peeled
Salt
2 to 2 1/2 pounds greens (chard, beet greens, rapini, spinach)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta or low-fat cottage cheese
OR
tofu ricotta
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk or plain soy milk
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, tightly packed (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
One recipe Yeasted Olive Oil Pastry

Place the potatoes and 2 teaspoons of salt in a large pot of water (you'll be cooking the greens in the same water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partly and boil the potatoes until tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stem the greens and wash the leaves thoroughly, making sure to remove all sand.
When the potatoes are done, remove from the water and set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut in 1/2-inch slices. Bring the water back to a rolling boil and add another teaspoon of salt and the greens. Blanch until just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer and transfer immediately to a bowl of cold water. Drain and squeeze dry. It is not necessary to remove every drop of water. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the greens, potatoes, parsley and basil and gently toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a large bowl.
In a blender or food processor, process the ricotta or cottage cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the beaten eggs, and add the rest to the processor, along with the milk. Beat together, then transfer to the bowl with the greens. Stir in the Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, add more salt and pepper and the nutmeg, and combine everything thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Gently punch down the pastry dough. If making a galette, roll out into a large, thin circle, about 16 inches in diameter. Top with the filling, leaving a 21/2-inch edge, and fold the edges in over the filling, draping folds all the way around. If you can stretch the dough up to the middle, gather the edges together and shape a little top knot. Otherwise you can leave an opening in the center.
If making a torta, oil a 10-inch pie dish, springform pan or a tart pan with a removable rim. Roll out two-thirds of the dough into a thin circle, and line the pie dish or pan; ease the dough into the edges. There should be some overhang. Fill with the greens mixture. Roll out the other piece of dough into a circle, and place on top of the filling. Fold the edges of the bottom crust over the top crust, and crimp the dough all the way around the edge. Gently score the top of the dough with a paring knife. Brush the torte or galette with the reserved egg.
Bake until the top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot or warm.

Each of 8 servings: 549 calories; 645 mg sodium; 139 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 6.61 grams fiber.

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