Flat Bread and Pizza Dip

Piadina (Italian Flat Bread)

2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup water

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, stir together the flour, yeast and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and baking soda, then add the olive oil. With the mixer on low, add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir to combine to make a firm moist dough.

Switch to the dough hook on your mixer, or on a lightly floured surface knead the dough until smooth, shiny and elastic (about 10 minutes by hand, or 5 minutes by dough hook on medium-low speed).

Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a dish towel to let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down or flatten the dough in the bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes.  While the dough is resting, start a cast iron skillet or griddle heating over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until very hot, let it heat up slowly to avoid hot spots that will burn your flat bread.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece until about 5-6 inches across and roughly 1/2 inch thick. If the dough is still too stiff to roll, or pulls back, let it rest a couple of minutes before rolling.

Place one of the dough rounds in the hot pan and prick the dough in several places with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Cook the dough until golden brown on both sides, flipping several times while cooking. It will take about 4-5 minutes per round. Repeat with the remaining pieces until they are all cooked. You can keep the cooked rounds in a clean towel on a plate in a 200 degree oven to keep warm, stacking them on top of each other. This will help them stay soft as well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 10 round flat breads.

Lazy 4-Layer Pizza Dip

6 ounces ricotta cheese
6 ounces finely shredded Italian cheese blend (I used provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan)
3/4 cup pizza or marinara sauce
pepperoni slices to cover the top

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread ricotta cheese in an even layer in a baking dish with high sides (for deep dish version it should be no more than 6-inches across approximately).

Pour pizza sauce over ricotta cheese and spread evenly. Layer shredded cheese over pizza sauce. Layer the top with the pepperoni slices. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly.