Po' Bastard's Pizza Fiorentina (nods to Milano)

My most favorite chain restaurant is called Milano. In case you can't already tell, it's Italian. They mostly serve pizzas, which are very different from American pizza-- each person gets their own, large plate-sized one, with thin crust and a charming (and inventive) array of toppings. Friends and family who've travelled to Italy tell me this is closer to proper Italian pizza, and I have to believe them.

So, the recipe that follows is based on a pizza I like from Milano. The crust and sauce are adapted from Delia Smith, and the rest is from what I remember about eating this pizza at the restaurant the last time I was there. It doesn't take as long as you might think to make this. There are steps, yes, but those can be done in three distinct phases and at the end, you made a pizza and it's ALL YOURS.

Sauce:
-1 can chopped tomatoes
-2 tbsp. water or wine swirled around in the empty can of tomatoes
-1 clove garlic, diced
-olive oil
-salt and pepper
-1 tsp. oregano
-sprinkle of sugar, or dash of balsamic vinegar
-any other Italian spices you want to add

Heat a swirl of olive oil in the pan. When it is fragrant, add the finely chopped clove of garlic. Let the garlic cook until it is pale golden in color, but don't let it burn. Add the can of tomatoes, rinse the can with the two tbsp. water or wine, and dump that in too. Put in other spices, salt and pepper, etc. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Let simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and you have a lovely tomato sludge.

Crust:
-2/3 cup flour
-1 tsp. fast-acting yeast
-1/2 tsp. sugar
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tbsp. olive oil
-scant 1/2 c. warm water

Put the first four ingredients into a bowl. Give them a stir. Form a well in the center, then add the oil and the water. Stir together until it forms a dough. It will probably be quite sticky and you will have to add a bit more flour. Knead until it doesn't stick to your clean finger, then turn the bowl over and let it rest and rise for about 45 minutes.

Topping:
-Handful of chopped frozen spinach (thawed, obviously)
-parmesan
-half a ball of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
-one egg (yes, I'm serious)

Assembling your pizza:
Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. After the dough has risen, sprinkle a pizza tray with a bit of cornmeal, which will prevent the dough from sticking. Stretch the dough out to the size of a dinner-plate, and pinch the edges with your fingers to form a raised edge. Dump the sauce on it, and spread to the edges of the crust. Then, arrange the toppings, leaving a bald spot in the middle where you will crack the egg. Crack one egg in the center of the pizza. I sprinkled the yolk with some salt and more parm. Put the pizza in the oven and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the egg is miraculously cooked-- the yolk might be a bit soft, but it will be harder than that of a fried egg.

Eat happily, impressed with your dexterous skill. Have some wine or beer with it, too.

Now, because this has taken so long to type out, the first person to make it must indeed be Munka B., who recently chided me by saying, "When will Po' Bastard post another recipe I will like? Hinty-hint-hint..." As if she hasn't liked the previous ones. But, our friendship is a complex system of checks and balances-- I cook, she knits; I bake, she knows lots about color and texture. It might be fun to make a yarn pizza...