Today, for a change, I am blogging about something I saw on the internet. I’m really sorry. I know I would be more helpful to the human race as a whole if I didn’t keep on regurgitating recipes that everyone already kinda knows about because they saw it on a buzzfeed post one time. My excuse today is that this time, I am actually giving you a real proper doable recipe of something that you saw on a buzzfeed post one time. And it’s so good that may just get the men in your life to vote you All Time Domestic Goddess of the Universe (if you bring beer, this will seal the deal).
Behold: The Pizza Cake.
This mound of savoury deliciousness only four components: pizza dough, pepperoni, tomato pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese, yet its flavour is truly synergistic. It is just spectacular to eat. I have to confess: I made this for a pizza loving colleague’s birthday and I thought it would turn out stodgy and a little awful, but I was so, so wrong. and Ben was so, so happy.
It might even change your life. Like it kind of changed Ben’s (he ate it for breakfast for two days after – that is approval).
So how do I get one? You ask. Easy.
It happens…
A little…
Like…
This.
Pizza Cake
Makes a 20cm cake. The dough recipe makes a little more than you will probably need – just ball the excess dough up and make another pizza base to put in the freezer for another time, or maybe make a savoury scroll with the rest of the dough – think cheese, olives, chutney, more pizza sauce, ham, etc…
Pizza dough
ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 packages dried yeast (total 14g)
4 1/2 cups white flour
4 tsp salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
mixing
Tip the yeast into the warm water in a medium bowl and stir to dissolve. Let sit on the bench for about 15 minutes until the yeast has started to foam. Place the flour, and salt into a large bowl (preferably of a stand mixer if you have one!) and make a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and add the olive oil. Mix with a dough hook (or use a wooden spoon) until the dough comes together. Continue to knead with the dough hook (or use your hands to knead the dough on a clean surface) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Clean and lightly oil the mixing bowl, return the dough to the bowl and cover with a plastic bag and tea towel. Set the bowl in a warm place and let the dough prove for about 45 minutes or until the dough has nearly doubled in size.
Making the cake
250g shredded mozzeralla or pizza cheese
100g salami of your choice, thinly sliced (I used a mix of chorizo style salami and ridiculously hot pepperoni)
200mL tomato pizza sauce (I used Leggo’s Pizza Sauce with garlic, onion and herbs)
Basil, oregano or parsley for sprinkling if desired
Roll out approximately half of the dough on a lightly floured surface until the dough is about 1cm thick. Cut three 20cm circles using a sharp knife. Transfer these carefully to a baking sheet (taking care not to deform the shapes!). Bake the circles of dough at 180 degrees Celsius for about 12 minutes or until risen but still pale in colour. Let them cool.
Meanwhile, roll out the rest of the dough (including the offcuts) into a long strip, about 70cm long and 1cm thick. Cut a rectangle of dough about 62cm long and 12cm wide. This is for the edge of the tin. You should have enough leftover rolled out dough to cut more 20cm circles, but if you don’t, gather it up again and roll out. You need to cut one further 20cm circle for the Pizza Cake. The remainder of the dough can be used to make regular pizza bases (or maybe make a savoury scroll with the rest of the dough – think cheese, olives, chutney, more pizza sauce, ham, etc…)
Put the uncooked circle of dough in the bottom of a 20cm springform cake pan (a springform pan will help you get the Pizza Cake out while it is still hot but it’s not strictly essential). Line the sides of the pan with the long strip of dough, allowing the excess to drape down over the sides of the tin. Press the edges of the long strip of dough together against the base dough to seal. Do the same with the seam up the wall of the tin.
Now you’re ready to pizza! Slosh in about 50mL of the pizza sauce and spread around. Arrange salami slices over the sauce and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
Pop a cooked base over the cheese and press down gently (trim the base if you need to). Repeat the process until you have used all three cooked bases (you have four layers of pizza). On the top pizza, add another round of salami on top of the cheese, then dot the top with more pizza sauce. Sprinkle the top lightly with more cheese (the idea is that you want a visual of sauce, salami and cheese on the top!). Sprinkle lightly with herbs if desired, then roll the dough which is overhanging the tin back up and bunch the dough up to form a “crust”.
Bake the Pizza Cake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30-35 minutes until golden and well risen (the middle will subside slightly as it cools). Remember the inner bases are already cooked so this baking time is just to sizzle up the centre ingredients and bake the exterior crust.
Let the Pizza Cake sit for a couple of minutes after baking, then unmould. You can serve the Pizza Cake immediately (with all its stretch cheese goodness), or reheat it within two days (like the photo below). It’s also damn tasty cold.
Enjoy!xxx
