With the end of the school year looming, the proud parents of any number of soon-to-be-minted graduates are wondering how to pull off a celebratory party without spending a ton of time or money. Reuben pizza is the answer. It鈥檚 quick, easy to make, inexpensive and completely scrumptious.
Even better, it鈥檚 not a typical pizza. Essentially, it鈥檚 a Reuben sandwich with pizza dough in place of rye bread. All the other elements of the great deli favourite are present and accounted for: corned beef, Swiss cheese (in this case gruyere), sauerkraut and Russian dressing.
鈥淪ounds great,鈥� you say, 鈥渂ut making pizza dough at home is way too complicated for me.鈥�
Not so. You鈥檒l spend five minutes assembling the ingredients, three minutes mixing the dough in a food processor, an hour waiting and 45 minutes hands off, while the dough rises.
鈥淲ait a minute,鈥� you object. 鈥淲hat about rolling out the dough? I tried it once and no matter which way I rolled it, the thing shrank back in my direction.鈥�
That can be a problem, but here鈥檚 a solution: Instead of rolling out the dough on a counter sprinkled with flour, brush the counter with a little bit of oil. The oil glues down the dough, allowing you to roll it out quickly and efficiently, with very little shrinkage.
This recipe guides you through the making of four medium-sized pizzas rather than two large ones. The smaller ones are easier and quicker to make than the bigger ones. And don鈥檛 worry about having to bake them in shifts; the first two pies will stay warm while the second two are baking.
As a fan of crispy crusts, I鈥檝e been particular about the amount of topping meant for these pizzas. I know it鈥檚 tempting to pile on the toppings, but overdoing it makes the finished product soggy. Still, don鈥檛 be shy about pouring on a drizzle of the dressing. It鈥檚 key to making a Reuben a Reuben.
Reuben Pizza
Start to finish: Two hours (one hour if using store-bought dough)
Servings: Six to eight
鈥� Speedy Pizza Dough (see below) or 14 ounces prepared pizza dough
鈥� Olive oil for rolling out the dough
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tsp hot sauce
鈥� Kosher salt
3 ounces coarsely grated Gruyere cheese (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed in a strainer and pressed to remove excess moisture
8 ounces thinly sliced corned beef, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced dill pickle
Prepare the Basic Pizza Dough. While it鈥檚 rising, place a rack in the bottom third of the oven; preheat the oven to 500 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, lime juice, hot sauce and salt to taste; set aside.
Divide the dough into four balls; working with two balls, roll out each ball on a lightly oiled surface into a round eight inches wide and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the rounds to one of the baking sheets.
Sprinkle one-fourth of the cheese evenly onto each round, spreading it to 1/4 inch of the edge and top with 1/4 of the sauerkraut, followed by 1/4 of the corned beef and pickle slices.
Bake the pizzas on the bottom rack of the oven for seven to eight minutes until the crust is golden and crisp on the bottom. While the first two pizzas are baking, roll out and top the second two pizzas. Remove the first two from the oven and cover loosely to keep the pizzas warm until the second two are baked. Drizzle the slices with some of the mayonnaise dressing.
Speedy Pizza Dough
2 to 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour for the dough
One 1/4-ounce envelope quick-rising yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp table salt
3/4 cup very warm water (120 F to 130 F)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for rolling out the dough
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, pulse 1 3/4 cups flour, the yeast, sugar and salt until the mixture is combined. Add the water and 1 Tbsp of the oil. Process the mixture until it forms a ball, adding more flour, as needed, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled medium bowl. Turn the dough to make sure all sides are very lightly coated with oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm place until the dough is double in size, 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving: 360 calories; 244 calories from fat; 27 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 46 mg cholesterol; 1015 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 2 g fibre; 2 g sugar; 15 g protein.
Sara Moulton is host of public television鈥檚 Sara鈥檚 Weeknight Meals. She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including Cooking Live.
