Spinach White Pizza Recipe

Makes 4 medium pizzas - I made 3 and we ate 1.5 last night

Ingredients for dough
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 T olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting hands and work surfaces
1 1/2 t salt

Ingredients for topping
2 T olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, slivered
1/4 t hot red pepper flakes
1 1/4 lbs spinach, washed, partly dried, and coarsly chopped
8 oz package shredded Italian cheese blend
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Add a packet of yeast to 1/2 cup warm water and let ferment five minutes. Add rest of the water and 2T olive oil and mix. Measure 2 cups flour into a large bowl, add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add an additional 2 cups of flour and stir to combine. Pour dough onto a flour surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 7-8 minutes. Put in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about two hours.

Punch down the dough and dump onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough into four balls. Let the dough rest at least five minutes but no more than 30. Take one ball, smoosh it down into a disk. Then use the tips of your fingers to dabble into the dough and work it into a disk further. Then, with one palm in the center of the dough, gently pull the edges outward to spread it out even thinner.

Wash and roughly chop the spinach. Slice four cloves of garlic. Pour 2T olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. After a minute, add the spinach, cover and cook for two minutes or until wilted.

Brush each dough round with olive oil and top with the spinach mixture. Bake on a pizza stone at 450 F for 8-10 minutes. Add the cheese and bake an additional 2-3minutes.