Deep Dish Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza

Step 1

Position an oven rack on the second-lowest level in the oven and place a baking stone, if using one, on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Step 2

Brush a 14 inch round deep-dish pizza pan with the olive oil. Starting in the middle and using your fingertips. press the dough evenly to cover the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in the pan for 15-20 minutes.

Step 3

To assemble the pizza, lightly press the dough up the sides of the pan if it has slid back down. Lay half of the mozzarella slices over the pizza dough, overlapping to cover the dough completely.

Step 4

Toss the spinach with the garlic and a few grindings of pepper. Arrange the spinach mixture over the mozzarella. Arrange the rest of the mozzarella over the spinach. Ladle the tomato sauce evenly over the mozzarella. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top of the sauce.

Step 5

Place the pizza in the oven on the rack or baking stone and reduce the temperature to 450 degrees F. (Work quickly so the oven temperature doesn't drop too much). Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and a deep golden brown, and the cheese is golden, about 30 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 6

Use a knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan.

Step 7

Cut the pizza into large wedges and then slide a metal spatula until the bottom crust to remove and lift out the wedges. Serve immediately.