Final Fantasy XIV: Tomato Pie

Even though I have not returned to Final Fantasy XIV, I like to watch videos showing off new content like the end game dungeons. Many of the boss fights require perfect party placement and timing in order to complete the mission at hand. I am impressed by the skill the players must have in order to get these task done while making it looks so simple. The FFXIV team did a really good job of offering many end game options. They continue to expand the game at regular intervals, even after releasing the expansion. It is refreshing to see a game live and grow as time passes. It is one of the major reasons I love MMOs and what they have to offer to the community. I do not see myself returning to the game but I like seeing all the work being put in and how much these designers love their player base.

While looking through the list of delicious treats found in game, the tomato pie caught my attention. I immediately knew how I wanted to approach this recipe after reading through the ingredients in the game. It had to be a deep dish pizza! Growing up in Chicago it was always a treat to get some deep dish pizza for dinner. If you ever find yourself in Chicago, make sure you get some! It is a completely different kind of pizza than you are used to! Since moving down to Texas, I’ve not really been able to find a good traditional deep dish pizza. I’ve had a few pizzas delivered from Chicago but it was never as good as the freshly baked pizza. I decided the only way to please my craving was to learn how to make my own. This recipe took me several attempts until I was truly happy with the end results. After months of research I present to you my tomato pie. Like most pizza doughs, you need to prepare the dough ahead of time to allow the dough to rise before baking.

Required Equipment: stand mixer, bowl, rolling pin, cutting board, knife, sauce pan, 2 – 9” deep round baking pans
Results: 2 – 9” deep dish pizza
Ingredients:
Dough:
3 ¼ cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 ¼ tsp yeast
1 ¼ cup warm water, no hotter than 110℉
¼ cup melted butter, cooled

Sauce:
¼ cup onion, finely diced
1 tsp oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
28 ounce crushed tomato
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
fresh basil

mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese

Combine the warm water and yeast and let it rest for five minutes, allowing the yeast to come to life. In a bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Add the yeast, water and butter to the bowl and mix in the stand mixer until well combined. Remove from the bowl and knead for five minutes.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for at least two hours or until it doubles in size.

A half hour before you want to start baking the pizzas, begin working on the sauce. Place a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and the onion. Cook the onion until translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for two minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a simmer and then lower the heat. Cover and let it cook for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir the sauce every ten minutes or so to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

As the tomato sauce is cooking it is going to thicken slightly. After the 30 minute cook, add some freshly chopped basil and stir it in. Remove from the heat.

Preheat your oven to 425 ℉. Take your pizza dough and punch it down. Knead it slightly and form a ball. Cut the ball in half to make your two doughs for the pizzas. Roll each out and place inside a deep round cake pan. Make sure the edges are at least 1 inch in height.

Add a layer of cheese followed by a layer of the tomato sauce. The sauce might seem like too little but trust me this amount is perfect for the two pizzas. Sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese and some more basil if you would like.

Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust has browned slightly. Remove and let the pizza rest for 10 minutes. If you cut the pizza immediately after taking it out of the oven it will fall apart, it is VERY important that you let the pizza rest.

Note: This is an unofficial recipe and not approved by Square Enix.