Rustica
Pizza Rustica is an Easter pie made with a flaky and buttery pie crust and filled with eggs, ricotta, salami, and cheese. The name “Rustica” means “stuffed pizza“ in Italian. Sometimes, also called as Pizza Chiena or Pizza Ripiena.
Compare to your usual pizza, Rustica is a deep-dish pizza similar to quiche. It is packed with eggs, deli meats and cheeses like prosciutto, pepperoni, soppressata, mozzarella and provolone.
Rustica pizza is a rich meaty pie with cheesy filling inside golden pastry that creates tasty and savoury slices.
If you enjoy Meat pizza that has Tomato sauce then we’ve got a treat for you.
Pizza is a delicious food that is enjoyed by many, and it’s no surprise why. But have you ever thought about experimenting with different toppings? Trying new toppings can take your pizza experience to a whole new level.
From the classic pepperoni and mushroom to more unique options like shrimp and pesto, the possibilities are endless. Not only will you get to try new and exciting flavors, but you’ll also discover new combinations that you never thought were possible.
So next time you’re ordering a pizza, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You never know, you might just find your new favorite topping!
Pizza in France
The French love their food. Their most popular foods include bread, pastries, Cheese, soups and seafood. In a 2018 study, 96% of French people said they enjoy pizza with 84 percent ordering pizzas at home.
Take a look at some of the other pizzas from France here.
| Origin | France |
| Type | Meat |
| Sauce | Tomato Sauce |
Rustica Pizza Recipe
There is a recipe below for you to make a Rustica Pizza using a wood fired pizza oven or on a pizza stone in your oven.
| Dough | 2 hours |
| Assembly | 10 minutes |
| Baking | 12-20 minutes |
Rustica Pizza Ingredients
Ensure you have enough pizza toppings for the amount of pizzas you plan to make. The dough and sauce are designed for 3-4 medium sized pizzas, so scale up or down, based on your requirements.
Simple Pizza dough
- 250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
- 400 g (2 2/3 cups) plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 7 grams (2 tsps) dried yeast
- 1/4 cup (3 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons table salt
Rustica Pizza Toppings
Toppings used in this pizza recipe, are;
- Mozzarella
- Grilled Bell Pepper
- Creme Fraiche
Easy Tomato Pizza Sauce
- 1 (6oz/170g) can of tomato paste
- 1 can (15oz/420g) diced or crushed tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 small onion
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
Want to try a different sauce? See our article on the different types of pizza sauces.
TIP
You can click on any of the tags at the bottom of this page, to find other pizzas besides Rustica Pizza, that use that topping.
Pizza Dough Method
If you don’t have much time, grab a premade pizza base at your local grocery store, or create your own homemade pizza dough following the simple steps below.
- Whisk yeast and lukewarm water in a jug. Stand for around five minutes.
- Add the salt and flour in a large bowl. Create a hollow centre in the flour. Slowly pour the liquid yeast mixture and oil.
- Using your hands or spatula, gently combine the flour mixture until smooth. Then turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and hand knead for roughly five minutes.
- Place the dough mixture in to an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place until the dough has at least risen to double in size.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Hand knead gently for five minutes until reasonably smooth.
- Sprinkle some flour on work surface before rolling out dough to prevent any sticking.
- Divide dough mix into equal amounts, now roll out the bases to the desired size.
TIP: We have other dough recipes if you would like to try your hand at sourdough, poolish or more.
Tomato Pizza Sauce Method
Making your own tomato sauce is not only easy but also more delicious, follow the steps provided and take your pizza to the next level.
- Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix well using a whisk, or blender.
- Leave sitting for five minutes.
- Your sauce is now ready. Enjoy!
- Keep sauce in fridge or freeze for future use.
To ensure your dough doesn’t get damaged, use a ladle or the back of a serving spoon to evenly apply your sauce.
Preparing Rustica Pizza
Turn your oven on to 450-500 degrees or more and preheat for at least 30 minutes.
Spread out the dough in a rough circle, on a floured board or surface.
If you are using a baking pan, then create the pizza in that.
Open the sauce container, and start to spread the Tomato Sauce. Spread the Tomato Sauce around the whole base, taking care to leave a gap at edges.
Add the ingredients in size order, from large to small.
Cheese gets added last.
The toppings to add to this pizza are;
- Mozzarella
- Grilled Bell Pepper
- Creme Fraiche
Whilst this pizza is flavorsome by itself, yet why not try it with other pizza types?
Oven time
Put the Rustica pizza in the middle of your oven (on a pizza steel if you have one) and set timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, open oven and look at pizza.
The pizza should be done within roughly 15 minutes. Always cook to personal tastes.
About Mozzarella
Fresh Mozzarella is typically white, however when seasoned it can change to light yellow, depending on the animal’s diet. Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day after it is made, however it can be kept in brine for a week, or even longer if packaged well.
Mozzarella was first cited in an Italian cookbook in 1570. Nowadays, Mozzarella can be twisted to form a plait, and called Treccia. You can also buy it as a smoked cheese, called Affumicata.
Pizza Tools
When making Rustica Pizza, I always recommend that you use whatever kitchen items you have. My basic pizza tools are…
Rolling Pin
Yes, I know, many people swear by hand stretching, however there’s times in all our lives where we need a good wooden roller.
Pizza Stone
A pizza stone really helps create a fantastic tasting pizza at home. Learn how to clean and care for your Pizza Stone.
Dough Containers
Having quality, air tight dough storage containers is a must.
Bell Pepper
Also called sweet pepper, paprika or capsicum, Bell Peppers are a fruit of plants in the Capsicum species. Green Chili Peppers are not a different species, but rather just the unripe state of red peppers. Green Chili Peppers are the most aggressively flavoured, being naturally acidic and sometimes a little bitter.
Red peppers are sweeter and gentler, and used either cooked or raw. Orange and Yellow peppers are individual varieties rather than stages between green and red peppers. They have been specially bred to be sweet and gentle.
Pizza Facts
Here are a few interesting pizza facts…
Largest pizza delivery
The largest pizza delivery was organised by Pizzas 4 Patriots (USA), who sent 30,000 pizzas with DHL Express to the United States Armed Forces, in Kandahar Airfield, Bagram Airbase and Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, on 4 July 2012. The 12 inch pizzas were made by Great Kitchens, Inc. in Illinois in June 2012.
Salami in space
Pizza Hut made history when they sent a 6-inch salami pizza via a Russian rocket to the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachov munched on the treat and even took marketing photos.
Ah, a museum
There is a Pizza museum in Philadelphia called Pizza Brain. It contains one of the world’s largest collections of pizza themed memorabilia. Oh and you can buy and eat pizza there too.
Meat Pizzas
Keen on seeing more than Rustica pizza? We have plenty of other Meat pizza recipes to look at, as well. Enjoy!
Pizza making FAQ
Hope to make fantastic pizza at home? Here are some expert answers to some of the most Frequently asked questions.
What makes pizza greasy?
A pizza can get greasy from too much oil, an oily environment or oily toppings, such as high moisture mozzarella, seafood and the like.
When to put basil on pizza?
Fresh Basil should be placed on top of the pizza after baking, a minute or two after it is taken from the oven. This way, it stays fresh and not burnt.
What is kosher pizza?
In Hebrew, “kosher” means fit or proper. Kosher pizza means fit for consumption by Jewish people. Most dough, sauce, and cheese can be kosher on a pizza.
Have you made Rustica Pizza?
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