Easter Pie
 
 
Ingredients
  • Yeast Dough Crust:
  • 3¼ cups flour
  • 1½ tablespoons lard or butter
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 -- ¼ ounce active dry yeast envelope
  • 1 cup warm water
  • Filling: (I used Boar's Head meats and cheeses)
  • 1 lb. mild Italian sausage, ground
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ¼ lb Prosciutto di Parma chopped, diced
  • ⅓ lb Pepperoni, diced
  • ⅓ lb Genoa salami, diced
  • ½ lb ham -- regular boiled deli ham, diced
  • ½ lb capicola, thinly sliced
  • 2 lb whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
  • 15 turns freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • ⅛ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • ⅛ cup Romano Cheese, grated
  • Egg wash, 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
  1. In a measuring cup, mix yeast and warm water together.
  2. Place flour in the bowl of a mixer with the hook attachment. Add the lard or butter, salt, pepper and yeast/water mixture.
  3. Mix on low until dough forms and is elastic and smooth, about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with a towel and allow it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
  5. When dough has risen, cut into 2 pieces.
  6. Stretch one piece to fit into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Reserve the other piece in an oiled zip-top bag in the refrigerator for later to make the top.
  7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  8. Place lined springform pan in the refrigerator while making the filling.
  9. Brown up sausage in a frying pan with the water to render the fat. Drain and cool.
  10. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and pepper. Add eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition.
  11. Add cooled sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni, salami, ham, and grated cheese to ricotta mixture and mix well.
  12. Line the pastry crust with a single layer of the sliced capicola, all around including the edges. Any leftover can be placed on top of the ricotta and meat mixture before sealing the top with pastry.
  13. Once the pie is lined with the capicola, fill with the ricotta and diced meat mixture.
  14. Stretch second piece of dough and place over the filling, pressing the edges closed. Be careful not to tear the dough. The top must be sealed.
  15. Make 4 slits in the dough for steam to escape.
  16. Brush the crust with the egg wash to give it a beautiful glossy finish.
  17. Bake for an hour and a half until crust is nice and golden brown.
  18. Once done, remove pie from oven and let cool completely. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to fully set. It's best to let it set overnight if you can.
  19. Slice and serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Franco Lania
Recipe by Sarah 'n Spice at https://sarahnspice.com/easter-pie/