Introducing Broccoli Romanesco with Recipe for the Best Pizza Pie Dough

By Brittany P. Anderson

When Alfred Joyce Kilmer wrote, “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree,” he must not have stared into the head of a broccoli romanesco.

You’ve likely seen the striking bright green mathematical spirals in the vegetable section of the local natural food stores, mistaking it for a visitor from a far-off planet. Broccoli romanesco, an heirloom vegetable native to Italy and a cousin to broccoli and cauliflower, appeared sometime in the 1600s.

Romanesco owes its unique appearance to the fact that it grows in a Fibonacci sequence, the kind of sequence seen in snail shells, roses, curled fern leaves, and trees. Students of art and design will know it as the golden ratio, golden mean, or golden rectangle: an organic pattern of scale that is aesthetically pleasing. It is as mesmerizing as it is mind-bending looking into the spirals of a romanesco.

The plant enjoys cooler weather, so spring and winter harvests are possible here on Hawai‘i Island. When you see its spikey head in the produce section, grab it while you can! Romanesco has a light flavor similar to a mild cauliflower, that when baked takes on an earthy sweetness. It is a striking addition to pizza, and delicious when roasted with garlic and finished with large parmesan shavings.

Broccoli romanesco is center stage for this spring pizza pie. It is made with thin crust and topped with pesto, mozzarella, dollops of local chevre, sunny yellow tomatoes, romanesco spires, and thinly sliced zucchini. The key to a good pizza is the dough. This Best Pizza Pie Dough produces a crust that’s crispy outside and light inside and can be made ultra-thin for a flatbread style pizza or thick for a New York City-style pie.

Best Pizza Pie Dough

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup
1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbs olive oil plus 2 tsp
1/2 cup cornmeal (optional)

Method

Measure out the water into a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave for 25–30 seconds. Water should be between 105° and 110°F. Add sugar to the water. Pour in yeast, resist the urge to stir. Set yeast mixture aside for approximately 10 minutes until foamy. Combine 3 1/2 cups flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Once yeast is activated, pour into flour mixture and add 2 Tbs of olive oil. Stir together until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl—it should still be sticky and wet looking. In a large bowl, drizzle the 2 tsp of olive oil. Transfer the wet dough into the large bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a warm dark place for an hour. Dough should double in size.

Flour a clean surface with 1/2 cup flour. Turn the dough onto the floured surface, kneading gently by pulling dough from one side around over to the other side and around to the bottom. Create a smooth ball through this method. You may need to add a little more flour, but you want it to feel light and pliable. Cut in half for two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or keep whole for a larger pizza with thicker crust. Preheat oven to 420°F. Using a pizza pan or cookie sheet, sprinkle the cornmeal on pan and shape the dough. Place in the 420°F for 10 minutes. Remove and increase heat to 450°F. Add broccoli romanesco and other toppings to crust. Put pizza back into oven and cook for another 10–15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Enjoy! ❖