Crust:

1 c. warm water
1¼ tbsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. light olive oil
1½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. dark rye flour
1½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. caraway seeds

Mix ingredients and knead for 7 minutes; add rye flour as needed to prevent dough from becoming sticky. Place the dough in a bowl and spritz with oil to prevent drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. Slap out the 18-oz. dough ball and place on a lightly oiled 14” pizza pan. Dock pizza dough generously with a fork. Par-bake at 400° for 7 to 10 minutes. Dough will become a dark brown, but remove it while it’s still a little soft on the bottom.

Pizza:

6 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
6 oz. thinly sliced corned beef
7 oz. sauerkraut, well-drained
¼ c. chopped dill pickle slices
1 c. Thousand Island dressing

Spread a light covering of dressing over the crust. Sprinkle 4 oz. Swiss cheese on the pie. Evenly distribute corned beef over the cheese. Add sauerkraut over the corned beef. Add the final 2 oz. of Swiss cheese to the top. Bake at 400° for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottom is firm. Remove from the oven and add chopped pickles. Lightly drizzle dressing over the pie in a zigzag pattern, then repeat in the opposite direction.

The Reuben in the Rye

If your customers like Reuben sandwiches, they’re going to love your Reuben pizza, which features the same ingredients baked on a thin, rye-flour crust. The salty corned beef, gooey Swiss cheese and pungent burst of sauerkraut all combine to create a specialty pizza that your customers will crave and your competitors will envy. Here’s a look at some Reuben pies in pizzerias around the country:

With locations in Portage and Kalamazoo, Michigan, Erbelli’s Pizzeria & Italian Bistro & Pub (erbellis.com) earned coverage on The Food Channel for its Reuben pizza, made with Polish sauerkraut, corned beef, butter, Thousand Island, pickles, mozzarella and Swiss cheeses and caraway seeds.

The Oregon Express (oregonexpressdayton.com) in Dayton, Ohio, adds rye croutons to its Reuben pie, which otherwise features traditional Reuben ingredients.