1. Allow your pizza dough to rise in a bowl covered with a dish towel for at least 6 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the white ends off of the escarole and cut into small bite sized pieces. Rinse leaves thoroughly - escarole can hide dirt deep within the leaves like a leek.
3. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add escarole to garlic and olive oil. Cook over medium-low heat until leaves are wilted.
5. Add cannellini beans to the escarole and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Once beans have begun to soften, use the back of a large spoon or potato masher to crush some of the beans. You'll be creating a creamy mixture of beans and escarole - if it seems too dry, add more olive oil.
7. Place the pizza dough on a floured surface. We do NOT use a rolling pin, and instead use our hands to gently pull and stretch the dough into the shape of the pizza stone.
8. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza stone and place the dough. You may continue to gently pull the dough to the edges to create a crust.
9. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil to the edges. If you want a crispy pizza, bake the dough for 5-10 minutes before topping with escarole and beans.If you like a softer pizza, add the escarole and bean topping. 10. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Pull the pizza out and add the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.
11. Optional: Top with grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, or extra drizzle of olive oil if too dry.
Growing up in a half Italian family, escarole and beans is one of our favorite combinations. The pizza can be prepared with a bean puree instead of whole beans. All you need to do is boil the beans in chicken stock, drain, add olive oil and seasoning, and blend in a food processor.