Spinach and Three-Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

For the Pizza Dough:

• 2 ¼ teaspoons active-dry yeast (one ¼-ounce envelope)
• 2 cups warm water (105 to 155 degrees)
• 5 to 5 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting, preferably organic
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for bowl

For the Toppings:

• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 2 ounces young pecorino cheese, finely grated
• 8 ounces buffalo mozzarella cheese, torn into 2-inch pieces
• 6 ounces fresh spinach, stems removed
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. 1
   For the Pizza Dough: Dissolve yeast in warm water in a glass measuring cup and let stand for 5 minutes. Mound 5 cups flour in center of work surface, making a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the well and add salt.
2. 2
   Using a fork, slowly incorporate flour, beginning with the inner rim of well. When flour is incorporated, gather dough together to form a rounded mass. Begin kneading dough with lightly floured hands. Start by slapping the dough on the the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand and pushing it away from you with the other. Fold the dough back over itself (use a bench scraper or a wide knife to help scrape dough from surface). Repeat until it’s easier to handle, about 10 times. Finish kneading normally until dough is smooth, elastic, and soft, but a little tacky, about 10 minutes.
3. 3
   Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 2 hours. Press it with your fingers to see if it’s done; an indent should remain.
4. 4
   Scrape dough out of the bowl onto floured surface, and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Shape into balls. Dust with flour and place on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic and transfer to refrigerator; let rise overnight.
5. 5
   For the Toppings: Heat oven to 550 degrees or highest temperature, with a pizza stone placed on lowest rack, for at least 30 minutes Top a pizza peel with parchment paper and set aside.
6. 6
   Working with one piece of dough, flatten dough into a disk that is thicker in the center than at the edges. Using your fingers, gently pull on the edges of the dough to form a 12-inch circle; dough should still be thicker in the center. Transfer dough to prepared pizza peel.
7. 7
   Top dough with one-quarter of the cheeses, 1 ¼ ounces spinach, and ½ clove sliced garlic. Season with pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
8. 8
   Transfer pizza along with parchment paper to pizza stone and bake until spinach is wilted and slightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
9. 9
   Using pizza peel, remove pizza from oven and top with one-quarter of the mint. Serve with lemon wedges. Repeat process with remaining dough and toppings.