Potato Rosemary Pizza

Sometimes you just fancy a pizza with a twist.

The twist, in this case, is potatoes. On a pizza? Why not! They're rounded out with some onion and rosemary fresh from my garden. Oh, and paremsan cheese too.

I actually managed this pizza on a weeknight, if you can believe it. I put together the dough in the morning before work, and let it rest in the fridge all day. When I got home, all I had to do was slice the potatoes, and let the dough come to room temperature.

Let's begin, shall we?

Slice your taters really thin. This is best done on a mandoline, but if you're without one, as I am, then use your best knife skills to get them as paper thin as possible. Then, leave them to soak in some salt water for a while.

And if anyone from Farm Boy is reading this, please, PLEASE sell your Yukon Gold potatoes loose so I am not forced to by a 10lb bag of them! Thank you.

Next, spread them out on the dough, along with some onion and black pepper. The rosemary goes on top. (The dough's quite difficult to work on its own, but I found it easier to stretch out with the toppings on for some reason.)

And into a very, very hot oven it goes, until the potatoes get crispy and the crust gets crisp. Truthfully, I think the recipe is a bit too generous with the baking time, and I probably should have rescued this about five minutes earlier. Oh well, just had to chew around the burnt bits.

Aren't these slices just crying out for a nice, cold beer?

Potato Rosemary Pizza
(recipe found on Shutterbean, and originally adapted from My Bread, by Jim Lahey)

Makes One 13-by-18-inch pie

1 quart lukewarm water
4 teaspoons table salt
6 to 8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1 cup sliced yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 recipe No Knead Pizza Dough
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 500 F with a rack in the middle

In a medium bowl, combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Use a knife or mandoline to slice the peeled potatoes very thin (1/16th inch thick), and put the slices directly into the salted water so they don’t oxidize and turn brown. Let soak in the brine for about an hour, until the slices are wilted and no longer crisp.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry. In a medium bowl, toss together the potato slices, onion, pepper, and olive oil.

Spread the potato mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges of the pan; put a bit more of the topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quickly. Sprinkle evenly with the rosemary.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. At the 20 minute mark, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the pizza and continue baking. Serve the pizza hot or at room temperature.

No Knead Pizza Dough
(recipe from My Bread, by Jim Lahey)

Makes: enough dough for two pies baked in 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheets

3 3/4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/3 cups water
extra virgin olive oil for pan

In a bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water, and using a spoon, your hand, or a baker's plastic bench scraper, mix together until blended -- this should take a couple of minutes.

Cover the dough and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. (Or stick in the fridge and leave all day.)

Dump out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut it in half. Use both pieces, or save one in the refrigerator (use a zip lock bag) for up to 1 day. Oil a 13x18 inch rimmed baking sheet liberally with good extra virgin olive oil. Then gently plop the dough on the pan and stretch and press it out to the edges. If it springs back wait five minutes and then proceed. The dough is very thin. If it tears, piece it back together.