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–+ servings

Pizza di Patate (Potato Pizza)

I first tasted this in Rome in 1992 and fell in love with it. There are numerous variations, such as using potatoes that have been shredded on the teardrop shaped holes of a grater or topping the pizza with cheese. This simple version is my favorite. Making the pizza in a rectangular pan most resembles Roman pizza al taglio. The dough can be divided to make two round pizzas approximately 12 inches in diameter. See the Notes section for instructions on making the dough in a bread machine as well as directions for making the dough in advance. You can use bread flour if you wish but the dough will be really springy from the gluten making it a bit more difficult to stretch out. If using bread flour it is really a good idea to refrigerate the dough as described below.
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Prep Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast or 2 packets
  • 1 7/8 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil plus additional for oiling the dough and pan
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 5 3/4 cups all purpose flour
Topping
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic crushed with the side of a chef’s knife
  • 2-3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 3-4 medium russet potatoes
  • Coarse sea salt

Method
 

  1. Warm the bowl and dough hook of an electric mixer with hot water. Drain and dry.
  2. Add the warm water and yeast to warmed bowl. Blend briefly.
  3. Allow the yeast and water to sit until creamy, approximately 10 minutes.
  4. Add about half the flour and mix to combine.
  5. With the motor running, add salt and drizzle in olive oil. Mix to combine.
  6. Add the remaining flour.
  7. Mix approximately 8-10 minutes after all the flour is added. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
  8. Place the dough in an oiled bowl or container. Oil the top of the dough. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled.
  9. Meanwhile, make the flavored oil. Sauté the bruised garlic in the oil over medium-low heat until light golden. Do not allow the garlic to turn brown.
  11. Allow the oil to cool for a few minutes. Add the rosemary. The oil should be warm to release the flavor of the rosemary but not so hot that the rosemary begins to sizzle.
  12. Allow the oil and rosemary to sit at room temperature to cool. When cool, remove and discard the garlic.
  13. When dough has doubled, punch it down to remove all air pockets.
  14. Using olive oil, oil an 11x17 inch rimmed baking sheet.
  15. Press the dough into the pan. Allowing the dough to rest for five or ten minutes midway through pressing it into the pan will allow the gluten to relax making it easier to shape the dough.
  16. Brush the dough lightly with some of the flavored olive oil.
  17. Cover the dough with an inverted rimmed baking sheet and allow it to rise until doubled.
  18. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and slice into very thin slices. A mandoline is best. If so, set it for 1/16 inch.
  20. Cover the potato slices with cool water to remove excess starch and to keep them from turning brown.
  21. When the dough has doubled, dry the potato slices thoroughly and put them on the top of the dough in a single layer that is slightly overlapping. You may have potato slices left over.
  22. Brush the top of the pizza with the remaining flavored olive oil and sprinkle liberally with coarse sea salt.
  23. Bake at 425°F for approximately 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and have golden edges and the dough is golden brown on the edges.

Notes

The dough can be made, with good results, in a bread machine on the dough cycle.  Though I don’t add sugar when making the dough by hand or with a mixer, the shorter rise cycles used by a bread machine work better with sugar.  Put the ingredients, above, into your bread machine following the manufacturers directions adding 1 tablespoon of sugar as well.  When the dough cycle is finished, press the dough into a pan, as described above, or refrigerate as described below.
If I have time, I prefer to make the dough a day or two in advance. After it has risen as described above, put the dough in an oiled container with a tight-fitting lid. Oil the top of the dough and refrigerate. Remove the dough from the refrigerator at least 5 hours before you plan on making the pizza. Punch down the dough just before making the pizza and proceed as above.
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