Pizza Patate

I have a new best friend and his name is Jim Lahey.  We've actually become quite close over the past few months, spending plenty of time together in my kitchen perfecting the art of homemade bread and pizza dough.  My favourite thing to make and bake also happens to be his as well, so it's a friendship destined to last, I'm sure. 

Don't worry, Rob has no concerns about this new friendship.  In fact, he wholeheartedly supports it and reaps the benefits of our time together.  By the way, I don't actually know Jim, but I do know his new book and it has a permanent spot on my bookshelf filed under "new-favourite-must-cook-from-often".  I've spent so much time with it lately that it actually does feel like Jim and I are new best friends.

Aside from his fabulous no-knead bread recipe, I'm also completely smitten with the pizza patate recipe nestled about halfway into the pages of the book.  Potato-topped pizza dough embellished with onion, fresh rosemary and ground pepper makes for quite the tasty dinner.  And despite the fancy sounding title this is truly a no-fuss-no-muss recipe designed to feed the entire family.  Because I'm your good friend, I think it's only fitting I share the recipe with you - after all, isn't that what friends are for?

Pizza Patate, adapted from My Bread

• 6 litres lukewarm water
  
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
  
• 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
  
• 1 yellow onion, diced
  
• Fresh ground pepper (about 10 cranks of the grinder)
  
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
  
• 1 recipe pizza dough (Use your favourite recipe - here's mine)
  

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 

In a medium bowl combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved.  Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick) and put the slices in to the salt water.  Let soak for  1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are no longer crisp.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a medium bowl and toss together with onion, pepper and olive oil.

Spread the potato mixture evenly over the rolled out dough, going all the way to t edges but putting a it more of the topping around the edges as the outsides tend to cook a little more quickly.  Sprinkle with rosemary.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Comments

[Ann]

This looks wonderful. The recipe doesn't mention cheese, but it looks like there is cheese sprinkled on top, right? Does the cheese add a lot or is it unnecessary?

[maria]

I love this book, too. What else have you made from it, other than the basic bread recipe, that you have liked?

[Jan Scott]

Maria, I tried the bread made with pancetta.  Crazy good!  How about you?  Any favourites?

[maria]

peanut butter and jelly bread was delicious but too dense. foccacia was really good. must cook more!