Jims Potato Pizza Food

JIM'S POTATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer, and slowly add 1 3/4 cups cold water. Mix on low speed until ingredients begin to combine. Increase speed to medium high, and continue to mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and cleanly pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl, and allow to rest for 2 to 4 hours until it has doubled in size.
• While the dough rests, prepare the potato topping. Slice potatoes very thin using a knife or a mandoline. Then soak them in several changes of ice water to remove excess starch and prevent discoloration. Drain slices in a colander, toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain any accumulated water. In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, onions, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 440 degrees. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with vegetable oil. Divide dough in half. Place each piece on its own baking sheet. Using the palms of your hands, flatten dough out to the edges of the pan. Evenly spread potatoes over the surface of the dough up to the very edge, or about 1 inch from the edge if you desire a crust on your pizza. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Bake potato pizza until it has shrunk away from the edges of a pan and the bottom is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly; slice into pieces, and serve. Potato pizza is also delicious served at room temperature.

POTATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Measure out the flour and place in a large bowl forming a well in the middle.
• In a bowl, mix the yeast with 1 cup of the water. Add the sugar and stir to mix well. Set aside to let bubble and become frothy.
• To the flour well, add the oil, then the frothy yeast mixture. Add the other cup of water to the bowl that contained the yeast, swish it around and then add this to the well contents.
• Begin mixing the flour into the liquid and at this point, sprinkle the salt in.
• When all the flour and liquid are combined, dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead well for about 10 minutes.
• Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl then set aside and let rise for about 5 minutes. Lightly punch it down then set side again and let rise for about 2 hours.
• Season the sliced potatoes with salt and pepper
• Add herbs/spices to your liking
• Add the olive oil
• Let the potatoes sit for 45-60 minutes. The potatoes will release water. Do not drain.
• After the dough has rested for 2 hours, punch it down again and then spread it out into a pizza pan lightly greased with butter or shortening. Prick the dough all over lightly with a fork.
• Lightly brush the dough with olive oil.
• Begin placing the potato slices over the pizza, overlapping the slices as shown in the photo.
• When all the slices have been placed on the pizza, evenly sprinkle about 3/4 of the potato water over the pizza.
• Finally, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pizza.
• In a preheated oven, place the pizza in the middle of the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
• For a regular oven, set temperature at 375-400F.
• Nonna Anna cooks her pizza at 440F using convection roast on her gas range.
• Adjust cooking temperature to your particular oven.

POTATO PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: In a medium bowl, mix the yeast with warm water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, sugar and salt, and whisk. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Make a hole in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture. Slowly hand mix the flour until all the liquid is absorbed. If too wet, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Sprinkle a clean work station with flour and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Coat a large ceramic bowl with the remaining olive oil. Place the dough in the ceramic bowl, and flip over to coat in the oil. Cover the top of the dough with plastic wrap and cover the bowl with a dish towel. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, 2 hours. Punch down the dough and let rise for another hour.
• For the toppings: Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes and onion. Roughly chop the rosemary leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Grease the pizza pan with the leaf lard.
• Mold the dough into the shape of the pan. Brush with some olive oil. Place the pizza on the bottom oven rack for 5 minutes, to pre-crisp the crust. Add two layers of the potatoes in a scallop style. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
• Sprinkle with the rosemary and drizzle with more olive oil. Place on the middle oven rack and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven. Immediately remove the pizza from the pan and cut into rectangles.

PIZZA POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Thoroughly wash the russet potatoes to remove all surface dirt. Scrub with a vegetable brush if necessary. For uniform baking it is important for each potato to be approximately the same thickness, but in no case should they be less than 1-1/2 inches thick.
• Hold a potato on its side and carefully slice the potato lengthwise into three equal width slices.
• Place each slice (12 total for the 4 potatoes used) on a large non-stick baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the inner portions of the potatoes are soft and the cut surfaces are beginning to brown. While the potato slices are baking, wash and peel the onions and garlic. Dice the onions, crush the garlic, and put into a covered baking dish. Mix in the pepper and cook on "high" in your microwave oven for about 3 to 4 minutes until the onions start to become translucent.
• When the onions and garlic are cooked, add the crushed tomatoes and oregano, mix, cover, and cook for about another 30 minutes (mixing every 10 minutes) until the sauce thickens. A little trick to aid during the thickening process which allows evaporation without splashing: place the end of a wooden toothpick between the lid and the baking dish, with one end sticking out so you can hold it while removing the lid. When the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency, remove from the microwave oven.
• While the sauce is cooking, open the can of beans and pour off the liquid. Place the beans in the container of your blender, add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and corn starch, and run the blender at high speed until the contents are creamy smooth.
• Wash, peel, and slice the onion for the topping.
• When the potatoes are baked, remove from the oven and set on a wire rack. The sauce and the bean cream should also be ready. As quickly as possible, spread a layer of the bean cream on each potato slice. Carefully spoon on the tomato sauce and top with the onion rings (each step is shown in the photo to the left). Place back in the oven and turn up the heat to 400 degrees F. for approximately another 20 minutes.
• When the pizza potatoes are baked, remove from the oven, and set on a wire rack. When the pizza potatoes have partially cooled, they can be picked up and eaten as "finger food.".

POTATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until they are easily pierced with a knife.
• Drain them, mash a quarter of them into a bowl (reserve 1 cup of the potato water), cut the remainder into small cubes, and reserve.
• To make the dough, dissolve the yeast in the reserved potato water.
• Combine with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, salt, and the mashed potatoes.
• Stir in the flour a little at a time, adding just enough to make a dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 to 5 minutes until it reaches a smooth consistency.
• (This can also be achieved in an electric mixer with the dough hook.) Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a wet towel or plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 45 minutes.
• Roll the dough out into a large circle 1/8 inch thick and about 15 inches in diameter.
• Place the dough on a pizza stone or baking sheet, sprinkle with the mozzarella, Asiago and fontina, and top with the cubed potatoes.
• Drizzle the remaining olive oil on top of the pizza, then sprinkle it with fresh pepper, rosemary, oregano, basil, and Parmesan.
• Cover again with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 25 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap, place in the oven, and bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
• Enjoy!