Potato Pizza? Yes!

Confession: Long, detailed instructions are not really my thing.

I'm more of a cut to the chase, give me the big picture kind of person. So when reading a new recipe, sometimes my eyes skip things like "leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes". This means that on occasion, that suppah I thought I was going to whip together in an hour really takes more like 2 and a half, and we're eating at 9 o'clock at night. This was one of those suppahs. But it was worth the wait. Sweet, salty, lovely, roasty toasty flavor awaits those who dare take on the challenge!

**Other details escape me, too, like: make sure the camera has a fresh battery so you can photograph your 2 and a half hour recipe. Hence the missing step by step photos and the one grainy cell phone picture of the final result.**

This is another one from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook that I mentioned in a previous post. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, and if you have some on hand it cuts the prep time considerably. The mashed potatoes add moisture, volume and a light texture to the pizza dough. Delicious!

I would suspect you could make the pizza dough in the morning, refrigerate it, and pull it out about an hour before you want to bake it, letting it rise while you roast the red peppers and make the caramelized onions. Next time, I will do just that!

Potato Pizza with Onions and Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 40 minutes (PLUS RISING TIME!!!!)
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

For the dough:
1/2 c. warm milk
2 packets of yeast, 1/4 oz. each
1/2 t. sugar
1 t. salt, divided
3/4 c. mashed potato
1 c. all purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 T. chopped fresh parsley, or other herbs if you're feeling adventurous
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the topping:
2 T. olive oil
1.5 red onions, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers
1/2 c. sliced kalamata olives
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled - I used some from a local farmers' market.

Mix together the milk, yeast, sugar and 1/2 t. salt in a small bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy. Stir together the mashed potato, flour, parsley, 1/2 t. salt, pepper, and yeast mixture in a large bowl until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes (using more flour as you go) until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed. I had to use about another cup or so of flour.

Return the dough to a large, clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (60 - 90 minutes).

Meanwhile, make the caramelized onions and roast the red peppers. For the onions, heat the 2T. olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over low heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes until golden and glossy. Remove from heat. For the red peppers, wash and dry, then place whole on a cookie sheet and place under your broiler until the skin is blackened. Turn every few minutes until the entire skin is equally black. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. The steam from the bowl will loosen the skins. After 10 minutes, peel and seed the peppers and slice them into thin strips.

When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 415 degrees. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead for another 2 minutes. You can then divide the dough into 2 smaller rounds, or make one large pizza as I did. Generously oil your pizza tray. Place the dough on the tray and press out to the desired size and thickness.

Top the dough with the onion, red pepper, olives and goat cheese. Sprinkle with additional black pepper and herbs if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is lightly and evenly browned on the bottom and the toppings are heated through. Serve immediately.

If you absolutely must have tomato sauce on your pizza, you could definitely add some to this pizza for a little extra zip. And although pizza isn't usually great as a leftover, this one held up beautifully in the fridge for a couple of days.