Red Skin Potato Pizza

 

The Mellow Mushroom just opened about 8 months ago here in Greenville and we’ve been several times, trying different pizzas.  Well one of my favorites is the Red skin potato pizza.  It is like a loaded baked potato on a pizza crust!  It is also the only pizza where I actually like onions on it.  I have a weird thing where I LOVE the taste of onions and peppers but have a weird dislike for these ingredients uncooked.  It is totally in my head and is more of a texture thing, but because these onions are caramelized, if I didn’t see them in the pizza, I wouldn’t even know.  Soooo yummy!  So, today I thought I’d try to make a “home-made” pizza and really had a craving for this!  Here is my version!

Red Skin Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

Dough (via browneyedbaker.com):

1/2 cup warm water

 1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

 1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands

 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.

3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by h and for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

Pizza Dough Kneaded by Hand

 Follow the recipe for Pizza Dough through step 1. Omit step 2 and instead combine the salt and half the flour in a deep bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine. Add the remaining flour, stirring until a cohesive mass forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic 7 to 8 minutes, using as little dusting flour as possible while kneading. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proceed with the recipe.

Toppings:

Red potatoes (3-4)

1.     While the dough is rising, start slicing 3-4 red potatoes ¼ inch thick.

2.     Drizzle olive oil on baking sheet and lay slices of potatoes on sheet.

3.     Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

 

Caramelized onions (1 onion sliced)

1.     In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat

2.     Add onion slices with salt and pepper

3.     Cook until onions brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally.  (about 20 minutes)

 

Applewood smoked bacon (cooked and crumbled)

Cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses

Sour Cream

Spicy Ranch (I literally add Tabasco to ranch dressing J)

Olive Oil

Minced Garlic

Time to build the Pizza!

1.     Lay dough on pizza stone or circle baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

 

2.     Sprinkle minced garlic over olive oil to taste.

3.     Lay baked potato layer to cover the entire pizza

4.     Layer caramelized onions over the potatoes!

5.     Shower the pizza with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

6.     Top cheeses with bacon!

7.     Bake at 500 degrees for 8-12 minutes (longer for thicker crusts) until crust turns golden brown.

8.     After Pizza is baked, top with swirls of sour cream and spicy ranch dressing!

9.     (Optional) I also topped with a little more cheddar cheese and placed back in the oven until cheese melted.

 

Much of this pizza (and toppings) are to taste.  For example, I don’t like overwhelming garlic, so I sprinkled about a tablespoon total over the pizza base.  I suppose that is the great part about making your own pizza, you can customize it as you wish!