American Cuisine
Ingredients:
- 24 oz bought pizza dough, divided.
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, for dusting.
- 1 cup pesto.
- 2 cups grated mozzarella/provolone cheese.
- 1 cup roasted or comfit garlic cloves.
- 4 red skinned potatoes, very thinly sliced.
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning.
- Olive oil.
- Kosher salt.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Crushed red pepper flakes.
Directions:
- Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and
preheat to 500°.
- Allow the stone to heat for at least half an hour before
baking pizzas.
- Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature.
- On a lightly-floured work surface, form the dough into 2
large balls, collecting the sides and tucking them under to create a smooth outer
surface.
- Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow resting for
at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blanch the potato slices in boiling water
until just cooked through, anywhere between 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drain and allow cooling slightly before drying the slices
with paper towels and coating them with a touch of olive oil, a pinch of
Italian seasoning and kosher salt.
- Generously dust a wooden peel or the back of a sheet pan
with flour or cornmeal.
- With lightly-floured hands, press the dough with your
fingertips to form a flattened disk.
- Lift the dough up and use the back of your knuckles to
stretch and thin-out the dough into a circle with a diameter of 12 inches.
- Be careful to preserve the edge of the dough to get a
light, chewy crust. Carefully position the stretched dough onto the prepared
peel or baking sheet.
-
Using a large spoon spread an even layer of the pesto onto the dough and
carefully spread it to within ½ inch of the edge, being careful to leave a
sauce free edge.
- Top with an even layer of the grated mozzarella/provolone
cheese followed by slices of parboiled potatoes and roasted garlic cloves.
- Top with a light sprinkling of a bit more mozzarella,
season with salt to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Lightly brush the exposed crust with a bit of olive oil
to promote browning.
- Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and
bake until the crust is crisped and golden and the cheese is bubbling and just
beginning to brown, about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for a
few minutes before slicing.