A few years ago, I gave up making my own pizza dough since store-bought is just quick and easy. Here is a case where I craved this pizza and had to make the crust myself (takes a while so it's a good task for when you have a free afternoon).
The secret crust ingredient: a russet potato!
Rising dough.
The helper performing a taste test. Mmmm!
Allow the dough to rest in the pans one last time.
For sauce, I simply drained a can of diced tomatoes in a sieve.
Form the edges and prick with a fork several times.
While baking the crust, prep your toppings. We chose crumbled sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, sliced onion, kalamata olives, and shiitake mushrooms. We used our favorite pizza cheese, reduced fat Dragone, freshly grated (1/2 a block for 2 pizzas).
The prebaked crust is ready for toppings!
Makes one 14-inch pizza or two pizzas, 6" and 8"1 medium baking potato (about 9 ounces), peeled and quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup water (warm, 105 to 115 degrees)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for oiling bowl
1 3/4 teaspoons table salt
1. Bring 1 quart water and potato to boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and cool potato until it can be handled comfortably. Grate through large holes on box grater. Measure 1 1/3 cups lightly packed potato; discard remaining potato.
2. Adjust one oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 200 degrees. Once temperature reaches 200º, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off heat. Keep in mind that yeast multiplies the best between 105 to 115º and is killed at temperatures above 140º.
3. In bowl of standing mixer fit with paddle attachment, mix yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1 cup warm water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warmed oven for 20 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 cups flour, salt, and potato. Mix on low speed until dough comes together. I found it necessary to drizzle in more olive oil to make the dough come together. Or you could use more water.
Switch to dough hook attachment and increase speed to medium; continue kneading 10 minutes. Transfer dough to lightly oiled medium bowl, turn to coat with oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in warm oven until dough is soft and spongy and doubled in size, 45 minutes.
4. Oil bottom of deep-dish pizza pan (we used 8" and 6" cast iron skillets) with remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Remove dough from oven; turn onto clean, dry work surface and pat into rounds. Transfer rounds to pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest until dough no longer resists shaping, about 10 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 425º. Uncover dough and pull up into edges and up sides of pan to form 1-inch-high lip. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free spot until double in size, about 30 minutes. Uncover dough and prick generously with fork.Bake in preheated oven until dry and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add desired toppings; bake until cheese melts, 10 to 15 minutes. Move pizza to top rack and bake until cheese is spotty golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.
Let cool 5 minutes, then, holding pizza pan at angle with one hand, use wide spatula to slide pizza from pan to cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.
