POTATO BASE PIZZA

There’s no getting away from pizza, and who would want to when
it’s so versatile, so easy to make, and such a big favourite with
practically everyone …
Potato-based pizza is one of my favourites because there’s not
much work in it and I think the results are as good as pizza made
with a traditional dough base.
I’ve generalized a bit with the quantity of flour because it’s hard
to say on paper exactly how much you need, but start with 6
heaped tablespoons and if the dough still seems too sticky and
doesn’t come away from the sides of the bowl easily, add some
more. (Even so, potato pizza dough is softer and more pliable than
traditional dough, which is why it’s important to bake it long
enough to give it time to firm up properly.)
The quantities given here are perfect for an average-sized
rectangular oven tray, approximately 15 x 10 in (37 x 25 cm).
11⁄2 lb (600 g) potatoes
6–8 very heaped tbsp strong bread flour (plain will do if that’s all
you’ve got)
2 tbsp olive oil
Method
1. Peel, boil and mash potatoes in the usual way.
2. Put the potatoes into a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour and
add 2 tbsp olive oil.
3. Mix everything together with your hand to form a firm, but
still fairly soft, stickyish dough.
4. Grease the oven tray with a liberal amount of olive oil – more
than you’d normally use if you were greasing the tray for baking
bread rolls, say.
5. Press the dough into the oven tray right up to the edges to make
a smooth, even layer.
6. Cook the pizza base in a preheated oven, Gas Mark 6–7
(200–220ºC) for a good 20 minutes until the dough is crisp to
the touch and golden brown all over.
7. Spread the pizza base with a mixture of 1 part garlic purée to
3 parts tomato purée; add your favourite toppings with lots of
grated mozzarella (or a mixture of Cheddar and mozzarella)
and bake in a hot oven (as above) for another 15–20 minutes.