PIZZA BIANCA WITH POTATO, ANCHOVY & SAGE - TM


You can make this pizza using a store-bought base - I sometimes use the bread pizza bases - but if you want to have a very crunchy and light base, you can use the recipe below. This is for the Thermomix, but I am sure you can do it with a bread-maker or by hand. The result is going to be amazing. Make the dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate. The potatoes and mascarpone can be made the day before, ready to assemble. I’ve made a white pizza here, but put whatever you want on top.

To make the pizza base using the TM
Difficulty = easy
Preparation time = 5 min
Total time = 1h
Serving size = 1

Ingredients
220 g water, room temperature
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried instant yeast
400 g strong white bread flour
30 g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp fine sea salt

Preparation
Lightly grease a large bowl and set aside. Place water, sugar and yeast in mixing bowl then mix 20 sec/speed 2.
Add flour, oil and salt then knead 2 min/. Transfer to prepared bowl and shape into a ball. Cover bowl with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour). Use pizza dough as needed.

To make the Pizza Bianca without the TM

Dough
200g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting the worktop
1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
120ml lukewarm water

Topping
180g new potatoes, finely sliced (unpeeled) on a mandolin
3 tbsp olive oil
200g mascarpone
40g pecorino romano, finely grated
4 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 tsp
50g spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle
salt and black pepper

METHOD:

Put the flour and yeast into a large bowl with the oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then pour in the water, using a spatula to bring together. 

Transfer to a lightly oiled surface, then, with lightly oiled hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes until soft and elastic. 

Add a little more oil if it starts to stick. Divide the dough in half and transfer both pieces on to a large parchment-lined tray, spaced well apart. 

Cover with a slightly damp clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, to double in size.

Preheat the oven to 230°C fan or as high as your oven will go.

While the dough is rising, make the topping. 
In a small bowl, combine the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil, ⅛ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. 
Transfer the potato slices to a parchment-lined tray, big enough that the slices can lie flat and can be spaced apart. Roast for 7 minutes, until golden-brown, then set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone, pecorino, anchovies, sage and lemon zest with a good grind of pepper and set aside.

Grease two large baking trays with olive oil. Lightly flour your work surface. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a rectangle 30 x 20cm. Carefully transfer to the tray and repeat with the second ball of dough. 

Spread the mascarpone mixture evenly over both bases, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge. 


Sprinkle the spring onions on top, then layer over the potatoes. Drizzle each pizza with about 1 tablespoon of oil and bake for 9 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden. Serve warm with a crack of black pepper.


Tips & Tricks

The Thermomix® kneading function makes light work of making dough. A simple recipe, requiring minimal effort on your part, spread the finished pizza dough with a homemade Tomato Sauce and toppings of your choice. For a gluten-free version, try the Gluten-free Pizza recipe on Cookidoo®.

In step 2, the cling film can be lightly oiled to prevent it from sticking to the rising dough.
Use dough to make 1 large rectangular pizza or 4 individual round pizzas.
To shape pizza, place dough on a baking tray (approx. 40 cm x 35 cm) lined with baking paper or greased with extra virgin olive oil. Press it out with your fingertips from the centre to the edges, and gently stretch it into shape. Alternatively, roll out with a rolling pin on a floured surface then transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
To bake pizza, form a small ridge around the edge, and spread lightly with desired topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven (230°C) until cooked.


Comments