Daring Bakers in October: Pizza & Toppings
October 29, 2008 at 4:12 am | Posted in daring bakers, groups, savory things, yeast breads | 39 Comments
October’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge is hosted by Rosa of Rosa’s Yummy Yums, and it’s the third recipe the group has made from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread by Peter Reinhart. Judging from the other two, we will all have had spectacular results with this month’s PIZZA! I completed the recipe so early in the month (which is quite unusual for me), that I’ve actually had too long to think about what I’d say. In my head, this became quite a long, rambling post…sorry…I understand if you don’t have the patience!
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pizza. I do have a couple of good friends who don’t eat cheese, but they still love cheese-less pizza. As a New Yorker, I prefer pizza that has a chewy, puffy, nicely browned and slightly salty outer crust. I think the crusty edge part is just as good as the topping part– you’ll never see me leaving a heap of chewed-around crusts on my plate! I had a bit of a hard time with pizza in Sydney, where the preference seems to be an ultra-thin crust, with really no outer edge to speak of. Eventually, we found Pizza Mario in Surry Hills (it’s an accredited member of l’Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), which gets my vote as Sydney’s best!
I make pizza often at home, but I’ve had mixed results. My best work came out of the oven in my last apartment in Brooklyn. It was an old gas Magic Chef with a bottom heating element (I could see the flames under the oven floor) that got my stone ripping hot. The bottom crust was always brown and crisp. In Sydney, we had electric ovens with top heating elements in all three apartments, and no matter how long I preheated my stone, or where I placed it in the oven, I could never get the bottom to brown nicely. It became quite frustrating, and I tried many dough recipes and little technique modifications along the way. (It may also be the stone itself, as my old one went into storage accidentally and I had to get a different one in Sydney. I’ve read about making pizza on the bottom side of a super-hot cast iron skillet under the broiler…sounds promising, but my skillet is kind of small.) I’m definitely crossing my fingers for a gas oven in the future!
I made half a recipe of dough, from which I formed two largish pizzas. This is a well-hydrated dough, and requires an overnight rest in the fridge. I can be held for up to three days, though, so I decided to make one pizza for dinner one night, and the other the next night. I know that Rosa wanted us to shape the dough by tossing it “like a real pizzaiolo,” but mine was much too sticky. I had a hard time even with just the hand-stretching. Despite the stickiness, the dough had a wonderful, soft feel, and I could tell by touch that the recipe would be a good one.
As far as pizza toppings go, I am a minimalist…I don’t like too many different things, or too much of any one thing, either, to weigh down or sog out the crust. I usually do tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil– black olives, too, if I’m feeling crazy– so I thought I’d try a couple of “unusual” topping combinations for my challenge. Inspired by a favorite at the aforementioned Pizza Mario, I made a pizza topped with potato, rosemary and Maldon salt with the first night’s dough. Before baking, I simply sliced a red-skinned potato super-thin with a Japanese mandolin, spiraled the slices on the dough, sprinkled on the rosemary and salt, and drizzled olive oil all over it. The next night, I slowly caramelized a sliced onion in a little olive oil and butter to top my second pizza. Then I scattered on bits of gorgonzola picante and some more rosemary.
I just realized, looking back at the DB details to type up this post, that we were supposed to use both toppings and sauce. Well, we can just consider olive oil to be the sauce on these, because I used copious amounts of the stuff on both pizzas!
The pizzas were a hit! Potato pizza may sound like starch on starch, but it’s really so delicious. If you’ve never tried it, I recommend giving it a go sometime. The sweet onions with the sharp gorgonzola was a perfectly balanced match on the second pizza (and, in the oven, some of the onions got a little crispy on the edges– the best part!). And the dough was wonderful– just the kind of bready crust I like! I unfortunately had the same problems browning the underside, but I expected that, and I’ll try it again when I’m settled in New York.
Rosa was originally to host this challenge with Sher from What Did You Eat?, and it was Sherry’s idea to make this recipe. Sherry passed away in July, but Rosa decided to go ahead with her choice, honoring her friend and her accomplishments as a cook and baker. So don’t call for pizza delivery this weekend! Make your own instead, and get the recipe on Rosa’s site. Don’t forget to check out the DB blogroll!
39 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a reply to RecipeGirl Cancel reply
Baked Fresh Weekly
Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.
a whisk and a spoon 
Both of your pizzas are gorgeous but I’m especially drooling over the gorgonzola & onions one: a great choice!
Comment by sandra avital— October 29, 2008 #
I love your toppings for the pizza especially the one with the potatoes.
Comment by mary— October 29, 2008 #
Ahh Steph! Such lovely looking pizzas! I could never find good pizzas when I visited Sydney coz Melbourne just had the bestest ever Pizzas!! I couldnt make it this month for the challenge but wish I could have a piece of your pizza now!
Comment by Dharm— October 29, 2008 #
Mmm, pizza!!! Love your “minimalist” approach with the potatoes.
Comment by VeggieGirl— October 29, 2008 #
j’aime beaucoup les garnitures que tu as mises 🙂 j’ai beaucoup aimé ce défi !
Comment by isabelle— October 29, 2008 #
Potato pizza. What a great idea. Love it. It looks beautiful too!!!
Comment by Judy— October 29, 2008 #
I gotta try that potato!! They look awesome!
Comment by Elizabeth— October 29, 2008 #
What a beautiful combination of ingredients! And a beautiful result, of course!
Comment by DaviMack— October 29, 2008 #
Beautiful! I love how thin you got your slices.
Comment by Chris— October 29, 2008 #
I never thought that potatoes and pizza would look so good together, but you accomplished it! It looks wonderful!
Comment by Lorrie— October 29, 2008 #
Beautifully done. Potato is a favorite topping of mine.
Comment by rainbowbrown— October 29, 2008 #
I’ve got to try your potato topping–that sounds incredible. I’m usually a minimalist with my pizza, too.
Comment by Di— October 29, 2008 #
Holy Cow, that potato pizza looks to die for! Fantastic job, I’m going to have to borrow your idea!
Comment by Ally— October 29, 2008 #
I can’t believe I’ve never had a potato pizza before after seeing this beautiful pie- The potatoes look so crispy and delicious… Now I really want to try it!
Comment by BitterSweet— October 29, 2008 #
I love anything with gorgonzola in it! Your pizzas look superb!
Comment by Lynn— October 29, 2008 #
your pizzas look fabulous. the topping are beautiful and the crust looks great.
Comment by Courtney— October 29, 2008 #
I love both toppings you chose. Great pics as always
Ulrike from Küchenlatein
Comment by Ulrike— October 29, 2008 #
Your toppings sound delicious and unusual! Looks great!
Comment by Shari— October 29, 2008 #
WOOHOO…looks good to me. I love the idea of potato on starch…your pizza is scrumptious…YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM!
Comment by Deeba— October 29, 2008 #
Wonderful looking pizzas! Strange that your posts are not the first to pop up the night before for these challenges and such. Great job with this one!
Comment by Gretchen Noelle— October 29, 2008 #
Too funny – I realized that I hadn’t “technically” used a sauce either – just olive oil! And I agree that the puffy crust is an equally tasty part. Love the potato pizza.
Comment by Caitlin— October 29, 2008 #
Your pizzas are gorgeous!! And the toppings sound delicious. Great choices!
Comment by CookiePie— October 29, 2008 #
Wow such unique ideas for pizza. I love the potato one! I must try that!
Comment by Lori— October 29, 2008 #
Yum! I love potato pizza! Your crust looks perfect. My doigh was too sticky to toss as well, but like you, I find that a sticky dough gives a better end result
Comment by Tammy— October 29, 2008 #
Hi Steph, great job on your pizzas. It looks so delicious!
Comment by jo— October 29, 2008 #
Hi! You know I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that doesn’t like pizza either! How could you not like such beautiful pizzas … those paper-thin slices of potato had my mouth watering. Beautiful!
Comment by Ivonne— October 29, 2008 #
Great idea with the potato! I’ll have to try that with my left over dough! Great job!
Comment by Heather B— October 29, 2008 #
Never thought of potato, but with lots of olive oil I can see it would be great. Your photos are mouthwatering
Comment by Elle— October 29, 2008 #
Potato is a wonderful idea to top this crust. That’s one I hadn’t thought of! Beautiful pics 🙂
Comment by RecipeGirl— October 30, 2008 #
Your pizzas are so pretty! I love the toppings! Very well done!
Cheers,
Rosa
Comment by Rosa— October 30, 2008 #
My mouth is literally watering looking at those thiiiiiinly sliced potatoes. GREAT JOB>
Comment by Lesley— October 30, 2008 #
I love how thin the slices of potato are. The pizzas turned out beautiful. I’m with you on the minimalist approach to toppings.
Comment by giz— October 31, 2008 #
The potato pizza sounds fantastic! …mmm!
Comment by Gigi— November 1, 2008 #
Both of your pizzas are beautiful. The potatoes are sliced perfectly thin, and the caramelized onions with gorgonzola sounds fantastic. Nicely done!
Comment by Andrea— November 1, 2008 #
I am constantly contemplating potatoes on Focaccia, but never managed to get such a delicious looking result as you. I will have to try with equally thin slices.
Comment by Sweet Tooth— November 1, 2008 #
My favorite pizza also involves potatoes, so that one looked very good to me.
I’m crossing my fingers for you on the gas oven when you move. I’m not getting one in my new home but I can hope for someone else still!
Comment by Jenny— November 1, 2008 #
Living with a discerning pizza eater (my DH is from the NJ), I’ve learned to appreciate a good crust, and your crust description is exactly what my DH looks for in a good pizza (We live on the WestCoast, so a good NY style pizza is hard, if not impossible to find).
Beautiful and creative toppings for both of your pizzas!
Comment by Linda— November 2, 2008 #
You must be a perfectionist! This is sucha beautiful, amazing pizza! Potatoes/ rozemary always a good marriage!
Comment by Celine— November 4, 2008 #
Hi Steph – I live Tasmania – and you’ve left the country! Oh noes!
Pizzas – we don’t own a stone, and have never been able to get the pizza to brown nicely on any kind of tray. Our tip – straight on the oven racks. Shape your pizza, dust semolina on the bottom of it, put your sauce on, then put your pizza straight on the oven racks. Best. Pizza. Ever.
Love your work!
Amy
Comment by Amy— November 7, 2008 #