Potato, Rosemary & Cured Sausage Pizza

Potato, Rosemary & Cured Sausage Pizza
Inspired by The Southern Italian Table

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes plus the time to actually make the pizza dough (see California Style Pizza for my favorite recipe) or buy ready to use pizza dough – lots of supermarkets carry it.
Total Cooking time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes to preheat the oven and the baking stone.
Serves 2-4 depending on what else you’re serving. One pizza in my house covers a pizza peel (about 12”) and feed the two of us with a salad.

Ingredients:
California style pizza dough
Extra virgin olive oil (just enough to brush the surface of the pizza
2-3 small potatoes (I like Yukon Gold) boiled and thinly sliced
Handful or so of your favorite cured Italian salami like sopresseta, (for this dish I prefer ones cured in sausage form)cut into thin slices
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Cornmeal for preparing pizza peel
Handful fresh bocconcini/mozzarella, shredded (optional)
¼ - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Prepare pizza dough as directed.

2. Preheat at 450-500°F/230-260°C for at least 30 minutes (and since my oven is slow to reach the optimal temperature, I give it even more time) so timing is everything. If you’re not using a pizza stone, I would still preheat the pizza pans to give the crust a really good crispiness, but you probably only need 10-15 minutes. Lay the stone or baking sheet on the lowest rack for electric, on the floor of your oven for gas ranges.

3. Roll out the pizza dough (as per instructions) and shape as desired. Place on a pizza peel that’s been sprinkled with coarsely ground corn meal which acts as ball bearings and makes for easy sliding onto the pizza peel.

4. Brush all over with olive oil. And either…top with fresh mozzarella , or omit the cheese and just place a layer of cooked potatoes over the oiled pizza dough leaving ½” border around the edges. Sprinkle with rosemary and garlic and distribute sausage coins evenly. Do remember to only do single thin layers of potatoes and sausages or the pizza will be too heavy too heavy to slide onto the pizza stone. Brush the edges with a little more olive oil.

5. If you’re using a pizza peel, give it a quick shake to make sure it’s not stuck anywhere and then transfer to the preheated pizza stone with a good, quick jerking motion. Bake until the crust is golden –about 10 minutes in total. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and return to the oven for 2 minutes or just until the cheese melts.

6. Remove pizza to a wire rack (we just put it directly on the cutting board) and let stand for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board or tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Slice and serve.