Food - Drink
Italy's Potato Pizza Is Simple, Crispy Perfection
By NEALA BRODERICK
Potatoes on Pizza?
Before you put potatoes on pizza in the same controversial category as pineapple or pickles, know that this carb-on-carb combination is certified authentic Italian. Created in Naples in the early 1900s, potato pizza has a thin, airy crust bulked up by adding potatoes for a simple yet perfectly crispy pie.
History
At the turn of the 20th century, Neapolitans living in small, oven-less homes would bake their pizza on the floor of local bakeries which would get hot enough from the wood-fired ovens to slow cook the dough. Families thinly stretched their dough across the floor to help it cook and then topped it with potatoes for bulk.
Ingredients
The traditional ingredients for the pizza are flour, salt, and potato, without sauce or cheese. However, today's Neapolitan potato pizzas usually feature San Marzano tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, while Roman versions typically skip the tomatoes and instead add flavor with rosemary.
Making the Pizza
Potato pizza can easily be made at home using basic ingredients, like potatoes which are sliced so thinly you don’t need to pre-boil them, resulting in a crispy upper crust. The yeast-less dough is made with flour, salt, and water, and to top it off you can opt for sauce and cheese or a simple olive oil drizzle.