Vegan potato pizza with rosemary

Step 1

Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly using the lowest setting on a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife. If using a knife, make sure the slices are thin and of the same thickness so that they cook evenly.

Step 2

Rinse sliced potatoes and plunge them into a bowl of lukewarm water with a teaspoon of salt. This will get rid of excess starch and allow the potatoes to crisp up more. Leave them to soak for at least 1 hour. Make the pizza dough whilst waiting.

Step 3

Rinse the potato slices out and place them in a single layer on a long piece of kitchen towel. Cover with another piece of kitchen towel and place another, single, layer of potato on top. Cover with another piece of kitchen towel. Continue in the same way until you've used up all your potato slices up. The point of this is to dry the potato slices as much as possible before topping the pizza.

Step 4

Mix the grated garlic with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Pound a generous pinch of sea salt with a few pinches of rosemary in a pestle and mortar to create rosemary salt.

Step 5

Just before the dough is ready to be rolled out, place the dried potato slices in a large bowl. Toss them in a bit of olive oil. Don't season with salt just yet as it will make the potatoes release more water and will prevent crisping up.

Step 6

Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Step 7

Pour in the lukewarm water and olive oil. Stir everything together with a large wooden spoon.

Step 8

When the mixture has mostly stuck together, turn the mixture out on to a work surface or a bread board.

Step 9

Knead the mixture by holding one end of the dough in one hand and stretching it out with the other hand (see photo below). Reform the dough, turn it 90 degrees and start again. Repeat this for 10 minutes.

Step 10

When the dough is shiny and smooth, put it in a large mixing bowl, coat it in a thin layer of olive oil and cover the bowl with a tea towel.

Step 11

Leave this in a warm place (but not too warm - ie not next to an open fire!) for between one and two hours (until it has doubled in size).

Step 12

Set the oven to 250° C / 480° F and brush two baking trays with olive oil - don't be stingy as otherwise the pizza may end up sticking to the trays.

Step 13

After the dough has proved, empty it out on to a work surface and push the air out with your fingertips.

Step 14

Divide the dough in half. Place one half in the middle of an oiled baking tray and roll it out into a large rectangle using a small rolling pin or push the dough out with your fingers.

Step 15

Brush the dough with half of your garlic oil and sprinkle with salt. Place lightly oiled potato slices on top, make sure the slices do not overlap by more than about 30%. Sprinkle rosemary salt, extra dry (or fresh rosemary) on top and paprika or / and chilli powder if you'd like some spice.

Step 16

Bake for about 12 minutes. While the first pizza is baking, prepare the second one in the same way and again, bake for 12 minutes.