Paper Palate

The long, cold days of winter leave me craving rich, hearty winter food.  And what better than a mix of potatoes, onions and tomato sauce stuffed between two layers of homemade pizza dough, then baked until beautifully golden and crispy?

One of my favorite recipes from the Italian Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis is this fantastic recipe for Sicilian Double-Crusted Potato Pizza.  It comes out of the oven piping hot and smelling like my Italian grandmother’s kitchen.  Seriously delicious.  And a wonderful, warming winter meal.

There are three parts to this dish: the dough, the sauce and the actual pie.  Start by making the dough and as it is rising, make the tomato sauce and prepare the vegetables.

Sicilian Double-Crusted Potato Pizza (Scaccia con Patate)
Makes 6-8 servings.

• 1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces)
• 1/2 recipe for Simple Dough (recipe follows)
• 3/4 cup Nunzio’s Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 small, white onion, sliced very thin
• Fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Peel the potatoes and slice as thin as you possibly can, preferably using a vegetable peeler to get paper thin slices.
2. Lightly oil a baking sheet.  Roll out half the dough to a 24 X 12-inch rectangle.  It will be quite thin but don’t be concerned.  Slip the oiled baking sheet under half of the rolled-out dough.  Spread the dough on the baking sheet with the tomato sauce to within ¼-inch of the edge.  Cover the sauce evenly with the potato, then with the onion.  Season with salt to taste.
3. Bring the dough resting on the work surface up and over the filling and press the edges firmly together, slightly rolling the edges of the dough toward the center so they are sure to stay together.  Brush the top of the ought with the olive oil.  Let the scaccia rise until the dough is slightly puffed, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
5. Bake the scaccia in the center of the oven until the dough is golden, about 40 minutes.  Let cook for about 5 minutes, then cut into 6 or 8 pieces and serve.

Notes:  Sometimes I add some cooked, crumbled Italian sausage, but it is equally delicious without it.  As you can see in the photos, I made this one in a deep dish pie pan instead of on a baking sheet.  It works either way.

Simple Dough Makes about 2½ pounds dough

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1/2 teaspoon active, dry yeast
• 5-6½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a large bowl or the work bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the water and yeast.  Let the yeast dissolve if necessary.  Whisk in enough flour to make a soft dough.  Add the salt, eggs, and oil and whisk until thoroughly blended.  Gradually add enough to the remaining flour to make a firm but pliable dough.  Knead until satiny, about 8 minutes by hand, 5 minutes by mixer.
2. Transfer the dough to a clean (unoiled) large bowl.  Cover with a tea towel and let rise at room temperature (68 to 70 degrees F) until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, punch it down, and proceed with the recipe as directed.

Nunzio’s Tomato Sauce (Sugo di Nunzio) Makes 3 cups sauce

• 2 cans (each 28 ounces) best-quality peeled plum tomatoes with juice
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat of a knife and peeled
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup (gently packed) fresh basil leaves

Place all the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium so the sauce is boiling gently, uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes, until all of the liquid is evaporated, about 1¼ hours.  Stir it often as it thickens to be sure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.