Chef’s note: You can use store-bought pizza dough for this recipe. You will need about 1 1/2 pounds.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr 55 min |
| Cook: | 45 min |
| Yield: | about 1 1/2 pounds of dough, or 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm whole milk
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, preferably gray salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup diced pancetta or bacon (about 1/4 pound, cut in 1/2-inch dice)
- 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced, new or russet potatoes (about 1/2 pound, cut in 1/2-inch dice)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- Gray salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to coat the baking sheet and the dough
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.
- Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook slowly until very crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve the pancetta and fat separately.
- Put the potatoes in cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and place in a bowl.
- Pour the pancetta fat over the warm potatoes, add the crisped pancetta, 1 teaspoon of the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon zest. Toss well and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.
- Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the potato mixture onto the dough and press it in with the flat of your hand. Press your fingers into the dough to make evenly spaced indentations all over the surface, being careful not to puncture or tear the dough. Scatter the remaining rosemary over the dough.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, “fingers,” or triangles to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 540 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 85 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 13 mg |
| Sodium | 581 mg |
Reviews
Been making this for years and love it. When I have the time I’ll make the dough from scratch but honestly it’s just as good with a premade pizza crust!
I was not crazy about the potato topping, however, the dough was very light and my whole family loved that. I would do this with sundried tomatoes and olives next time!
Too time consuming & tasteless for basically what is a potato/pancetta or bacon pizza! Don’t know how it was rated with 5 stars, hopefully not just because it is Michael’s recipe!
Such a good light dinner. I couldn’t find pancetta so I used bacon instead and it was still very tasty. I fixed this with a Arugula and Fried Gorgonzola ball salad and it was fantastic! Works as a great partern with a salad or soup. Just a little time consuming but if you plan ahead then it’s no biggie.
This was very good and unique.
I made this recipe today using my bread machine to make the dough. It came out perfect. I also added some camelized onion to the toppings and it came out so delicious. I recommend this recipe to everyone. You won’t be disappointed.
This recipe took hours but was worth the effort. Don’t even attempt it if you can’t devote at least 2-3 hours. Husband thought this was outstanding, but more work than I expected. Will make again on a snowy day or when I’m stuck in the house all day.
Wonderful pizza like bread. I changed it a little to use free range maverick bacon instead of the pancetta and it was great! I used my bread machine on the dough setting for the foccacia. It made it sooooooooo easy.
Best focaccia ever.
I highly recommed you try this recipe. Bread making can be intimidating to make, but not this one! Thanks Michael for making this scrumptous bread, and an easy recipe. Thanks for keeping the art of bread making user-friendly and alive!!