Potato Pizza with Buttermilk Crust

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add ¼ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and the packet of active dry yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast blooms and becomes fragrant.

Add the buttermilk, salt, olive oil and flour and turn the mixer to low-medium speed.

Let the dough knead for about 4-5 minutes. The pizza dough should be elastic and not sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl. If it is sticking to the bowl, measure out 2-3 more tablespoons of flour and knead for one more minute.

Transfer the pizza dough to a large bowl that has 1 tablespoon of olive oil in it. Roll the dough in the olive oil until the dough is coated with it. Cover the bowl with plastic and let the pizza dough proof for 1 ½ hours. It should double in size.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Slice the potatoes into thin circles with the skin on. Toss them in a small amount of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Put the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cut the top off of the whole head of garlic so that all of the garlic cloves are exposed. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the cloves of garlic and wrap the garlic in foil.

Put the potatoes and the garlic into the oven. Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes and the garlic for 30 minutes.

When the garlic is done, it should be very soft and slightly more brown. Remove it from the oven and pop each clove out of the skin. With a fork, mash the garlic. If it is roasted correctly, it should mash easily.

Measure out 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a small mixing bowl. Add the roasted garlic, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix it well and let it sit to let the flavors infuse into the oil.

Thinly slice the onions. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Cook the bacon until it is floppy and slightly undercooked (I threw it in the microwave. Don’t tell anyone). Rip it into 1-inch pieces. It will crisp up the rest of the way when it bakes with the pizza.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Chop and measure out the rapini and put it in the boiling pot for 20-30 seconds.

Remove it from the pot and immediately put it in the bowl of ice water. Pat dry with a paper towel.

After the dough has proofed, dump it out onto a well-floured surface.

Preheat the oven with the pizza stone or baking sheet inside of it to 450°F.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into about a 16-inch circle.

Prepare another large baking sheet or pizza peel by generously coating it with cornmeal so that it transfers easily onto the pizza stone in the oven.

Place the rolled-out dough onto the prepared pizza peel and reshape it to be a 16” circle.

Take the infused olive oil and spread it all over the pizza leaving one inch around the edges without any oil.

Evenly spread the shredded gruyere cheese over the infused oil.

Add the prepared potatoes, blanched rapini, sliced onions, sliced mushrooms and the bacon.

After the oven has been heated with the stone in it for about 20-30 minutes, carefully transfer the pizza from the pizza peel to the hot cooking stone.

Bake it in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown around all the edges.

Remove it from the oven and cut it up and serve. Enjoy!