I could enjoy pizza every day of the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It makes perfect sense because it combines three of my favorite things – sauce, cheese and carbs, all in a single bite. When I saw this recipe for the Broccoli Bacon Masher Pizza in my Revolutionary Pizza cookbook, I knew I had to try it.
Essentially, this pie is a loaded baked potato on pizza crust, and it is heavenly. It’s the perfect comfort food on a chilly fall day.
Even though I love my basic pizza dough recipe, I decided to give the one in the cookbook a try and I must say that I am impressed. This method involved fewer steps and the crust had the perfect flavor with the right amount of crispiness. This book is filled with lots of full color photos, and I can’t wait to try the other recipes!
- 1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3½ cups high gluten flour plus extra flour for rolling dough
- 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes
- ½ lb butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced
- ½ cup bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- freshly ground black pepper and salt
- In a mixer combine water, salt, sugar and oil. Whisk together by hand. Add in yeast and quickly whisk before immediately adding the flour. Mix at medium speed using a dough hook for about 10 minutes until dough ball forms.
- The best consistency for fully mixed dough is such that it's sticky, but not so sticky that it will leave residue on everything it touches. If the dough is too sticky, work in some more flour with your hands. Cut the dough into two equal-sized balls
- Knead the dough with your hands about ten times over to get out any air bubbles. Knead the dough with the purpose of shaping it into a ball. Place smooth kneaded dough balls onto a smooth surface like a plate, and cover them with damp towels.
- Let dough balls sit for a minimum of two hours. The hotter the ambient temperature, the less time the dough will need to rise. The colder, the more time it will need. You know you're ready to go when the dough balls have risen to about twice their size.
- If you're ready to make pizza now, go for it! Otherwise, place the dough in the refrigerator to slow the rising process until you're ready to assemble your pizza.
- Clean the potatoes
- Place potatoes into the pot and boil until soft, being careful not to overcrowd the pot to avoid boiling it over.
- Once soft (check with a fork) strain out the water and mash with butter, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. The consistency should be more like a thick sauce so that it's easy to apply the pizza dough.
- Cut and discard broccoli stem. Cut florets into bite-size pieces and steam. Salt to taste if desired.
- If you're making all three pies, remember to share the ingredients equally on each. Spread the potato mixture so there is a ¼ inch layer across the entire dough crust. Evenly distribute broccoli florets, bacon, garlic and cheddar cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven at 500 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Add freshly cracked black pepper to taste, if desired.
I thought I was the only one who put mashed potatoes on pizza. That looks fantastic!