Pizza with potatoes, asparagus, and rosemary
If you want to go all out and make the most delicious homemade whole-grain pizza crust, this is the recipe to try. It requires plenty of care and a couple of days of preparation, but it tastes heavenly. This recipe does not qualify for the Whole Grain Label, but it’s a way to include more whole grains in everyday meals. Tip: If your patience doesn’t stretch to making the homemade pizza crust, you can easily buy a ready-made whole-grain pizza base and top it with the delicious toppings.
Ingredients
Biga starter (Day 1)
- 892 g Tipo 00 flour
- 158 g white wheat or other fine whole grain wheat flour
- 3 g dry yeast
- 490 g water
Pizza dough (Day 2)
- 165 g cold water
- 25 g salt
Toppings for 6 pizzas
- 6 dl crème fraîche
- 4 potatoes (big)
- 1 bundle green asparagus
- 1 a tub of green pesto
- A little salt and pepper
Instructions
- Day 1: Mix the flour and dry yeast in a bowl, proving box, or other container, preferably with a lid that can close tightly.Add the water and shake everything together, without ever kneading or stirring.It should end up as a mass of clumps and strands, with no loose flour left in the container.Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then place in the fridge for at least 24 hours (it can stay up to 48 hours).
- Day 2: Make sure to use cool tap water; the dough’s temperature should ideally end up between 23–27°C (73–81°F) after kneading, to activate the yeast best.Pour the biga starter directly from the fridge into the mixer. Add almost all of the water (reserve about 50 g) and mix for about 8 minutes at the lowest speed. Let the dough rest, covered, in the mixing bowl for 15 minutes.Add the salt and mix for about 8 minutes at medium speed. Check the dough during the final kneading; it should be shiny, smooth, and soft. If it feels stiff, add a little more of the reserved water. The dough should be shiny, smooth, and stretchy like chewing gum—then it’s ready.
- Let the dough rest on the counter for 5 minutes, tighten or fold it a couple of times, and let it rise for about 25–30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 6 pieces of 275 g each. Shape into balls and tighten them well by folding the dough under itself several times. Place the dough balls in a closed proving box and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. They can stay as balls for up to 5 days.
- Day 3: Now it’s finally time to make your pizzas! A pizza oven gives the best results, but otherwise, set your oven as high as possible and preferably use a baking stone. Let the oven heat for 30 minutes to ensure it’s thoroughly hot. Use your hands and a little flour to gently stretch the dough into circles, so you end up with a beautiful pizza base. Leave a bit of a rim around the edges, which will rise nicely. Use a mandoline to slice your potatoes very thinly, or alternatively, use a sharp knife. Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the ends. Spread a thin layer of crème fraîche on the pizzas, then top with the potato slices and asparagus. Distribute small dollops of pesto or herbs over the top, and finish with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. In a pizza oven, the pizzas need only a very short time, so keep an eye on them. In a conventional oven, it takes a little longer—about 5–10 minutes.