Smashed Potato Pizza Crust

Ingredients 📝 Shopping List

• 1 (1-pound) Russet potato, washed and dried ➕
• about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ➕
• salt and freshly ground black pepper ➕

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
2. Rub the surface of the potato with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and use a fork to make several pricks all around the potato.
3. Place the potato on a baking sheet or heavy-duty foil, and place it in the preheated 425°F oven. Bake the potato until it's fully cooked and tender. This should take 1 to 1½ hours. Turn the potato over about half way through the cooking time.
4. Alternately, you can use a microwave. Once the potato is pierced, place it on a paper towel in the microwave and turn it on high for 4 minutes. Flip it over and microwave for 4 more minutes. (Times may vary.)
5. Turn the oven down to 400°F now if you're going to add toppings and immediately make a pizza after making the crust. Otherwise turn it off.
6. Coat the bottom of a 10-inch skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Place the baked potato in the center of the skillet.
7. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the potato, and then place a second skillet, the same size or a bit smaller, on top of it. Gently press down on the center of the inside of the top skillet until you can feel that the potato has flattened just about to the edges of the pan. (If it's not spreading as far as you think it can, use a smaller skillet to spread it further.)
8. Remove the top skillet and the parchment paper.
9. Place the pan over medium-high heat and sauté until the bottom is golden and crispy, about 8 minutes. You can check by using a small spatula to gently lift the edge.
10. Line a baking sheet with another sheet of parchment paper and drizzle more olive oil over the top of the smashed potato. Then place the baking sheet upside down, on top of the sauté pan and invert the smashed potato onto it.
11. At this point you would add your choice of toppings to make your favorite pizza recipe. Bake in a 400°F oven until the bottom is crisp, cheese is melted and the toppings are hot.

Tips & Notes

To save at least 1 hour, you can bake the potato in a microwave (this will make the recipe take a little over 20 minutes). Be sure to use all 2 tablespoons of the olive oil when coating the bottom of the skillet to prevent sticking and ensure crispiness. Use a 10-inch skillet for easy inversion. Don't be daunted by the numerous steps, each one is simple. Ideally, use the crust right after it's made, but it can be made a few hours ahead and lightly covered at room temperature. Using a sweet potato will result in a more fragile and softer crust that doesn't crisp as well as a Russet potato.

Source

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