If there’s one thing I love, it’s Italian food. And if we’re talking specific regions, Roman cuisine has my heart (and stomach). I’ve gone on about the classic Roman pastas before in previous posts, and made my own versions like the bacon amatriciana and the corn and lima alla gricia. And while this is not a pasta, it sure is another variation on a classic Roman dish, a potato pizza, or pizza con patate.
This Roman-style potato pizza has an airy, super crisp crust and layers of thinly sliced potatoes on top. The pizza is flavored with fresh rosemary, lots of olive oil and the best part, salty little bits of guanciale. If you haven’t had it before, potato pizza might sound (and look) a little bland, but when done right it is anything but.
If you haven’t had it before, potato pizza might sound (and look) a little bland, but when done right it is anything but.
Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate) – A Roman Classic
This Roman-style potato pizza is proof that simple ingredients can create something extraordinary. Whether you make it for a cozy night in or serve it for a crowd, it’s always a hit.
Why You’ll Love This Potato Pizza
- Minimal ingredients, maximum flavor – This recipe uses just a few ingredients, most you probably already have in your pantry.
- Crispy & golden potatoes – The potatoes get thinly sliced, soaked, and then layered onto the dough. Once baked they become super crisp on top and creamy below.
- Totally Customizable – I like to add guanciale for an extra salty bite, but you could omit it and make this a vegetarian pizza, or go a step further and omit the Parmesan and make a vegan version.
- Roman-style pizza – This is essentially a version of pizza al taglio, or ‘pizza by the slice’. It’s a sheet pan pizza, so pretty user friendly and easy to make. We love that!
Ingredients to make Potato Pizza with Rosemary and Guanciale
For the Pizza dough:
This sheet pan pizza dough is very similar to a focaccia dough. It required no kneading, is enriched with olive oil and bakes up with a crispy exterior and airy, light interior.
- Flour – I recommend ’00’ flour for pizza. I highly recommend the ones from Caputo, they are my favorite. King Arthur also makes a good one I’ve used quite a bit. And, if you don’t have ’00’ flour, all-purpose flour works just fine.
- Water – You want warm water to help the yeast bloom. Nothing too hot, it should feel lukewarm, maybe around 105°F.
- Yeast – Active dry yeast is what you need for this recipe. Make sure it’s fresh.
- Honey – or sugar. It will help to activate the yeast as well as get that perfectly golden crust when baked.
- Olive Oil – There is lots of extra virgin olive oil used in this recipe. It gets used to enrich the dough, grease the sheet pan and drizzled on the potatoes for lots of flavor. In total you’re probably going to use 1/4 – 1/2 cup. Be generous.
- Salt
The Toppings:
- Potatoes – You want waxy potatoes for this pizza. I used Yukon Gold potatoes here. They get thinly sliced and soaked in cold water to remove any excess startch.
- Olive oil – The potatoes get layered with lots, and lots of extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt – Flaky salt is ideal for that nice crunch. I like Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
- Rosemary – Fresh rosemary adds a wonderful flavor and aroma to the pizza, you could use dried rosemary if needed, or substitute with fresh thyme.
- Guanciale – (optional) Highly encouraged. I love the extra salty flavor of the crispy guanciale.
- Parmesan cheese – (optional) Breshly grated Parmigiano-reggiano sprinkled over the pizza at the end gives it even more flavor.
Special Equipment
- Mandoline – Ensures thin, even potato slices. I like the mandolines from Benriner. I have used a few different variations of their mandolines over the years and have yet to be disappointed by any of them. It is what I would recommend.
- Baking stone or steel – Helps to create a super crisp crust. Not required, but if you make a lot of pizza at home I would recommend getting one.
How to Make Pizza con Patate
Prepare the Dough
- In a large bowl mix flour and salt.
- In a separate bowl add warm water, honey and yeast. Let sit for about 5 mins to make sure the yeast is alive. If you’re confident you have fresh yeast, no need to wait. Add in olive oil.
- Add your wet ingredients to the flour. Stir to combine until you don’t have any pockets of dry flour.
- Cover bowl and let rise for ~5 hours at room temp or overnight in the fridge.
Slice & Soak the Potatoes
- Using a mandoline (or a sharp knife), slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. You’re aiming for 1-2mm in thickness.
- Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Soaking will help to remove the excess starch, which helps the potatoes crisp up when baked and avoid them oxidizing and turning brown.
- Drain and pat the potatoes dry before layering on the dough.
Assemble the Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C)
- Line your baking tray with parchment paper and a good drizzle of olive oil.
- Stretch the dough to fill tray. Add more oil as needed so your hands don’t stick.
- Let the dough rise for another 20 minutes.
- Dimple the dough with your fingertips, give it another drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and fresh rosemary.
- Now we layer. Start layering the sliced potatoes over the dough. Shingle them so they slightly overlap and season each layer with salt. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. You’ll have 3-4 layers in total.
- Sprinkle over another bit of fresh rosemary, and scatter over the chopped guanciale.
Bake Until Golden & Crispy
- Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- The potatoes should be golden and crispy on the top and the crust will be a golden brown on the bottom.
Serve and Eat!
- Finish with a touch more fresh rosemary. It smells SO good as soon as it hits that hot pizza.
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and some flaky salt.
- Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
A Few Variations to Try
- Go Vegan: Skip the cheese and use a little extra flaky salt for a meat-free and dairy-free version.
- Give it Some Heat: Want to give your pizza a little spice? Add some crushed red chili flakes, a generous bit of fresh ground black pepper (a cacio e pepe vibe) or layer on some Calabrian chili paste for an outrageously good spicy pie.
- Swap the Cheese: Forget the parmesan and add in some small chunks of fontina. The melted fontina, crispy potatoes and rosemary and a crazy good combo. Yum!
FAQs
What is pizza con patate?
Pizza con patate is a classic Roman-style white pizza, topped with thinly sliced potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, and salt. It has no tomato sauce and is typically cheese free, so totally vegan, and very delicious.
Why soak the potatoes?
Soaking the potatoes removes excess starch, which helps them get that nice crispy top when baked.
Can I use store-bought pizza dough?
Yes! I highly recommend my sheet pan pizza dough for this, but if you don’t have the time, or the desire to make pizza dough, a good-quality store-bought pizza dough works perfectly. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before stretching it on your sheet tray, chilled dough won’t stretch as easily.
What’s the best cheese for potato pizza?
While traditional versions don’t always include cheese, Parmesan or Pecorino Romano are great choices. The nuttiness of Parmigiano-Reggiano is excellent with the potatoes, but feel free to experiment. Fontina or Gruyère would be delicious options too.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Absolutely! Swap in you favorite gluten-free pizza dough, or flour mix, and follow the same method.
A few other sheet pan pizza recipes for you to try:
- Philly Tomato Pie – The ultimate Philly tomato pie – a Sicilian-style grandma pizza topped with a rich tomato sauce, dried oregano and grated cheese.
- Pizza Bianca – Classic Roman Pizza Bianca topped with Sicilian pistachio pesto, burrata and mortadella.
- Artichoke Pizza – A sheet pan pizza topped with marinated artichokes, prosciutto and ricotta cheese.
- Pepperoncini Pan Pizza – A classic sheet pan pizza topped with tangy pepperoncini peppers, salami and leeks.
- Pepperoni Sheet Pan Pizza – The ultimate sheet pan pizza. A square pie topped with lots of fresh mozzarella and plenty of pepperoni.
- The Best Sheet Pan Pizza Dough – My go-to sheet pan pizza recipe. It required no kneading, and comes out perfect every time!
Did you make this recipe?
Give this Potato Pizza a try and let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment and rating below and tag me on Instagram @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see!
Potato Pizza (Pizza con Patate)
Equipment
- 1/4 sheet tray (9x13")
- Mandoline optional
- Pizza Stone or pizza steel, optional
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough:
- 250 g flour '00' recommended
- 200 g water
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp honey or sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
The Toppings:
- 1 lb potatoes waxy potatoes, thinly sliced and soaked in cold water
- 1/4 c olive oil more or less, be generous
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 oz guanciale finely diced
- parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
Make The Pizza Dough
- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl add warm water, yeast and honey (or sugar). Let the yeast activate for 5 minutes, it will get foamy on top. If you’re confident you have very fresh yeast, no need to wait.
- Add your wet ingredients and olive oil to the flour mixture. Stir to combine. Make sure all the flour is hydrated and you don’t have any dry bits. No need to overly mix.
- Cover bowl and let rise for ~5 hours at room temp or overnight in the fridge for best flavor.
Prepare Potatoes
- Slice potatoes as thinly as possible using a mandoline or a sharp knife. You want them 1-2mm thick.
- Soak sliced potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch.
- Drain and pat dry before layering on the pizza dough.
Top Pizza
- Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C)
- Line baking tray with parchment paper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
- Stretch dough to fill tray. Add more olive oil as needed so your hands and dough don’t stick.
- Let the dough rise for 20 minutes.
- Dimple the dough with your fingertips, drizzle over olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and finely chopped fresh rosemary.
- Now we layer on the potatoes! Start layering the sliced potatoes over the dough shingling them so they slightly overlap. Season each layer with salt and a little drizzle of olive oil. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. You should have 3-4 layers in total.
- On the final layer, sprinkle over another bit of fresh rosemary and scatter over the finely diced guanciale.
Bake Pizza
- Bake the pizza for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- The potatoes should be golden and crispy on the top and the crust will be a golden brown on the bottom.
Serve
- Finish with a final scattering of fresh rosemary when the pizza is still hot.
- Let the pizza cool for a few minutes then top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and flaky salt.
- Slice and enjoy!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
