Authentic Italian Potato Pizza is a pizza type that was invented in Naples, Italy. It has a thin crust and a deep dish-like base with small pieces of potatoes in it. A true  Neapolitan pizzeria will use high-protein wheat flour, San Marzano tomato sauce from Mount Vesuvius, mozzarella cheese, and sliced potato which is crushed into very thin slices.

Classic Toppings Makes the Pizza Cherishable

Potato Pizzas use diced San Marzano tomatoes instead of sauce or puree because for the Italians that can be even compared to sacrilege. The authenticity of a true Potato Pizza lies in the liberal spreading of fresh buffalo milk mozzarella on top of the garlic butter base.

There's no particular sauce or cheese for this iconic part of Neapolitan pizza tradition and culture. Typical Potato Pizza dough contains 4-5% salt, which is about 50% higher than in regular pizzas. Moreover, the magic of the pie lies with its very thin crust that's baked directly on a hot baking stone without any pan or sheet at a temperature of 500 F (260 C).

The Crust is Crispy Thin From Wood-Firing Oven

Like any authentic Neapolitan pizza, the authentic potato pie has to be baked in a wood-burning oven and cooked within 60-90 seconds only. Only San Marzano tomatoes are used for topping the Authentic Italian potato pizza. No additional sauce or other toppings are needed with the thinly sliced potatoes.

The pizza is soft and fluffy on the inside with a crunchy crust on the outside. These potato pizzas are famous for their ultra-thin crust and extremely light toppings which don't weigh down the delicate dough.

History of Potato Pizza

The true flavor of authentic Napoletana pizza lies in its simplicity and availability, both things that are very hard to come by now. Italian Potato Pizzas were first introduced in Naples at the beginning of the 20th century when families living in poor neighborhoods had no space for ovens.

So, they would spread their pizza dough on white sheets instead of regular pans used at that time. And they used to bake them directly on the floor of local bakeries using just a hot wood-burning oven.

The pizzas were baked in cracker-like thin crusts that were made by layering potatoes between each other instead of using flour or breadcrumbs as it was done before. Neapolitan pizza makers use mozzarella cheese only to add just a hint of tanginess to the smooth, deep dish base and salty bits of tomato sauce.

Authentic Italian Potato Pizza comes in different sizes and customers can even order by the gram if those potato pizzas are baked the day before. Authentic Italian potato pizza dough is extremely soft and elastic because authentic Neapolitan pizzerias use no yeast for dough preparation.

If you love Authentic Italian potato pie, bake your authentic one with our step-by-step guide. Learn what makes Italian Potato Pizzas so special and how you can make them at home!

• 500 grams (about 17 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 4 to 5% salt (20 to 25 mg)
• 125-grams Potatoes (Idaho Potatoes for the best result)
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 35 grams (about 2 3/4 ounces) extra virgin olive oil

Potato Pizza Preparation

You can use a mandoline slicer or food processor to get even thin slices.

This ensures that the potatoes will cook evenly and not fall apart later on in the baking process. One important thing before you start: don’t peel your potatoes! That would just be wasteful and where does all of those nutrients go then?

After slicing them thinly with either a mandoline slicer, it is time for some flavorings…we like this recipe because we can add as much salt and olive oil as desired without worrying about going overboard. After adding enough extra virgin olive oil so each slice is completely coated, you can sprinkle lightly.

Start layering the potato slices over your pizza dough in the pan, overlapping them slightly until all of it is covered. Unlike a traditional tomato sauce and cheese-laden pie, you don’t need to leave an edge! I did so for this photo or else my dish would just look like sliced potatoes (which are pretty tasty too!).

But if you want that classic feeling go ahead and hit up every inch with those fresh veggies. Drizzle another teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil on top then spread carefully using either your fingers or a brush - whichever tickles your fancy best!

Method for Neapolitan Potato Pizza Base

• Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Add the water and mix until you get a dough that's soft but not sticky. Let it rest covered with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap for one hour to rise at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven at 250 F (120 C).
• Divide the pizza base dough into two equal parts, flatten each of them into rectangular shapes and cover them again with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out while preheating the baking stone in your oven for about 20 minutes.
• Slide both flattened pizza bases on a baking stone inside the oven and bake the pizza for about 15 to 20-minutes or until you get the potato pizza dough golden brown.  

Time to Enjoy the Neapolitan Baked Potato Pizza

So, what to do then? Pizza Bien is there for you. You will love our authentic potato porcini pizza freshly handmade in Italy.

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