Gluten-free Pizza with Mascarpone, Potato and Guanciale - Chef Recipe by Chef Melanie Persson

Ingredients

255mL warm water
1/3 tsp caster sugar
1 1/3 tsp instant dried yeast
325g Italian gluten-free bread flour blend (Caputo brand)
1 1/3 tsp salt
14g olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 small, washed potato
Coarse rice flour, to dust
100g mascarpone
1/4 white salad onion, thinly shaved
50g guanciale (rind removed), finely chopped
1 small sprig fresh rosemary, stem removed and finely chopped
1 tsp salt flakes
20g pecorino cheese, freshly grated
1-2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

Method

Pour the warm water into a medium jug, sprinkle in the sugar and the yeast, then whisk to combine. Cover with a cloth and set aside for five minutes.

Weigh the flour into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir in the salt. Add the yeast and water mixture and combine on low speed.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the olive oil, and mix again on low-medium speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides once more halfway through mixing. You should have a smooth and thick, batter-like dough.

Lightly grease a bowl or container with olive oil and scrape in the dough. It will be too wet and sticky to shape with your hands, so agitate the bowl or container to smooth the dough into a ball and to lightly coat it in the greasing oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, divide the dough in half and with lightly oiled hands, shape the halves into two balls. Place these on separate, oiled plates, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and place into a warm, draft free area to rise for 1 hour.

With 20 minutes of the rise remaining, preheat your Ooni pizza oven and prepare the toppings.

Thinly slice the potato with a mandolin and rinse in a microwave-safe bowl with cold water. Drain, then cover, and microwave for 90 seconds or until the potato slices are just tender. Set aside to cool.

When the dough is ready, dust your work surface liberally with rice flour. Use a dough scraper to carefully lift out one of the dough balls and place it onto the flour. Don’t flip the dough – the top side should be the same now as when resting.

Dust the top of the dough with some more rice flour, and starting from the center, gently push the dough down and out to spread it. Keep pressing out towards the edge, maintaining a thicker rim of dough that will form the outer crust. Regularly check that the dough isn’t sticking to your work surface with the dough scraper.

Once the dough is 26-28 cm in diameter (and about 0.5 cm thick on the base), gently spread half the mascarpone over the base with a spatula, being careful not to rip the dough. Top with a single layer of the potato slices, and some of the onion shavings.

Spread half the guanciale pieces evenly over the pizza, and then sprinkle on the rosemary and a pinch of the salt flakes.

Cook the pizza at approx. 380 C for 3-4 minutes, using the pizza peel to turn the pizza 90 C every 30-45 seconds or until the crust is evenly browned all over. The fat in the guanciale will have rendered and the potato and onion will be cooked through. Repeat with the second dough ball.

Serve the pizzas with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of pecorino cheese.

Credits: Melanie Persson

Photo Credits: Melanie Persson