Irish Pizza With Potato, Leeks & Bacon

Makes 1 pie

Image: Lexi Bites

Alexis Abel of Lexi Bites took some of the best staples of Irish cuisine—lightly fried potatoes, bacon, leeks and Dubliner cheese—to create a pizza that works perfectly as an appetizer for a dinner party.

What you’ll need

No Knead Pizza Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

1/4 tsp instant yeast (recommended: SAF Red Instant Yeast)

1 1/2 tsp salt (recommended: King Arthur Flour’s Bread Salt)

1 1/2cups water, lukewarm

– Pizza –

3 strips bacon, thinly sliced

2 leeks, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sour cream

1 potato, cooked and thinly sliced

3/4 cup Irish cheddar, shredded (recommended: Dubliner)

3/4cup mozzarella or pizza-blend cheese, shredded

1 Tbl fresh thyme, chopped

1 Tbl fresh chives, chopped (optional)

Drizzle of thyme-flavored olive oil (optional)

How it’s done

For pizza dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to combine. The dough will be very sticky.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature, from 12 to 24 hours.

After 24 hours, refrigerate the dough to slow fermentation.

When you’re ready to make your pizza, heavily flour a kneading mat, large cutting board or clean work surface.

Scoop the dough out of the bowl and sprinkle with flour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Turn the dough over itself until flour is incorporated and it’s easy to work with.

Divide the dough in half, and make two equal size balls of dough.

Set aside one ball of dough for another pizza.

Cover remaining ball of dough and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Line a pizza pan with parchment, about 8″ x 12″.

Gently pat the dough into a circle or oval, right on the parchment. You can also gently roll the dough into a circle with a heavily floured rolling pin.

Par-bake crust in a preheated oven for about 6-8 minutes. If crust puffs up, prick it with a toothpick.

Prepare toppings: Cook bacon in a non-stick skillet until lightly browned and crisp. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

In remaining bacon grease, cook leeks until tender, about 4-6 minutes.

Drain carefully and mix with sour cream in a small bowl.

Spread cooled leek mixture over par-baked crust.

Top with cooked slices of potato, cheese and bacon.

Sprinkle with thyme and bake an additional 5-8 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top with chives and a drizzle of thyme oil.

Serve immediately.