Apple, Potato, And Blue Cheese Flatbread
A thin, crispy crust topped with potato and apples, succulently baked with garlic and thyme butter, and accented with blue cheese will stimulate your appetite alongside the characteristic meats, cheeses and pickles on a charcuterie board. It also makes a nice lunch topped with vinaigrette-dressed arugula. You can buy prepared pizza dough in the deli section of the supermarket or make your own (recipe follows). Refrigerate the dough until it’s cold to keep it thin and crisp when baking. You can add more or less blue cheese according to how strong you like the taste.
Ingredients:1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb (455 g) fresh pizza dough, cold (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil
1 small apple
1 medium yellow-flesh or round white potato
3 to 4 oz (85 to 115 g) blue cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Place a baking stone or a heavy baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
Combine melted butter, garlic, thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cut pizza dough in half. Working with 1 piece at a time, and refrigerating remaining dough, place on a work surface. Lightly oil your fingers and gently stretch and press dough out to a rough rectangle, about 14 x 8 inches (35 x 20 cm). If it springs back too much, let it rest for a few minutes then stretch some more. Let rest while you prepare the toppings.
Cut apple into quarters and trim out core. Cut lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Cut potato crosswise into paper-thin slices.
Transfer pizza dough to a rectangle of parchment paper and re-stretch as necessary to the 14 x 8-inch (35 x 20-cm) rectangle (the edges don’t have to be perfectly straight). Brush dough with a thin coating of the butter mixture all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the potato slices on top of dough, then top with half of apple slices. Dab generously with more of the butter mixture, being sure to coat potatoes and apples. Sprinkle with half of the blue cheese, to taste.
6. Slide parchment paper onto hot baking stone or baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden and crisp and potatoes are tender. Cut into pieces. Repeat with remaining dough, butter mixture and toppings while the first flatbread is baking.
Cut pizza dough in half. Working with 1 piece at a time, and refrigerating remaining dough, place on a work surface. Lightly oil your fingers and gently stretch and press dough out to a rough rectangle, about 14 x 8 inches (35 x 20 cm). If it springs back too much, let it rest for a few minutes then stretch some more. Let rest while you prepare the toppings.
Cut apple into quarters and trim out core. Cut lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Cut potato crosswise into paper-thin slices.
Transfer pizza dough to a rectangle of parchment paper and re-stretch as necessary to the 14 x 8-inch (35 x 20-cm) rectangle (the edges don’t have to be perfectly straight). Brush dough with a thin coating of the butter mixture all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the potato slices on top of dough, then top with half of apple slices. Dab generously with more of the butter mixture, being sure to coat potatoes and apples. Sprinkle with half of the blue cheese, to taste.
6. Slide parchment paper onto hot baking stone or baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden and crisp and potatoes are tender. Cut into pieces. Repeat with remaining dough, butter mixture and toppings while the first flatbread is baking.
Serves 8
HOMEMADE DOUGH
Making your own cinnamon bun dough is super easy to do. This recipe also makes a great crust for pizza.
Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) warm water
1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
1 packet (8 g) quick-rise or active dry yeast
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
3 cups plus 2 tbsp (780 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) kosher salt or 3/4 tsp (4 mL) table salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour, as needed
Pour water into a large bowl or measuring cup. Water should be between 100° and 110°F (38° and 43°C). It should feel a little warmer than body temperature. Stir in sugar, then yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy on top, from 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in oil.
Meanwhile, whirl flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. While whirling, slowly pour in yeast-oil mixture until it begins to form a ball.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then dust your hands with flour. Using the base of your palm, knead several times, rotating the dough a quarter turn after each knead, until it forms a smooth ball.
Place dough in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat evenly. Lightly oil a piece of parchment or waxed paper and place over bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Leave dough in a warm place until it doubles in size, 30 to 60 minutes. Remove it to a floured surface. Punch down. Use right away or refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month.
Meanwhile, whirl flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. While whirling, slowly pour in yeast-oil mixture until it begins to form a ball.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then dust your hands with flour. Using the base of your palm, knead several times, rotating the dough a quarter turn after each knead, until it forms a smooth ball.
Place dough in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat evenly. Lightly oil a piece of parchment or waxed paper and place over bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Leave dough in a warm place until it doubles in size, 30 to 60 minutes. Remove it to a floured surface. Punch down. Use right away or refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month.
Makes 1 large ball of dough good for 1 batch of cinnamon buns or 2 pizzas
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