Potato Pizza

1 recipe pizza dough (recipe below)
4 medium potatoes, red-skinned, or yukon gold (2 1/2 lbs.)
2 large onions
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsps. salt, more to taste
pepper
fresh or dried thyme
12 oz. queso fresco, or other farmer type cheese
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, well-drained (1 1/3 cup, drained)
20-24 black Greek olives, sliced off the pits (2/3 cup)
1/2 cup grated Provolone cheese

Make the pizza dough as directed, and while it is rising, prepare the toppings.

Scrub the potatoes and trim off any dark spots, then cut them up in 1/2" dice. Chop the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick pan and add the potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and some crushed or chopped thyme leaves. Cook this over medium heat, stirring often, for about ten minutes, then add about half a cup of water, cover the pan, lower the heat, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will get slightly mushy around the edges, but should not fall apart completely. They should not be too dry - add a bit more water if necessary - and don't be afraid to scrape up the brown bits and stir them in.

Crumble the queso fresco or farmer cheese. Drain the artichoke hearts well, trim away any tough leaves, and cut the hearts into small pieces.

When the pizza dough is ready, roll it out as instructed, and put it on prepared baking sheets. Preheat your oven to 550° (or as hot as you can get it).

Dividing the toppings equally between your pizzas, first dot the dough as evenly as possible with the potato mixture, then sprinkle the crumbled white cheese among the potatoes. Now lay pieces of artichoke heart and sliced black olives here and there, and finish by sprinkling on a little grated Provolone cheese.

Bake the pizzas in the thoroughly pre-heated oven for about 6 minutes, then reverse their positions on the racks and bake for about another 6 minutes, but check them towards the end of this time - things get overdone fast at these temperatures. The crust should be lightly browning on the edges, and the cheeses should be soft and bubbly.

Eat the pizzas hot from the oven, with a glass of red wine. This serves 4 - 6.

Pizza Dough

1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup hot water
1 Tbs. dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. rye flour
3 - 3 1/2 cups white flour
2 - 3 Tbs. olive oil
a little cornmeal

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk and the hot water. Add the yeast to this lukewarm liquid, along with the sugar and salt. Wait for a few minutes to make sure that it begins to froth, then stir in the rye flour, about 2 1/2 cups of white flour, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until a thick dough forms.

Sprinkle the rest of the flour on a board and turn the dough out on it. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, working in as much more flour as is needed to make it smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and put it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it over once, then cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave it in a warm place to rise for about 45-50 minutes.

When the dough has more or less doubled in size, punch it down, divide it into two or four equal-sized pieces (depending whether you want large pizzas or individual ones), and form each piece into a smooth ball. Take one ball at a time and pat it, roll it, pull it - until it is the shape you want and about 1/4" thick. If the dough is very springy, cover it with a slightly damp towel and let it rest for about 10 minutes. It will relax.

Prepare baking sheets by very lightly oiling them and sprinkling them with a bit of cornmeal. Lay the rolled out pizza dough on the baking sheets, and proceed to add toppings and bake as directed.

This makes enough for two medium-large pizzas, or four generous individual pizzas.