Pizza con Patate {Gluten-free} + Cantina Zaccagnini Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosé #ItalianFWT

This month the Italian Food, Wine & Travel - #ItalianFWT - blogging group is taking a closer look at the blush colored wine we know as rosé, and Italians know as rosato. Thanks to Li at The Wining Hour for hosting; here's her preview post.

Join us this Saturday, August 6 at 11am EST on Twitter with hashtag ‪#‎ItalianFWT to chat about rosés from Italy or about Tuscany or Puglia which are the primary rosé-producing regions. I will be hosting next month's event. Stay tuned for the invitation!

What the #ItalianFWT Group is Posting...

• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla paired Pizza con Patate + Cantina Zaccagnini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Rosé
• Orna at Traveling Italy posted In the Pink: Rosato wines from Puglia
• Christy at Confessions of a Culinary Diva shared Summer Sipping with Italian Rosés
• Jennifer at Vino Travels went Around Italy with a Glass of Rosé
• Jill at L'Occasion shared Rosé or Rosato? Is There a Difference?
• Jeff at FoodWineClick mused Rosato: A Rosé by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
• David at Cooking Chat paired Fresh Tomato Salsa Pasta with an Italian Rosato
• Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog had a #SundayFunday With Tormaresca Calafuria Rosé #ItalianFWT
• Li at The Wining Hour shared There’s Rosé Under the Tuscan Sun too!

In My Glass...

When I was at my local wine market, I spied a bottle of Cantina Zaccagnini Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo Rosé. While not hailing from Tuscany or Puglia, its bright pink salmon hue fit the bill.

The Ciccio Zaccagnini vineyard is located in Bolognano in the Pescara area, approximately 30 miles from the Adriatic. The vineyards occupy over 200 acres and are managed by Marcello and his father Ciccio; they have been making wine in Abruzzo since 1978. With an eye on tradition, every bottle of Zaccagnini Montepulciano wine boasts a small piece of the tralcetto, or grape vine , around its neck.

This rosé is made from 100% Montepulciano grapes and has rich, fruity flavors with hints of cherry.

On My Plate...
I figured the softness of the wine would pair well with a light, mild dish and decided to go for one of my Italian favorites: pizza con patate, pizza with potatoes.

Not all pizza is created equal. And, I'll be honest: I'm a pizza snob. Having lived in Italy for over a year after I graduated from college, I have had a lot of pizza. A lot.

Pizza was my go-to snack with the kids for whom I was an au pair. And, after my work contract ended and I rented an apartment in Trastevere for my final two months in Italy, there was a rosticceria just around the corner that became a favorite spot to grab dinner when it was too hot to cook in my house which was remarkably often in the middle of the summer. 

The (literal) hole-in-the-wall only did takeaway pizza al taglio sold by weight, roasted chicken and potatoes, and supplì. It was fabulous. Additionally, there was an enoteca just next door to it. So, I could grab pizza and wine, sit in the piazza, and read a book or watch people go by.

Roman pizza is thin crust and shaped in a rectangle. You buy it by the weight and they fold it in half - like a sandwich - and wrap it in parchment for you. On any given day, they would have half a dozen different kinds of pizza. My favorites were porcini mushroom, pizza bianca, zucchini, and potato.

When Jake went gluten-free last year, I struggled with the loss of our pizza nights. I tried cornmeal crusts. I made cauliflower crusts. They were okay. Passable. But they weren't great. 

Then I delved into blending my own gluten-free flours and tried one version after another after another that claimed to be "the best gluten-free pizza dough" or "the perfect gluten-free pizza dough." Blech. Again, most were edible though few were enjoyable.

Now, after many months of experimentation, all three of my boys - my gluten-free husband and my gluten-loving kitchen elves - like my gluten-free dough. I still think it needs work. It's thicker than I would like, but it'll do. And, I dare say, if you didn't mention it was gluten-free, they might not know. That's something, right?!?

Something to note: this gluten-free dough does not look or act like regular dough. It's not elastic. It's more like a really, thick batter. But, when baked, it is remarkably like regular pizza.

One thing I've found a necessity when making gluten-free pizza: pre-bake the crust, then top, then bake again. It prevents the finished pizza from being gummy. The only time I don't pre-bake is for this recipe. The potatoes need to bake crisp, so they need more time in the oven than other pizzas.

Ingredients 

makes 1 large rectangular pizza approximately 10" x 13"

Crust*

• 3/4 C white rice flour (you can use brown rice flour instead)
• 1/2 C tapioca flour 
• 1/3 C sorghum flour 
• 1/3 C buckwheat flour
• 1 t xanthan gum
• 1 t sea salt
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1/4 C water
• 2-1/4 t active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
• 2 t organic brown sugar
• 1 - 2 eggs (2nd egg if the dough is too dry)
• 3 T olive oil + more for baking the crust
• Also needed: parchment paper

Topping

• 1 to 2 large organic potatoes, scrubbed and dried
• 4 to 5 T good quality olive oil
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• a sprig of fresh rosemary

Procedure

Crust
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together tapioca flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, and sea salt.

Pour milk and water into a saucepan and heat until warm to the touch, approximately one minute. Stir in the yeast and brown sugar and let bloom for 5 minutes.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and beat with a wooden spoon. Stir in one egg and olive oil. Beat till smooth. If the dough looks too dry, add another egg. This dough should be smooth and thick. Cover and let stand for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F while the dough rests. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

After the dough has rested, scrape the dough onto the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle the ball with olive oil, then press and stretch into a rectangle that's about 1/4" thick. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Using a mandoline slicer, slice the washed and dried potatoes very thinly and place in a bowl. Drizzle potato slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix the potatoes so that they are evenly coated and set aside.

Layer the potato slices over the pizza dough, overlapping the slices slightly until the dough is completely covered. Drizzle with more olive oil; you can spread the oil over the top evenly with your hand or a silicone brush.

Place pizza in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The dough should be firm and the potatoes beginning to brown. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza in oven again - until the edges of the potatoes begin to crisp.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped rosemary, and cut into slices and serve hot, warm or cold.

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