Pizza Bianco with Waterloo

In the last week or so, something in the air has changed and autumn seems to be on the way. Vegetables that have been non-stop for the last two months are grinding to a halt – and not before time (French beans and courgettes, I’m looking at you). This recipe was an attempt by me to dispose of some of my mountain of new potatoes and courgettes. A pizza without a tomato-based sauce may sound strange but, as ever, the combination of potatoes and cheese does the job magnificently.

I was looking for a creamy, full-flavoured cheese and so I used Waterloo, sent to me by Pong Cheese. It proved to be a great choice – flavoursome and very melty (to use a technical term). Waterloo is made by Anne Wigmore of Village Maid Dairy, who also makes Spenwood, one of the first ever British cheeses I tried. Waterloo is an unpasteurised, semi-soft, cow’s milk cheese, produced in a Brie-style. It’s made with Guernsey milk, which gives it its gorgeous buttercup colour inside the bloomy rind. The curds are washed, which lowers the acidity of the cheese, giving a mellow flavour. It’s lovely and buttery, with a hint of earthiness. On this pizza it melts all over the potatoes in a sort of tartiflette style.

Ingredients

300g new potatoes

2 small courgettes, sliced lengthwise and griddled

Few sprigs of thyme, leaves removed

Handful of basil

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

80g Waterloo cheese, sliced

I used this recipe to make the pizza dough, for which you also need the following ingredients:

150ml lukewarm water

1/2 tbsp. dried yeast

Pinch of sugar

1 tbsp. olive oil

250g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp salt

Whilst your pizza dough is proving, scrub the new potatoes and boil them for approximately ten minutes; exactly how long will depend on the variety of potatoes. You are looking for them to be soft enough to slice but not to turn to mash. Leave them until they are cool enough to slice.

Fry the onions and garlic in olive oil with the thyme until they are soft. Pre-heat the oven, with a flat baking tray or pizza stone inside, to 220c/200c fan-assisted/gas mark 7.

When your pizza is shaped and ready, spread the onion mixture over the base and then add a layer of the potato slices. Season well. Arrange the courgettes and the slices of cheese over the potatoes and then scatter with torn basil leaves. Bake on the pre-heated tray for 12-15 minutes, until the base is cooked through and the cheese has melted throughout the toppings. Serve hot.

Disclosure: I was sent Waterloo by Pong Cheese for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.