With thin, golden potatoes blanketing a crusty, chewy base, this loaded flatbread is way comforting and seriously family- and party-friendly (and don't forget about brunch). The dough takes its cues from the convenience of the slow cooker. Just stir together the dough ingredients in the morning and have this beautiful little whole wheat number almost ready to go after happy hour.
Bonus points for getting in a pile of green via the spinach-walnut pesto. Note that all the varieties of vegan pesto from the MSV kitchen are salted solely from red miso paste. And because it's fermented (and more pungent than light miso), red miso gives the finished product every bit of depth of flavor you expect from pesto. The result is totally unimpeachable and frequently necessary.
Potato and Spinach Pesto Flatbread
serves 4
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp fine sea (or kosher) salt
1 cup water
For the Spinach-Walnut Pesto:
4 oz (2 packed cups) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp red miso paste
1/4 cup shelled, unsalted walnuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
To assemble:
1 medium Yukon gold potato (about 7 oz total weight)
black pepper, to taste
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, yeast, and salt. Add the water and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a towel and let rise 8-9 hours. Punch the dough down, fold it over itself a few times, replace the towel, and let rise another hour.
While the dough undergoes its second rise, prepare the pesto by pureeing all ingredients until smooth. Scrub the potato and cut into very thin slices (1/16")--this will ensure they cook fully.
Thirty minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450, preferably with a pizza stone on the lowest rack. Liberally dust a pizza peel with cornmeal.
When the dough is ready, transfer it to the prepared peel and dust the top liberally with cornmeal. Roll it out to a circle 12-13 inches in diameter (make sure the dough is not sticking to the peel at all times--if it starts to, stop and dust the peel with more cornmeal before proceeding). Using a fork, dock the dough, leaving a 1/2-3/4-inch border for a crust, if desired. Top with the pesto and potato slices, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper, transfer to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. The crust will be golden and sound hollow when tapped and the potatoes will have begun to brown in spots.
Let cool for five minutes before serving.