The Woolton Pizza Pie Recipe is my update on one of the most famous wartime rationing recipes, Woolton Pie. This tasty and nutritious vegetable pie was created by Francis Ladry, Chef at the Savoy Hotel in London. It is named after Lord Woolton, who helped to make the recipe popular when he became Minister of Food in 1940.
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Celebrate VE Day with a Woolton Pizza Pie
I created this recipe to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe (VE Day – 8 May 1945).
Potato Pete
Potato Pete is a fun character created by the Ministry of Agriculture & Food. He was created to inspire people to eat more potatoes and maintain their health during the Second World War.
Potato Pete is being brought back to life through wartime recipes that have been given a modern makeover. Though times have changed, potatoes remain a British favourite and are still helping the country enjoy a healthy, balanced diet.
Dig for Victory
During WW2 families were encouraged to make use of their gardens or allotments to grow vegetables through the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign. At its peak, there were 1.4 million allotments in Britain. There has been a revival in interest in growing your own food and allotments are very popular.
Kate Cox of the Potato Council says, “Potatoes were a staple ingredient in Britain during the war and a key component of the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign, so it seemed only fitting to celebrate VE Day by revamping wartime recipes that are still just as tasty and nutritious today!”
Healthy Wartime Diet
Dietitians argue that wartime diets were amongst the healthiest the British population has ever eaten, which in turn led to improvements in the nation’s health.
Sian Porter, dietitian says, “Food during the Second World War was all about sustainability, minimising waste and nutrition. Today we are seeing a renewed interest in where our food comes from, how it is grown, avoiding waste as well as maximising nutrition. Ingredients such as potatoes were relevant then and are relevant now.”
Potatoes are a Superfood
Potatoes are the original superfood. Research* shows children get more Vitamin C, B1, B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium from potatoes than from the 5 superfoods; beetroot, bananas, nuts, broccoli, and avocado combined.
Average intakes of potassium, iodine, folate and vitamin B6 are more than 10% higher in adults who regularly consume more potatoes rather than alternative carbohydrates such as pasta or rice. The average intakes of potassium, folate, vitamin A and vitamin B6 are also more than 6% higher in children who consume potatoes regularly.
How to make Woolton Pizza Pie
The Woolton Pizza Pie uses mashed potatoes to create a soft and tender pizza dough. The mashed potato also reduces the quantity of flour. Find all quantities and full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom on this page.
Make the mashed potato
Use leftover mashed potatoes for the pizza base or peel, boil until tender, and mash then leave until cool.
Make the pizza dough
Put the flour, yeast salt and sugar into a bowl, add the mashed potato and the rest of the base ingredients. Mix together and knead for 5 -10 minutes. Put into an oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove until doubled in size.
Note
Different potatoes have different water content so your dough may be slightly wetter or dryer. Use more or less flour until you have the correct consistency.
Pizza dough with no yeast
If you don’t have yeast or don’t want to wait for the dough to rise, use a scone dough base like this Scone Dough Pizza from Nicola at Something Sweet, Something Savoury.
Roast the Vegetables
Thinly slice the carrots, and swede and place in a roasting tin with oil, smoked paprika, and garlic. Roast for 10 minutes, then add sliced cauliflower florets and roast another 5 minutes.
Par-boil the new potatoes and leave to cool, then slice.
Arrange the vegetable pizza topping
Big Pizza!
This is a big pizza so make sure you use a baking tray that is at least 32 cm square (12 inches).
Bake the Woolton Pizza Pie
The Woolton Pizza Pie tastes amazing, even better than I expected. The potato bread dough is really light and fluffy and, because the vegetables are roasted with smoked paprika, they are delicious.
Add fresh herbs
Add some fresh chopped parsley and spring onions before serving to lift the flavours. The Woolton Pizza Pie is ideal to fill up your hungry family it is also inexpensive to make.
Serving Suggestion
Serve warm with a salad of leaves, cucumber. celery and grated carrot. The pizza is also very good cold.
Recipes from Love Potatoes
Visit Love Potatoes for more potato recipes. The recipe collection includes more retro recipes with a modern twist.
Some of my wartime cookery books and leaflets |
More Frugal Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Slow Cooker Scottish Stovies is a comforting plate of slowly cooked potato seasoned with beef and onions. Stovies or ‘Stoved Potatoes’ is a classic dish that makes simple ingredients taste incredibly good.
This Slow Cooker Chorizo, Potato and Runner Bean One Pot dinner is perfect for making an inexpensive, tasty and filling meal using a garden glut of potatoes and runner beans from the garden or allotment.
More Wartime recipes
Ration Book Savoury Suppers – Lavender & Lovage
Potato Vareniki (dumplings) – Chez Maximka
Egg & Sausage Pie – Farmersgirl Kitchen
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Just for a fun, here is how our family celebrated the 50th Anniversary of VE Day in 1995, with a Scottish Butcher Mince Beef Pie and hand-decorated napkins.
Woolton Pizza Pie
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) milk
- 60 millilitres (60 millilitres) water
- 115 grams (0.55 cups) mashed Maris Piper potatoes
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) butter
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) salt
- 270 grams (2.16 cups) strong white flour
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoon) fast action yeast
For the topping
- 6 (6) new Charlotte potatoes
- 1/2 (1/2) a small turnip (swede)
- 2 (2) carrots
- 1/2 medium (1/2 medium ) cauliflower
- 5 cloves (5 cloves) of garlic skins on
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) sweet smoked paprika pimenton
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) finely chopped spring onions
- 50 grams (0.75 cups) finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Put the flour in a large bowl and add the sugar, salt and the yeast, keeping the the salt and yeast away from each other.
- Add the olive oil, butter, milk and potatoes and mix.
- Add the water a little at a time until you have a smooth, soft dough.
- Tip the dough onto an oiled surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth. Leave to rise until doubled in size.
- When the dough is rising, prepare the vegetables.
- Heat the oven to 180C
- Parboil the potatoes until tender but not fully cooked, leave to cool.
- Slice the swede and carrots very thinly, I used a mandoline
- Slice the cauliflower florets slightly more thickly or they will disintegrate
- Place the swede, carrots, and cloves of garlic in roasting tin with the oil and sprinkle with the paprika, mix together so the oil and paprika cover the vegetables.
- Roast for 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften, then add the cauliflower, mix it in with the oil and other vegetables and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Remove and leave to cool.
To assemble
- The dough is quite soft, so using oiled hands, press it into a circle on your baking tray. Cover with cling film and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.
- Squeeze the softened garlic from the roasted garlic cloves and spread over the dough.
- Place the swede around the edge, overlapping the slices Place the carrots in circles from the inner edge of the swede to the centre of the pizza Slice the potatoes and make a circle as shown above Fill the centre with the roasted cauliflower florets, adding a single carrot slice in the centre if liked.
- Bake at 200C for 20-30 minutes until the base is golden brown if the vegetables start to brown to quickly, cover with a piece of foil. Serve hot from the oven sprinkled with parsley and spring onions.
Notes
Nutrition
I’m adding this recipe to #CookBlogShare the link up for great recipes from food blogs.
* SACN identified 14 micronutrients where there is evidence of low intakes and/or low nutritional status in the UK population (SACN 2008). Potatoes contribute 10% or more of intakes of many of these micronutrients in the UK, namely vitamin B6 (19%), potassium (18%), vitamin C (15%), thiamine (13%), folate (12%) and magnesium (10%) (Henderson et al. 2002). Source: 2010 British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin, 35, pg 326
Karen S Booth says
What a WONDERFUL recipe Janice, so inventive and one that I would really enjoy! Now your post is up, I will add a link to you here! Karen
Janice Pattie says
Thank you Karen, I have reciprocated!
Galina Varese says
Fab recipe, Janice! Very creative! Love that you used potatoes in making the pizza dough. I have added a link to your post.
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Galina, I loved the story of your grandfather's bravery and determination. I've linked to you too.
Sue says
Inspired!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Sue.
Emma Julia says
Mouthwatering!!
Janice Pattie says
Thank you Emma, it was.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
This looks like my kind of pizza, and a great way to use up leftovers too.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I'd happily tuck into that Janice 🙂
Munchies and Munchkins says
Oh wow this looks great. I'm a big lover of the humble potato! X
Lucy Allen says
I bet the potato dough was great, this looks delicious! Interestingly I had a book from the library recently about allotments etc during the war. Sadly I kept falling asleep when resding it so didn't get very far!
Keep Calm and Fanny On says
I do love a retro recipe with a modern twist as you know – and this looks wonderful! Can't wait to try it, and to check out some of the others…Thanks!
Alison says
Loving potato pete! What a nice recipe, I will have to give it a try. I have had potato bread so bet the dough was similar
Emmyw says
Wow a potato based pizza base. How clever! I love Potato Pete. I think we should bring him back 😛 It's a shame allotments are so few and far between now. We've been on a waiting list for ages and without a garden we're stuck for growing veggies. Still, this pie looks fab.
Choclette Blogger says
I'm loving these innovative WWII recipes Janice. This pie looks fab and I'd be very happy to join you in a slice.
Bintu Hardy says
What a mouthwatering and creative recipe Janice. I want to dig right in.
Corina Blum says
This sounds delicious and I’m intrigued to try out that pizza base with the mashed potato in!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Corina. It really is good, amazing what you can do with simple ingredients.
Chloe Edges says
Look brilliant – My dad needs no encouragement to eat more potatoes so he’ll love this!
Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Chloe. I hope he enjoys it, it’s one of those recipes that is more than a sum of its parts!
Eb Gargano says
Oooh I love this twist on Woolton Pie – genius! Eb x
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Eb. It works really well and is economical as well as very tasty.
Michelle Rolfe says
I’ve never seen this before but given that I always seem to have leftover mashed potatoes I definitely be trying this! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle
Janice Pattie says
Yes, you can make mashed potato pastry and bread. I hope you enjoy the pizza.