Why We Love Fig Pizza
Making pizza at home is fun and affordable. It allows you to be creative and experiment with flavors, all on a bubbly carby crust. Although the combination of figs and prosciutto is not original to us, it is a lovely unique option we think everyone should try! Fresh figs are wonderful, yet not always available when you need them. In our recipe, we are making Fig Prosciutto Pizza with fig preserves so it is easy to bake any time of year. The sweet fig pairs perfectly with finely shaved prosciutto ham, creamy goat cheese, spicy arugula, fresh thyme, and pine nuts. This is a pizza to experience with a glass of wine and a good friend. Although you can make this pizza with store-bought dough, we suggest you make the pizza dough from scratch… It makes all the difference!
Wheat for the Win!
Wheat is often thought of as an empty, flavorless grain. It gets so much bad press these days. Last summer my family tried to go gluten-free, just to see if we would feel any different. After buying all the alternate flours and binders, blending popular baking mixes, bagging, storing, and baking, I was exhausted… And a little letdown, if I’m being honest. It was amazing how much we actually missed the texture and flavor of wheat. Yes, wheat has its own flavor, a mellow, earthy tone that is truly distinct. Maybe we are overly addicted to it in the USA. Maybe it is a “cheap” grain with less nutritional value, but nonetheless, I like it. A lot. After much experimentation with ingredients and contemplation, I made a decision. Since no one in my family had celiac disease, autism, IBS, wheat allergies, or any other condition said to be affected by wheat consumption, we were going back, in moderation. I do buy organic wheat flour to eliminate GMOs and pesticides, but I don’t think I will ever give up wheat completely.
What is Yeast?
Yeast is the best ingredient to add when trying to produce a light, airy bread product. It is a single-celled fungus that converts sugar and starch into carbon dioxide bubbles. These bubbles lift the bread and create pores throughout it. You shouldn’t eat raw yeast, since it will continue to grow in your digestive system and steal nutrients from your body. But once deactivated in the oven (or through pasteurization), yeast is a healthy food product. Some yeasts are even sold as nutritional supplements.
Fresh Homemade Pizza Dough
Today I’m using my beloved wheat flour and yeast to make an amazing bubbly crust for Fig Prosciutto Pizza. Pizza dough is essentially a white bread dough with added olive oil. The oil produces a richer flavor, and denser crust with more pull when you bite it. How you handle the dough makes a difference in texture as well. The more you knead your dough, the more “pull” you create. This is essential for pizza crust. The toppings for this Fig and Prosciutto Pizza are a savory-sweet blend of fig preserves, sliced prosciutto, fresh arugula, pine nuts, and cheeses. These pizza toppings offer a salty bite with a touch of sweetness that makes this Fig Prosciutto Pizza a winner for both dinner and as an appetizer at a cocktail party. You are going to love this!
Fig and Prosciutto Pizza Ingredients
For the Crust:
Water Dry active yeast Olive oil Bread flour Salt Extra oil and flour for prep
Fig Prosciutto Pizza:
Fig preserves Prosciutto Arugula leaves (or baby arugula) Soft goat cheese crumbled (chevre) Shredded mozzarella Fresh thyme leaves Pine nuts Salt and black pepper
How to Make Fig Pizza
For the Pizza Crust Dough: Place 1/2 cup of warm water in your electric mixing bowl. Add the yeast and allow it to swell for 5 minutes. It should look foamy. Then add 1 1/4 cups of room-temperature water, plus the oil and salt. Using a bread hook, mix on low, adding the flour a little at a time. “Knead” in the mixer for 2-3 minutes until well combined but tacky. Oil a large bowl. Place the dough mixture in the bowl and turn it to cover the dough in oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours. When the dough is more than double the original size, punch it down and place it on a floured work surface. Divide into two equal pieces. Use your hands to turn the edges of the dough under to create a perfectly round, smooth mounds. Either roll from the middle out, or hand-stretch the dough to a large 18-inch circle. Be careful not to tear the dough. Place both pizza crusts on pieces of parchment paper and liberally oil the pizza crusts. Allow the crusts to rest. For the Fig and Prosciutto Pizza: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, and place two round pizza stones or two flat cookie sheets on the middle two racks to preheat. Spread half the fig preserves over each pizza crust. Top each crust with sliced prosciutto, fresh arugula, crumbled goat cheese, shredded mozzarella, fresh thyme, and pine nuts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then bake for 8-10 minutes, until the crust is bubbly. Cut and serve!
How long do leftovers last?
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
What can I serve alongside this pizza?
You may have leftover ingredients from the pizza toppings… You can build a side salad with the extra cheese, prosciutto, and herbs. A baby arugula salad is fantastic with fresh mozzarella cheese, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, a few slices of prosciutto, tomatoes, and pine nuts. You could even add burrata or parmesan cheese as well. Any other green salad or chunky salad would make a nice addition as well. We are big fans of Peach and Watercress Salad or our over-the-top Antipasto Salad with Spinach. If you would like to add another hot dish, try serving the pizza with Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil, Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup, or Homemade Vegetable Soup.
Can we pre-make the dough?
You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it until you are ready. Transfer the dough balls to the fridge about 24 hours before you want to roll out the crusts and add toppings.
Can I add sauce?
Some people prefer their pizza to have traditional pizza sauce. You could use tomato-based pizza sauce here, but I preferred this recipe as-is, which allows the toppings and the dough to really showcase their flavors.
Do I have to bake this pizza?
Sometimes I bake prosciutto pizza recipe right on the grill. Just set a pizza stone (or baking sheet) over the grates and preheat until the grill is very hot. If the grill reaches 600-800 degrees, it will only need 3-4 minutes to bake.
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