I’ve been on a real “let’s make pizza that’s nothing like real pizza” kick lately and I like how things are going so far. Prosciutto, fig, and arugula pizza is exactly that. Full disclosure, my mom actually introduced me to the prosciutto and fig combo—I was blown away by how simple and delicious it was. The fresh arugula adds an aromatic and slightly spicy third dimension that compliments the sweet and salty characteristics of the prosciutto and fig spread.
Prosciutto, fig, and arugula pizza is perfect if you’re looking for something a little different. Evenly spread fig jam over the pizza dough as the “sauce” and top with fresh mozzarella and sliced prosciutto. Slice the fresh mozzarella into about 1/4 inch thick slices so it melts and spreads evenly. I have never tried this with processed shredded mozzarella, but I highly recommend using a “ball” of fresh mozzarella.
I’ve covered cooking with a pizza stone in another post already but I will mention it again here because it makes such a huge difference. I rarely made homemade pizza before I got a pizza stone because it always came out….mediocre. So if you were me a year ago then this is for you!
The KEY to using a pizza stone is heating the stone up for 1 hour in the oven at 500° before baking. Then, 15 minutes in the oven and your pie is done. This gives you a perfectly cooked crust with brick oven pizza qualities. You will also need a pizza peel, these come in all shapes and sizes and are made of wood or metal. Here are a few good tips from chow.com on using a pizza peel.
Build your pizza right on the peel. A little fig jam goes a long way, you want enough to lightly coat the entire pizza. Usually 4-5 heaping tablespoons will do.
Be sure to use plenty of corn meal on your pizza peel before placing the rolled out dough on it. This helps the pizza slide onto the stone and is guaranteed to not stick if you use liberal amounts. I usually use a small handful. Roll out the dough first on the counter and then transfer to the peel to avoid sticking.
Place your mozzarella slices evenly on top of the pizza. It’s okay if there are large gaps, it will all fill in when it melts. You can use as much or as little prosciutto as you would like. Once fully cooked and out of the oven, garnish with fresh arugula.
- 1 package pre-made pizza dough
- 4-5 heaping spoonfuls fig spread
- Sliced prosciutto, as desired
- 6-7¼ inch slices fresh mozzarella (1 mozzarella ball)
- 1-2 cups fresh arugula (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for crust
- Garlic powder, for crust
- ¼ cup cornmeal, for pizza peel
- Preheat the oven to 500° and place the pizza stone in the oven and let preheat for one hour.
- Meanwhile, roll out the dough into a 12 inch crust. Top with a light coating of evenly spread olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder if desired.
- Place a small handful of cornmeal onto the pizza peel and spread evenly to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Transfer the dough onto the peel. Spread the fig spread over the dough until lightly but fully covered. Add the mozzarella first and then top with the prosciutto.
- Slide finished pizza onto the pizza stone and bake for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to carefully watch the oven because all ovens will cook at different rates. Sometimes it will only take 10 minutes to fully cook.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, top with fresh arugula, and serve.
The post Prosciutto, Fig, and Arugula Pizza Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Swagger.