Fig, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Pizza

What I've accomplished since the last blog: defending and submitting my dissertation, putting a house on the market, and making 15 pounds of Easter lamb. Also, three homemade pizzas. The last one was a fig and goat cheese pie that I think is technically a dessert pizza, but we made into dinner by adding some prosciutto and caramelized onion to balance the sweetness. Yum!

Fig, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Pizza
Serves: 2 hungry people
Time: 30 minutes

- half of a small onion
- 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
- crust (either dough for, or pre-made 12-13" crust)
- 6 oz goat cheese (the soft kind; not feta, which is salty)
- 3 ripe figs or a handful of dried figs (if dried, soak in water for a few hours or overnight. This will soften them up and prevent burning)
- 2 slices of prosciutto
- fig jam (optional)

Take all of the necessary ingredients out of the fridge so that they can come to room temperature (very important for the cheese). Thinly slice the onion. Coat the sliced onion in oil and cook over medium heat. Keep an eye on the onions, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown (caramelize). Don't let them burn! Remove from heat when done and set aside.

While the onions are cooking, thinly slice the figs and set aside. Pull the prosciutto into thin strips and also set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're going to be using a pizza stone, make sure that's placed into the oven before you pre-heat.

Roll out dough, or go find your pre-made buddy. If you're transferring to a pizza stone, make sure to put lots of cornmeal under fresh dough to prevent sticking. This recipe will also work great on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Prepare to get messy. Try to slice the cheese into thin rounds (inevitably this won't work, just pretend it's like playdough). Pat gently into thinner discs and clumps and place directly onto dough. You don't need to cover every spot, but be careful when distributing because this sort of cheese doesn't melt much.

Next, place the slices of fig. If you decided to add some fig jam, drizzle or drop small amounts all over the pizza and especially anywhere there is still naked dough. After that, top with prosciutto, and finally the onions. If you're transferring fresh dough to a pizza stone remember to loosen it from the paddle and put extra cornmeal around the edges, especially in front.Bake in oven for about 7 minutes. The cheese will bubble, but it won't melt like traditional pizzas, so a crispy, golden crust is your goal.

before the oven

after the oven

Bonus: Pizza dough
(makes three, 12-13" thin crust)
I follow a recipe from a book, so I can't exactly give this step by step, but the dough is amazing, with a hint of fresh olive oil in the flavor.
- 1 quarter-oz package dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1-1/2 cups warm water
- 3-1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal or semolina (better)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 table spoons olive oil

Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, and sugar and let sit five minutes. Combine yeast mixture with everything else until sticky mass of dough forms. Knead until smooth, adding more flour if too sticky, more water if too dry. An electric mixer really makes this step better! Once kneaded, place in bowl coated with cooking spray, cover with kitchen towel and let rise, about 1-2 hours. Punch down and divide into 3 portions. These can be frozen for future use!