A personal favorite born out of a myriad of inspirations
This summer, I probably made about 50 homemade pizzas in a span of 3 months, and fed them to at least as many individuals. This began because a trip to Colorado rekindled my interest in pizza making, after dear friends welcomed me into their home and into a weekly tradition of grilling pizzas, a household rhythm born out of the pandemic. I came back to the east coast and quickly dug out a dough recipe I'd used and loved from the summer before (which I'll share soon!), and started experimenting with all sorts of sauces, cheese combinations, and toppings. All of them were pretty great (it's hard to go wrong with hot cheese and bread), but I definitely gravitated toward a few favorite combos. At the top of the list is this fig, prosciutto, caramelized onion pizza with a chili fig spread and garlic olive oil base and a hot honey drizzled on top.
A quick moment to appreciate the beauty of how different experiences can produce inspiration that is woven into a single food creation (also true in other art forms!). The inspiration to dive deep into pizza making for a summer and to share it with others came from experiencing the hospitality and creativity of my friends in Colorado. I came across the concept of hot honey and salty meat on pizza several years ago at a spot in NYC, when a friend and I were scrambling to find a fast bite to eat before going to a Broadway show two blocks away. Fig spread as a base element was inspired by a pizzeria I learned about while watching a children's culinary show, Waffles + Mochi, on a whim one night with a friend. I love that this pizza was born out of so many delightful moments of life lived with people I love.
Anyway, on to the recipe!
Fig, Prosciutto, and Caramelized Onion Pizza with Hot Honey
Makes 1 pizza, feeds about 3-4
Base Ingredients:
fresh dough for one pizza (I'll share a recipe soon, but your favorite store bought also works!)
a ball of fresh mozzarella (shredded works in a pinch, a fresh ball is better, and the best is if you can get burrata)
cornmeal for dusting
Sauce
2 tablespoons of fig jam (optional)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (a little more if omitting jam)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper
Toppings:
4-5 slices of prosciutto, torn into pieces
5-6 fresh figs, sliced thin
caramelized onion (about half an onion, sautéed on medium high with a pat of butter or oil until golden)
hot honey (Mike's Hot Honey or similar)
Note: Sausage is an excellent substitute for the prosciutto, or addition if you just want more meat!
Key Supplies: pizza stone + peel or a pizza/sheet pan, knife and cutting board, small frying pan for caramelizing onion
Directions:
Preheat oven according to dough instructions (for my recipe, it calls for 450 degrees Fahrenheit). If using pizza stone, go ahead and put it into oven to heat up.
Prep your pizza pan or pizza peel for dough by dusting generously with cornmeal. You can also grease with oil if using pizza pan and not using cornmeal.
Stretch out dough to the appropriate size and shape over top of the cornmeal
Combine minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fig spread into a sauce base. Spread onto stretched dough.
Thinly slice mozzarella into rounds and evenly distribute across pizza--it doesn't have to cover all of it, it'll spread as it melts. (If using shredded, just evenly cover the sauce.)
Top with caramelized onions, sliced figs, and shredded prosciutto.
Bake according to dough instructions (for my recipe, it calls for 14-16 minutes, plus a quick broil).
Remove from oven, and drizzle hot honey over the pizza before serving.
Here are some process photos!
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