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Figgy Piggy Pizza

I tend to be traditional when it comes to toppings, but this pizza won me over with its sweet and savory combination. Blue cheese is unexpected, but it's perfect on this pizza. The same day dough (recipe below) is soft and easily stretched, though it can be a bit sticky. Don’t worry about any irregularities in the shape. It's the beauty of homemade pizza, once baked, it's delicious.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Servings 8 slices

EQUIPMENT

  • baking steel
  • pizza peels

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ball of same day pizza dough recipe below
  • flour as needed for shaping and transferring pizza
  • 1 large onion halved and sliced
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp fig spread
  • 1.5 oz (about 1 or 2 slices) prosciutto slices
  • 2 oz (about ½ cup) whole milk low moisture mozzarella, shredded
  • 2 Tbsp blue cheese crumbles

Instructions
 

  • When the pizza dough is starting the final hour of second rise (or after removing dough from the refrigerator after overnight rise), prepare the caramelized onions.
  • Add olive oil, onions, and a small pinch of salt to large frying pan. Sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes until onions become soft and translucent, stirring frequently. Turn heat down to medium-low and continue cooking onions for 20 – 35 minutes more, stirring frequently, adding spoonfuls of water as needed when onions seem dry. Lower the heat if onions start to burn. Continue cooking and stirring until you reach your desired level of caramelization. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir well to combine. Set about 2 generous tablespoons of onions aside for the pizza and store any remainders in the refrigerator for another use.
  • Prepare the other toppings. Cut the prosciutto slices into thin strips, then cut into smaller lengths if you like. Shred the mozzarella and crumble the blue cheese.
  • Place baking steel on oven rack in lower half of the oven. Preheat the oven and baking steel to 530 - 550 degrees F as your oven allows. Or follow manufacturer guidelines regarding recommended cooking temperatures for your baking steel or baking stone.
  • When your dough is ready, shape one dough ball into 10-to-11-inch round. Shape directly on a wooden pizza peel or board, using flour on the surface as needed so dough does not stick. Once shaped, give the peel a shake to ensure pizza is not sticking, adding some flour underneath the round if there are any sticky spots.
  • Spoon the fig spread onto center of dough round. Use the bottom of a spoon to gently spread the fig spread into thin layer without tearing the dough, leaving about an inch at the outer edge.
  • Scatter the shredded mozzarella over the fig spread. Scatter about 2 Tbsp of the caramelized onions over the cheese. Add the strips of prosciutto. Finally, add the blue cheese crumbles.
  • Transfer pizza onto hot baking steel. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, until edge of pizza is puffed and lightly browned and cheese is starting to brown in spots. Remove pizza from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Slice in triangles (like a pie) and serve.

Notes

  1. Making pizza at home is fun and very satisfying, but it takes a bit of practice and the right tools for best results. 
  2. Pizza making tools. For the past ten years, I've been using a baking steel to make pizza so my recipes are optimized for the steel, baking one pizza at a time. I use a wooden pizza peel for transferring the dough into the oven and a stainless steel peel for removing the finished pizza from the oven. I put finished pies on a cutting board to cool and then slice and serve from the board. 
  3. If you use a baking stone (or other baking surface) adjust the cooking time and temperature as needed based on your experience, the manufacturer guidelines, and your oven. 
  4. This Neapolitan style dough is shaped by hand. The dough is soft and pliable, but the high level of hydration makes it a bit sticky which can be a nuisance. I start by pushing down gently on the dough ball to create a disk. Then I use my fist to push up on the underside of the disk stretching out the dough, using my other hand to rotate the disk until the round is about 9-10 inches. I finish by laying the round flat on a lightly floured pizza peel, then pushing/pulling the dough a bit to achieve a 10-11 inch round. Maintain a thicker rim of dough at the edge which tapers to a thinner layer in the center. Try to avoid stretching the dough too thin at the center to avoid tears. Though if you do get any tears or holes, just pinch the dough to patch it up. Alternatively, you can shape the dough ball solely by pushing and pulling the dough as is rests on the peel. 
  5. Be sure to give the pizza peel a shake once the dough is shaped to ensure it is not sticking. The dough should slide freely on the peel. If it's sticking, spread some flour underneath the dough. Then start topping the pizza without delay. I've found that dough with a high hydration level may start to stick to the peel if it sits for too long. So once the dough is shaped, top it immediately, and transfer to the oven. Make sure all your toppings are ready to go rather than let the dough rest as you finish prepping your toppings.