black mission fig & prosciutto pizza

The end of June is one of the best times of the year. The sun rises early and sets late, the 4th of July is just around the corner and black mission figs are finally in season! I love figs, and while I’ll never pass up dried figs, there’s nothing like a fresh one. I think people are scared off my their weird appearance, or maybe they’re just traumatized by Fig Newtons. Whatever the case, nobody seems to buy them at my local grocery store, which just leaves more for me.

I love them caramelized, grilled, drizzled with honey and especially on a pizza. They add just enough sweetness to complement the salty prosciutto and cheese without being cloying. Delicious! Go get them now before they’re gone for the summer. A tip on storing them: Keep them in the fridge. They grow mold quickly if it’s hot an humid out.

Now put the mold out of your mind and go get your fig on…

Black Mission Fig & Prosciutto Pizza

1 ball pizza dough (store-bought or homemade*)
1 pint black mission figs, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 oz. Maytag blue cheese, crumbled
2 oz. fresh mozzerella, drained, patted dry and torn to pieces
1 tbsp. good olive oil
2 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper
10 slices prosciutto
1 tsp. coarse cornmeal (to prevent the dough sticking)

If you’ve got a pizza stone, preheat it. Otherwise, preheat a cookie sheet in a 500° oven.

Once your stone or cookie sheet are preheated and the oven’s nice and hot (I like to leave it on for at least a half hour before I put the pizza in), roll or stretch your dough out until it’s nice and thin.

Sprinkle the cornmeal on the pizza stone and then assemble your toppings. Since you’ve preheated the stone or cookie sheet, the bottom of the dough will begin cooking. This is a good thing since it’ll keep your pizza from being soggy in the middle.

Layer your sliced figs, then drizzle them with the olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with the black pepper, then add the cheeses, making sure to distribute them evenly. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Remove to a cutting board, layer with the prosciutto, slice and serve!

*Pizza Dough

1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoon (1 package) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
.5 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for coating
1 tsp. honey
2 tbsp. dry white wine
1 tbsp. vital wheat gluten (optional)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl, mixing well. Then add the wet ingredients and mix together into a big clump.

Flour a surface, and dump contents of bowl onto it. Knead everything together until all the ingredients are mixed well. Super Lazy Mel Tip: you can knead the dough right inside the bowl. You may hurt your knuckles a bit, but the clean up is much easier.

Pick the dough up, then lightly oil the bowl and place the dough ball inside, coating all sides with oil. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for at least 2 hours. I let it sit out on the counter all day while I’m at work and that seems to be fine as well.

Knead the dough for a bit to remove the air bubbles (Super Lazy Mel Tip: You can do this in the bowl). Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 more minutes.