Fig and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions

Ok - here it is. My last fig focused recipe for this season...I think. I am heading to the farmers market in a bit, and I can't promise that I won't be tempted to buy another basket of those little beauties...I know, I have a problem. I was originally going to make this recipe for today to watch the Emmys, but honestly, watching the Emmys feels a little bit like doing my homework working in this stupid business that I work in. All I know is that I am routing for 30 Rock because it's the best show ever and Mad Men is just so damn beautiful to look at (hello Jon Hamm - what a hottie!). Other than that, I don't care much about them...oh and Damages is pretty awesome too!! So instead, I decided to make this to watch movies which is something I love to do when eating pizza. I picked a dough recipe I found in 101 Cookbooks because it was described as "the best pizza dough recipe ever". However, I didn't read the instructions all the way through before I started on it. (It's a wonder I got a degree considering how little I like to follow instructions). If you follow Heidi's recipe exactly, it takes a lot of time which I don't always have, so I skipped a bunch of the steps. It was still a pretty good dough though, but I don't know if it was the "best ever". I like nice thin pizzas and while I rolled and tossed it pretty thin, it didn't get as crispy as I wanted. Probably my own fault for not following all the steps. Dough issues aside, this was a really tasty pizza. Sweet figs with salty prosciutto, a kick from the red pepper flakes, and of course the sweetness from the onions. I always like to add a little garlic to my caramelized onions so of course I had a nice garlicky flavor in there as well. The only thing I may do differently next time is add a little basil, mostly for color. I made two little pizzas and froze the remainder of the dough for another time.

Pizza Dough
(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks)


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup ice water

Toppings

4 or 5 figs, stemmed and quartered
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 slices prosciutto, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded mozarella, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and water until the flour is all absorbed. Repeatedly mix the spoon into cold water and stir vigorously until the dough is a smooth mass. Do this for 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and sticky and clears the sides of the bowl, but it still sticks to the bottom. Add flour as necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Knead for about 10 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spraying the parchment with spray oil. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Spinkle flour over the dough and roll each piece into a bowl. Transfer as many dough balls as you plan to use to the baking pan and spray with spray oil. Freeze any remaining dough in plastic bags. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.

Remove the tray of dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil and cook onions over medium-low heat, season with salt and pepper. Cook onions for 10 to 15 minutes, until caramelized. Stir in garlic about 2 minutes before the onions are done.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out to the desired thin-ness. You can also toss the pizza with your hands to get the pizza even thinner. To make the pizza, divide the onion mixture evenly between the pizzas. Top with mozarella, then prosciutto and then the figs. Sprinkle red pepper all over each pizza and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until the crust is crisp and browned.