Sweet and salty toppings make Chèvre Fig Pizza a delicious meal. Add arugula and a drizzle of reduced balsamic, and you make the magic of umami! Once again, I had ingredients I needed to use, and they transformed into a yummy pizza. Certainly, you could buy a crust and put on the toppings. However, I used this as an opportunity to hone my “crust making” skills. Don likes thin, and a little crisp pizza crust. Sometimes, I get it perfect, and sometimes not. So, I decided to revise my favorite recipe. By replacing half the all purpose flour with pastry flour, I didn’t have to struggle with the gluten, and got near perfect results.
Chevre Fig Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup (wholewheat) pastry flour (less 1 TBSP)
- 1 TBSP cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 TBSP maple syrup
- 4 oz black olive tapenade or paste
- 10-12 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)
- 1 cup figs, cut in pieces*
- 1/2 cup fresh arugula or watercress (optional)
Crust
Toppings
Instructions
- Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, add all but 2 TBSP of the water, through the feed tube. Leave the processor running and add oil. Continue processing until dough forms a ball. If dough does not form ball, add a little of the reserved water.
- Flour countertop lightly, and turn dough onto counter. Instead of kneading, I usually stretch the dough, then throw it against the countertop. Continue that process until the dough has a smooth texture (doesn't take long). Place in 1 gallon bag and place in fridge overnight.
- Heat oven to 475.
- Remove dough from fridge.
- Place dough on parchment (large enough to fit on about a 13x18 sheet pan).
- Roll dough into a large rectangle. Place on sheet pan. Using a fork, prick dough all over.
- Place crust in oven. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool.
- Before you make pizza, place balsamic and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Stir together well. On low heat, reduce to half, or until thick syrup forms. Set aside.
- Smear crust with olive tapenade.
- Sprinkle with figs and chunks of chèvre.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until chèvre has some brown peaks.
- Remove from oven. Drizzle with balsamic. Scatter arugula on top.
- *I used dried figs that I simmered in apple juice until they plumped. If you don't want to use figs, smear crust with fig jam.
- Additions: cooked and crumbled bacon or diced ham or slices of cooked sausage
Crust
Toppings
Notes
Time does not include letting dough rest in fridge overnight.