Ok... I like pizza. A lot. I envision that when I look back at my blog in a few months or a year, there will be a lot of pizza recipes. But that is pretty reflective of my life. We eat pizza once a week and I'm not sorry about it. Over the years, I have aimed to perfect homemade pizza making. It started when we registered for a pizza stone for our wedding and I have to say, things have improved immensely over the last 9+ years.
I generally have 2 methods of cooking pizza (oven and grill), endless topping ideas and 1 rule. The rule? Use store bought crust. Most grocery stores have fresh pizza dough balls you can find in their bakery section and they are such a time saver and make homemade pizza an easy dinner that you don't have to think and prep ahead of time by several hours.
I love this crispy prosciutto and arugula pizza. It's a white pizza, so it doesn't have any sauce. The combination of the sharp fontina with the salty, crunchy prosciutto then the peppery arugula salad on top that cuts through everything with the zip of lemon is a really fun medley of flavors and textures. It's the best of all worlds because you get to eat pizza, but you're also eating a salad so it's basically a health dish at that point. At least that's what I tell myself, so you can too.
Pizza is fantastic because it really is just a vessel for your creativity. Swap out anything and you have a whole new adventure. But I do highly recommend trying this combo of toppings. You won't regret it!
(It might seem like there are a lot of steps below, but it's actually quite easy. Be sure to read through the entire recipe before getting started. It will help keep the process smooth. Once you get the hang of the process, you can make a pizza in 20 minutes or less, not counting the preheating stage. But don't skip the preheating stage! It will only make the cooking time longer.)
Crispy Prosciutto + Arugula White Pizza
(Makes ~ 8-12 Slices)I highly recommend looking at the Highlights on my Instagram account @slo_cooker for this pizza recipe and the pizza making process.
Ingredients:
1 fresh pizza dough ball (store bought or homemade)*
8 oz. shredded fontina cheese
2-4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 slices of prosciutto
2 oz. arugula*
Juice from half of a lemon
Olive oil
Directions:
Heat your grill to 485° (450° for oven) with your baking steel or pizza stone* preheating inside. Once the grill is to temp, allow your steel/stone to continue preheating another 15-20 minutes. Complete steps 2-4 while everything preheats.
Roll out or hand-stretch your pizza dough to your desired size. Place it on a floured, portable service like a cutting board then poke holes all over the surface with a fork.*
For the vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice and 1.5 TB of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside until the pizza is finished cooking (do not toss arugula yet otherwise it will get soggy)
For the crispy prosciutto, cut the prosciutto slices into small strips, about 2"x1/2" (it doesn't have to be perfect and uniform). Crisp the pieces up in a pan on the stove over medium-high heat, flipping once for even crispiness. This will happen FAST. Do not walk away from the stove. You may have to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your pan. Remove pieces to a paper towel lined plate and set aside until after the pizza is done cooking.
Once everything is pre-heated, place your rolled out pizza dough onto the baking steel. Close the cover and let cook for 90 seconds.
Pull the dough back off the steel to your cutting board and close the cover to keep the grill hot. Rotate your dough* 180° then evenly cover the dough with your cheeses, starting with the fontina. Use as much mozzarella as you need to fill in the gaps left after the fontina.
Carefully transfer the dough back onto the steel, close the grill cover and let it cook for 8-10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes for doneness (browning crust and bubbling cheese). Let cook an additional 2-3 minutes if needed to get to your desired doneness.
Once the crust is properly browned and your cheese is melted and bubbling, remove it to your cutting board.
Top evenly with the crispy prosciutto. Toss the arugula in the lemon vinaigrette to coat then distribute over top of the pizza.
Cut your pizza and enjoy!
*Recipe notes + Variations*
I use a 15oz. fresh dough ball from Publix and it's such a time saver. Most grocery stores have fresh pizza dough now, but feel free to make your own if you like. You also could use pre-cooked flatbread, but know that it will cook much faster as all you're doing is melting the cheese and not cooking raw dough.
Arugula amount is very approximate. It's basically 2 good handfuls.
If you are cooking your pizza on the grill, I would only use a pizza stone or baking steel. In the oven, a sheet tray will work if you don't have a stone or steel, but just note that it doesn't moderate heat as well so the bottom will cook faster. You likely will want to turn your oven temp down, but keep an eye on it.
Pricking the rolled-out dough with a fork is key. It keeps the dough from rising and creating air bubbles when it hits the heat. For a little bit of a chewy crust, leave a 1/4" border around the edge of your pizza without fork pricks.
When cooking on a grill, rotating your pizza helps to evenly brown and bake the crust as the back of a grill tends to be hotter than the front. In an oven, this isn't quite as important, but it won't hurt to do it.
Finish the pizza with red pepper flakes for a kick and/or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.