Description
Rustic Italian charm meets modern culinary creativity in this Fresh Fig and Walnut Artisan Pizza. Sweet Mediterranean figs and crunchy walnuts dance atop a perfectly crisp wood-fired crust, inviting you to savor each luxurious, flavor-packed slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.2 pounds/1 kilogram 00 flour (pizza flour)
- 3 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 6 fresh figs, sliced
- 36 whole walnuts
Liquid and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2¾ cups/650 milliliters water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
Herb Ingredient:
- 12 sprigs thyme
Instructions
- Prepare the foundational pizza dough by combining flour, yeast, and water in a stand mixer bowl, creating a preliminary mixture that will develop complex flavors and texture.
- Allow the initial dough blend to rest, covered with a kitchen towel, for 30 minutes to enable gluten development and enhance fermentation potential.
- Incorporate salt into the rested mixture, kneading slowly for 5 minutes to develop structural integrity and elasticity.
- Drizzle olive oil into the dough, continuing to knead until the texture becomes cohesive and slightly tacky.
- Transfer the developed dough to a generously oiled large rectangular container, ensuring complete surface coverage to prevent sticking.
- Cover the container and permit the dough to rise for 30 minutes, allowing it to expand and develop underlying structural complexity.
- Gently fold the expanded dough, reshaping it into a smooth ball, and let it rise for an additional 30 minutes to further enhance its texture.
- Refrigerate the prepared dough overnight, enabling slow fermentation and deeper flavor development.
- Remove the chilled dough approximately 2 hours before baking to reach room temperature and restore malleability.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, carefully reshaping each into a uniform ball and returning them to the container.
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C), preparing for high-temperature baking that will create a crisp, golden crust.
- Gently roll each dough ball into a circular shape approximately 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) thick, creating a rustic artisan foundation.
- Distribute of mozzarella cheese across each pizza base, ensuring even coverage.
- Drizzle olive oil over the cheese, enhancing flavor and promoting beautiful caramelization.
- Arrange thinly sliced fresh figs across the surface, creating an elegant and flavorful topping.
- Scatter 6 whole walnuts strategically over each pizza, providing textural contrast and nutty depth.
- Delicately sprinkle fresh thyme leaves from 2 sprigs, infusing the pizza with aromatic herbal notes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, monitoring closely to achieve a perfectly golden and crisp crust.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately while the pizza remains hot and the cheese is magnificently melted.
Notes
- Master the slow fermentation technique to develop deep, complex flavors in your pizza dough, enhancing its texture and taste.
- Ensure dough rises at room temperature before refrigerating to activate yeast and create a lighter, more airy crust.
- Divide dough into equal portions for consistent pizza sizes, allowing even baking and uniform cooking.
- Generously drizzle olive oil before baking to create a crispy, golden-brown crust with rich, Mediterranean-inspired flavor.
- Arrange fresh figs and walnuts strategically to maximize taste balance and create an elegant, rustic presentation.
- Use fresh thyme sprigs sparingly to add subtle herbal notes without overwhelming the delicate fig and cheese combination.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 512 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg