Prosciutto, mozzarella and fig pizza

A quintessential flavour combination on a simple-to-make pizza base. It is good to make several of these bases in one go and then freeze them, so that next time pizza is on the menu, a base can be quickly defrosted and finished with toppings.

Prosciutto, mozzarella and fig pizza. Credit: Lorraine Pascale's Baking Made Easy

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g (9oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
• 125-145 ml (4½–5 fl oz) warm water
• 30 ml (1¼ fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling and drizzling

Pizza topping

• 1 tube good tomato purée
• 250 g (9oz) mozzarella cheese
• 8 slices of prosciutto, ripped up into bite-sized pieces
• 5 figs, quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh basil
  

Rising time: 30-40 minutes.

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the water and oil together, then pour this into the well of the flour mixture and mix to make a soft but not sticky dough. Knead for 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured work surface or for 5 minutes in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Bring the dough together to a smooth flat ball and place on a large, lightly floured baking tray. Roll it out as flat as you can.
2. Cover the pizza dough loosely with oiled clingfilm, making sure it is airtight. Leave in a warm but not hot place for 30–40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F / Gas Mark 7).
3. Remove the clingfilm from the dough and roll out to a 30 cm (12 in) circle to knock some air out, then prick holes all over the dough with a fork. Spread over some of the tomato purée, leaving a 2.5 cm (1 in) border, followed by the mozzarella, prosciutto and half the figs. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the bread is crisp and golden brown and the cheese has melted. Scatter basil over the top and arrange the remaining figs on the pizza. Drizzle with oil.
4. Serve at the centre of the table so everyone can rip off their piece of Italian gold.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.