Need I say more? Prosciutto, peaches, gooey mozzarella? All of that on top of the most unbelievable pizza dough you can make at home!
My pizza dough has advantages and disadvantages to it. Advantages being that it truly is the best homemade pizza dough, it’s made ahead so the day you make the pizza, half the job is already done and it’s very easy to stretch and to work with – you will not need a rolling pin. Disadvantage – it must be made at least 24 hours before you bake your pizza.
For me, it means that I make it on Friday to be all good and ready to go for a family dinner on Saturday or Sunday!
This particular pizza variation is one of my favourites. The saltiness of prosciutto perfectly balanced by the sweetness of fresh summer peaches. And what about all that colour!
So, let’s get cooking!
Must be prepared 24 hours up to 3 days in advance.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl of your stand mixer and whisk or mix together. Because we are using instant yeast, we do not need the extra step of proofing it. With the mixer running, add water and oil.
Knead until the dough pulls away from the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl. Note, the brand of flour used, weather conditions, the way you measured your flour (was it spooned into your measuring cup or did you scoop the flour out of the bag) and other fluctuating variables determine whether you will need more flour or not. 3 and ½ cups is a good place to start, but if the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue kneading for about 7-10 minutes.
When you are happy with your dough, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead with your hand for a minute or so.
When finished kneading, divide your dough into two portions. Place each portion in a large Ziplock bag or a lightly greased container of choice. Put your pizza dough in the fridge. It should not be used the same day you make it. I most enjoy it after it has risen in the fridge for 48 hours, but anywhere between 24 hours and 4 days will work.
Take each portion of the dough out of the fridge and with floured hands form each portion into a ball; place on clean surface and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to keep it from drying out. Let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
At least 45 minutes before baking the pizza, preheat your over to 500. Place your pizza stone, or inverted heavy aluminum rimmed baking sheet into the oven while the oven is preheating.
With respect to the peaches, halve them and then slice each half into 4 pieces (8 pieces per peach.)
You can use these raw, or ideally, grill or pan sear (over medium heat in a lightly greased skillet) for about 3 minutes per side. This will slightly caramelize them, make them even sweeter and draw out some of their juices, avoiding any possibility of your pizza being soggy.
This dough is an absolute delight to work with. The gluten is well developed, so unlike many other dough recipes, you will not need to roll this dough and will be easily able to stretch it by hand. Place a portion of your dough on a large piece of parchment paper, lightly floured, pressing it down into a circle. At that point, pick up the dough and gently stretch it out. You can do so my rotating the pizza as you gently hold the edge of the pizza; use your fists to assist with the stretching of the dough. This dough, stretched gently should not tear and could be stretched into quite a large, thin crust pizza, around 12-14". If you prefer a thicker crust, by all means, stretch the dough less.
Brush the pizza lightly with olive oil and gently prick all over with a fork (that will prevent formation of large bubbles.) Slide onto your pizza stone (or inverted baking sheet) and bake for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
At that point, top with a pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, half of cheese slices, half of your peach slices and 1/4 of your prosciutto. Place back into the oven for around 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool very slightly and top with half of your arugula and another 1/4 prosciutto. (I prefer to have some cooked and some uncooked prosciutto).
Repeat the process with your remaining pizza. Slice and serve!
Ingredients
Directions
Must be prepared 24 hours up to 3 days in advance.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl of your stand mixer and whisk or mix together. Because we are using instant yeast, we do not need the extra step of proofing it. With the mixer running, add water and oil.
Knead until the dough pulls away from the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl. Note, the brand of flour used, weather conditions, the way you measured your flour (was it spooned into your measuring cup or did you scoop the flour out of the bag) and other fluctuating variables determine whether you will need more flour or not. 3 and ½ cups is a good place to start, but if the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue kneading for about 7-10 minutes.
When you are happy with your dough, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead with your hand for a minute or so.
When finished kneading, divide your dough into two portions. Place each portion in a large Ziplock bag or a lightly greased container of choice. Put your pizza dough in the fridge. It should not be used the same day you make it. I most enjoy it after it has risen in the fridge for 48 hours, but anywhere between 24 hours and 4 days will work.
Take each portion of the dough out of the fridge and with floured hands form each portion into a ball; place on clean surface and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to keep it from drying out. Let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
At least 45 minutes before baking the pizza, preheat your over to 500. Place your pizza stone, or inverted heavy aluminum rimmed baking sheet into the oven while the oven is preheating.
With respect to the peaches, halve them and then slice each half into 4 pieces (8 pieces per peach.)
You can use these raw, or ideally, grill or pan sear (over medium heat in a lightly greased skillet) for about 3 minutes per side. This will slightly caramelize them, make them even sweeter and draw out some of their juices, avoiding any possibility of your pizza being soggy.
This dough is an absolute delight to work with. The gluten is well developed, so unlike many other dough recipes, you will not need to roll this dough and will be easily able to stretch it by hand. Place a portion of your dough on a large piece of parchment paper, lightly floured, pressing it down into a circle. At that point, pick up the dough and gently stretch it out. You can do so my rotating the pizza as you gently hold the edge of the pizza; use your fists to assist with the stretching of the dough. This dough, stretched gently should not tear and could be stretched into quite a large, thin crust pizza, around 12-14". If you prefer a thicker crust, by all means, stretch the dough less.
Brush the pizza lightly with olive oil and gently prick all over with a fork (that will prevent formation of large bubbles.) Slide onto your pizza stone (or inverted baking sheet) and bake for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
At that point, top with a pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, half of cheese slices, half of your peach slices and 1/4 of your prosciutto. Place back into the oven for around 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool very slightly and top with half of your arugula and another 1/4 prosciutto. (I prefer to have some cooked and some uncooked prosciutto).
Repeat the process with your remaining pizza. Slice and serve!
