Whole Wheat Pear, Fig, Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

Last Sunday I got really ambitious and decided to make my own pizza. I had never made pizza dough before so I was excited to take on the challenge. It turned out making pizza was WAY easier than I anticipated! I was in the mood to make a gourmet pizza with unconventional toppings to I browsed the interwebs for some inspiration.

Ultimately, I decided to craft my own recipe, adapted from two recipes I discovered. For the dough, I chose to use whole wheat flour for that extra hearty flavor. For my toppings, I sought both sweet and savory ingredients which led me to include smoky prosciutto, crunchy arugula and sweet figs and pears.

The pizza turned out wonderfully--I was admittedly impressed with my effort and could not wait to share this recipe with you! The whole wheat dough is hearty without being too tough or chewy and the sweetness of the fig spread pairs wonderfully with the salty prosciutto. The peppery arugula makes for a great crunchy topping as well! This recipe will definitely be a staple in my repertoire and I'll use this dough recipe for all my pizza creations.

The next time you're looking to impress someone with your culinary skills, or, if you're just looking for a change from the typical cheese pizza, give this recipe a try!

What are your favorite toppings to put on your pizza?

Combine your dough ingredients 

Allow dough to rise in a bowl for at least four hours

Roll dough out on floured surface and roll up edges to form a crust

Top your pizza with fig spread and cheeses

Fresh out of the oven!

The Finished Product!

Whole Wheat Pear, Fig, Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza
Recipe Adapted from The Pioneer Woman & My Recipes

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (not boiling)
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 packet dry yeast
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Toppings:
Approx. 1/2 cup fig spread (I used fig preserves, feel free to use less)
Mozzarella cheese (enough to top pizza, approx. 1/2 cup)
Parmesan cheese (enough to top pizza, approx. 1/2 cup)
2-3 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto
1 anjou pear, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh arugula

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt, olive oil and honey in a large bowl. Heat up water on stove until it is warm but not boiling. Add yeast to flour mixture and stir in warm water.

2. Knead dough five or six times and place in a bowl coated with cooking spray. Dough will be sticky.

3. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise for a minimum of four hours. You'll know your dough is ready when you press two fingers into the dough and the indentation remains.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

5. Roll dough with a rolling pin on a floured surface and roll up edges to form a crust. Place dough on a greased baking sheet.

6. Spread the fig preserves evenly across the dough and top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

7. Bake pizza for 12-15 minutes or until brown and crispy.

8. Remove from oven and immediately top with pear slices, prosciutto and arugula. I don't recommend baking the pizza with these ingredients as they will dry out. Placing them on the still-hot pizza will make the prosciutto nice and crispy and the pear tender.

9. Cut into squares or wedges and enjoy!