Crispy Prosciutto and Parsley Pizza
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough, at room temperature Flour for rolling out the dough Cornmeal for dusting
- 1½ cups coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup grated Fontina
- ¼ cup grated Asiago
- 8 thin slices prosciutto
Instructions:
The original Roman or Neapolitan approach to pizza was to fashion a very thin crust in an extremely narrow oval, perhaps four or five times as long as it was wide, to be served to a group of diners on a long thin plank.
- Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Take care not to let it burn. Let cool.
- Cut the pizza dough into 2 equal pieces and roll into balls. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Using plenty of flour, roll one ball of dough into a rough rectangle about 10 inches wide and 20 inches long (or as long a shape as will fit on your pizza stone or sheet pan). If the dough begins to contract as you try to roll it out, let it rest for 10 minutes to relax, then try rolling it to form a rim.
- Transfer the dough to a peel or sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Dimple the dough with your fingertips so it doesn't puff up during baking. Spread a tablespoon of the garlic oil and half the garlic over the dough. Then sprinkle half the parsley over the dough. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of each cheese over the parsley.
- Slide the pizza onto the stone or place the sheet pan in the oven, and bake until the crust is starting to turn brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Top with half the prosciutto and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the prosciutto is starting to crisp. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving plate, and cut into 8 slices.
- Drizzle the pizza with a teaspoon of the garlic oil and serve. Repeat the procedure with the second ball of dough and the remaining ingredients.