Whole Wheat Flatbread with Fresh Figs, Chèvre and Arugula
This savory-sweet fig pizza is loaded with flavor from goat cheese, parmesan, arugula, and balsamic. Feel free to use my sourdough pizza crust here, or make it GF by using my favorite gluten-free pizza crust!
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 12 minutesminutes
Chilling time: 30 minutesminutes
Total: 1 hourhour12 minutesminutes
Servings: 4appetizer servings.
Ingredients
The flatbread dough: Makes enough dough for three 10-12" flatbreads
1package (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)active dry yeast
1 1/2cupswarm water
2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2teaspoonssea salt
1cupwhole wheat bread flour
2 to 2 1/2cups"type 00" pizzeria flour (or white bread flour)
The balsamic reduction: Makes enough for three flatbreads
1/3cupbalsamic vinegar
2tablespoonshoney
The toppings: Enough for one flatbread
super-good extra-virgin olive oil for brushing and drizzling
10figs, any color
4ouncessoft, fresh goat cheese
1/2ounceparmesan, finely grated (on a microplane)
a large handful of small arugula leaves
flaky salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
Make the dough:
Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let sit 5-10 minutes to dissolve, then add the oil, salt, whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of the 00 flour. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed for 5 minutes to make a wet dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add 1/2 cup more of 00 flour. Switch to the dough hook, increase the mixer speed to medium, and knead for 7 minutes, adding more flour by the tablespoon until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. After 7 minutes, the dough should feel smooth and soft, and slightly sticky, but not too wet.
Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl or container, and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled or tripled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Alternately, let it rise in the fridge overnight.)
Prepare the toppings:
In a small saucepan, stir together the balsamic and honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer, swirling occasionally, until thick, syrupy and reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Pour into a small, heat-proof bowl, let cool, then chill in the fridge to thicken. (The reduction will keep in the fridge for probably a long time.)
Slice the tops and bottoms off the figs and cut them into 1/4" slices. Rinse the arugula and spin it dry. Have the other ingredients at the ready.
Assemble and bake the flatbreads:
Position a rack in the bottom of the oven, and remove any other racks from the oven. If you have a baking stone, place it on the rack. (Lacking a stone, place an inverted, heavy baking sheet in the oven, or just form the pizza directly onto a baking sheet in the following steps.) Preheat the oven to 500º for at least 30 minutes.
Scrape the risen dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. Divide the dough into three balls, and keep the other two covered while you work with the first. On a lightly floured surface, tuck the edges of the dough under itself to make a loose ball, then flatten the dough into a disc. Gently press, pull and stretch the dough into a 10-12" round; if it is very springy, let it rest for a few minutes to relax the glutens.
Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper set on a pizza peel (or large cutting board). Trim the edges of the parchment so they stick out 1" on all sides. Brush the dough all over with olive oil. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the dough, going right to edges, then top with an even layer of the grated parmesan. Place the fig slices evenly over the cheese and press them down gently.
Slip the pizza on its parchment onto the hot baking stone in the oven. Bake the pizza until the bottom of the crust is golden, the figs are roasted and the cheese is beginning to color, about 8-12 minutes.
Use a pair of tongs to pull the flatbread from the oven and onto a large cutting board. Drizzle the figs with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and 1/3 of the balsamic reduction. Grind some pepper over the top, and sprinkle with a couple pinches of flaky salt, then cover with the arugula. Cut into 12-16 squares and serve immediately.
Repeat with the remaining flatbreads.
Notes
The flatbread dough is adapted from The Cheese Board Collective Works.The dough and balsamic reduction recipes below make enough for three flatbreads; extra dough can be stored in an oiled, airtight container (that is a few times the size of the dough to allow for expansion) in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bring the dough to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.Since this dough is fairly wet, necessary for easy stretching and a light, crisp crust, it is best kneaded in a stand mixer. If you must knead it by hand, add as little flour as possible to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the kneading surface. If you don't have "00" pizzeria flour, use bread flour in its place; you may need to add more flour to the dough.Each flatbread serves 4 as an appetizer.Nutritional values are based on one of four servings, of one flatbread.