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Fontina, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Skillet Pizza

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 18, 2008

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 2

Fontina, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Skillet Pizza

Ingredients

Toppings

4 medium plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped½ teaspoon salt 1 cup shredded fontina cheese ½ cup crumbled goat cheese 2 ounces sliced deli prosciutto, chopped½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup beer (see Step by Step)7 tablespoons olive oil

Before You Begin

To save time, combine the cheeses and prepare the dough while the salted tomatoes are draining. When popping the bubbles in the dough in step 3, do so gently to avoid scratching the nonstick pan.

Instructions

  1. For the toppings: Toss tomatoes and salt in large bowl, then transfer to paper towel-lined plate; let drain 15 minutes. Combine cheeses, prosciutto, and basil in medium bowl; refrigerate while preparing dough.
  2. For the dough: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in food processor. With processor running, slowly add beer and 1 tablespoon oil and process until dough pulls away from sides and forms shaggy ball, about 1 minute. Using floured hands, form dough into tight ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rest 10 minutes. (Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 1 week.)
  3. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half into very thin 9-inch round. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Following photos 1 to 3 on page 18, transfer one dough round to skillet and cook, poking any bubbles that form with fork, until bottom is deep golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip dough and sprinkle with half of drained tomatoes and half of cheese mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until second side is crisp and cheeses have melted, about 5 minutes. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Wipe out pan and repeat with remaining oil, dough, and toppings. Slice into wedges. Serve.
Fontina, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Skillet Pizza

Fontina, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Skillet Pizza

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

Toppings

4 medium plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
2 ounces sliced deli prosciutto, chopped
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup beer (see Step by Step)
7 tablespoons olive oil

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Toppings

4 medium plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
2 ounces sliced deli prosciutto, chopped
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup beer (see Step by Step)
7 tablespoons olive oil

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Toppings

4 medium plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
2 ounces sliced deli prosciutto, chopped
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup beer (see Step by Step)
7 tablespoons olive oil

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Omitting the yeast from our Skillet Pizza created the thin crust we wanted, and the addition of baking powder to the dough gave us a light and crisp texture. To eliminate bubbles in the pizza dough, we used a fork to pop the bubbles as the first side cooked in the skillet—poking before cooking impeded the rise.

We replaced the water in the dough with a bold dark brown ale to add a strong yeasty flavor to the pizza dough. To keep the cooking process quick and simple, we topped the pizzas with potent no-cook ingredients: Fresh tomatoes (salted and drained to eliminate excess moisture) and basil worked as the base flavors and were easily dressed up with fontina, goat cheese, and prosciutto. Soft cheeses melted best in the covered skillet, especially when we turned the heat down low after adding them so they melted without burning the bottom crust.

Before You Begin

To save time, combine the cheeses and prepare the dough while the salted tomatoes are draining. When popping the bubbles in the dough in step 3, do so gently to avoid scratching the nonstick pan.

Instructions

  1. For the toppings: Toss tomatoes and salt in large bowl, then transfer to paper towel-lined plate; let drain 15 minutes. Combine cheeses, prosciutto, and basil in medium bowl; refrigerate while preparing dough.
  2. For the dough: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in food processor. With processor running, slowly add beer and 1 tablespoon oil and process until dough pulls away from sides and forms shaggy ball, about 1 minute. Using floured hands, form dough into tight ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rest 10 minutes. (Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 1 week.)
  3. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half into very thin 9-inch round. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Following photos 1 to 3 on page 18, transfer one dough round to skillet and cook, poking any bubbles that form with fork, until bottom is deep golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip dough and sprinkle with half of drained tomatoes and half of cheese mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until second side is crisp and cheeses have melted, about 5 minutes. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Wipe out pan and repeat with remaining oil, dough, and toppings. Slice into wedges. Serve.

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