peach, prosciutto, goat cheese & arugula pizza with balsamic honey drizzle

If ever there was a pizza that encapsulates the flavors of summer, this is it. Peaches are at their peak in the heat of summer and it is always nice to lighten up a classic dinner favorite like pizza when the temperatures outside may rival the temperature in your oven.

We recently went to Fredericksburg, TX to visit some dear friends and we came home with more freshly picked peaches than we knew what to do with! I apologize in advance for the slew of peach recipes that are to come, but if you’ve ever had a perfectly ripe peach warmed by the Texas sun, you know you can never have enough peach recipes.

I haven’t tried grilling this pizza, but I’m sure you could if you want to give your oven a break this summer. If you try it, let me know!

PS: Be sure to check out my Instagram or Facebook if you were wondering why this is the first post in the past few months! Exciting news here at home!

PEACH, PROSCIUTTO, GOAT CHEESE & ARUGULA PIZZA WITH BALSAMIC HONEY DRIZZLE

• Inspired by Cooking Classy
• Yields: 8 large slices (or 4 servings)

Ingredients:

For homemade dough (skip if using store-bought):

• 1 packet (or 2 1/2 tsp.) active yeast
• 1 cup warm water (hot water from the tap is easiest)
• 2 1/2 cups bread (or unbleached, all-purpose) flour
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt

For the pizza:

• 1 pizza dough recipe from above (or 16 oz. of your favorite premade pizza dough)
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 oz. sliced prosciutto
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella *I like the 8 oz. balls of fresh mozzarella, cut into slices
• 4 oz. plain goat cheese
• 2 medium peaches, pit removed and thinly sliced
• 2 cups of fresh arugula
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade-style ribbons or torn by hand

For the balsamic honey drizzle:

• 1/2 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. honey

Directions:

1. For the homemade pizza dough: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with your pizza stone inside the oven too. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Let it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat/roll into a round circle big enough to cover your pizza stone. Pull out your pizza stone from the oven and dust it with a bit of extra flour. Transfer your rolled out dough to the pizza stone and trim any edges. *Tip: to avoid toppings from slipping off the pizza as it bakes, I like to create a “lip” around the pizza crust by folding over some extra dough toward the inside of the pizza.
2. Prebake your crust: In a small bowl, add your 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic clove and stir to combine. Brush on this garlic-oil to the pizza dough until well-coated and the garlic is evenly distributed. Prebake your crust for 5 minutes in the preheated oven.
3. For the balsamic honey drizzle: While the pizza dough prebakes, you can start your balsamic honey drizzle. Add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer and whisk often over the next 10-15 minutes until it begins to thicken.
4. To the prebaked crust: While the balsamic honey drizzle thickens on the stove, layer on the sliced mozzarella to your par-baked crust. Next the goat cheese, crumbling small chunks of it with your fingers as you evenly distribute it across the pizza. Then add your sliced peaches and slices of prosciutto. Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and the cheeses are bubbly and melty.
5. To finish: sprinkle on your arugula and basil ribbons to the surface of the pizza. For the finishing touch, drizzle on the balsamic honey right before serving. Slice & serve warm.