Why this formula works
A full 180 g ripe figs keeps the pizza lush. Two-thirds bake and concentrate; the final third stays fresh. Prosciutto, rocket, toasted walnuts and balsamic go on after baking so cured meat remains silky, leaves stay crisp and the sweet glaze cannot burn. Gorgonzola is capped at 50 g to support rather than bury the fruit.
Honest timing
| Active preparation | 20 min |
| Hydration / proof / preheat | 1 h |
| Cooking / baking | 8 min |
| Elapsed total | 1 h 28 min |
Ingredients
- mature room-temperature pizza dough ball250 g (8.8 oz)
- crème fraîche70 g (2.47 oz)
- well-drained Fior di Latte90 g (3.17 oz)
- Gorgonzola dolce50 g (1.76 oz)
- ripe fresh figs, trimmed and quartered180 g (6.3 oz)
- Prosciutto di Parma or additive-free prosciutto, thinly sliced70 g (2.47 oz)
- fresh rocket, washed and spun completely dry50 g (1.76 oz)
- balsamic glaze containing sulphites20 g (0.71 oz)
- walnut halves25 g (0.88 oz)
- extra-virgin olive oil8 g (0.28 oz)
- coarsely ground black pepper1 g
Equipment
- pizza steel or stone
- pizza peel
- small dry skillet
- salad spinner
- digital scale
- pizza wheel
Exact method
- 1. Preheat a steel or stone on the lower-middle rack at maximum heat for 60 minutes. During preheating, toast walnuts in a dry skillet for 3–4 minutes; cool completely.
- 2. Quarter the figs. Reserve 60 g of the neatest quarters for finishing and keep them chilled; leave 120 g at room temperature for baking.
- 3. Drain mozzarella for at least 20 minutes and blot it. Wash and spin rocket until no droplets remain. Separate prosciutto slices without tearing them.
- 4. Open the dough to 28–30 cm with a defined 1.5–2 cm rim. Move to a lightly dusted peel and verify that it slides.
- 5. Spread crème fraîche thinly. Add mozzarella, Gorgonzola in small pieces and the 120 g baking portion of figs cut-side up. Drizzle with 5 g olive oil.
- 6. Bake at 250–300°C / 482–572°F for 5–8 minutes, rotating once, until the base browns and the baked fig edges look glossy and concentrated.
- 7. Rest on a rack for 60 seconds. Drape prosciutto in loose folds and distribute dry rocket, reserved fresh figs and toasted walnuts.
- 8. Apply exactly 20 g balsamic glaze in fine lines. Finish with remaining 3 g oil and black pepper; cut so every slice receives fruit, ham and walnut.
How to know it is ready
- Baked figs are soft and glossy while the reserved pieces remain fresh and structured.
- Prosciutto is silky, not grey or crisp.
- Rocket is dry and perky with no dressed puddle below it.
- Balsamic appears as thin lines and does not dominate every bite.
Troubleshooting
- Soggy center: use ripe but intact figs, bake them cut-side up and dry the mozzarella.
- Tough prosciutto: it was baked; always add it after the 60-second rest.
- Burnt sweetness: balsamic glaze belongs entirely after baking.
- Bitter walnuts: toast only until fragrant and cool immediately.
How to adapt the base recipe
- When fresh figs are unavailable, use 90 g soft dried figs sliced thinly and soak them in 40 g hot water for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- For less blue-cheese intensity, reduce Gorgonzola to 35 g and increase mozzarella to 105 g.
- For 35 cm, use a 300–320 g dough ball, 95 g crème fraîche, 120 g mozzarella, 65 g Gorgonzola, 240 g figs and 90 g prosciutto.
Storage and food safety
Best immediately. Refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 2 days. Before reheating, remove rocket and prosciutto where practical, crisp the base, then add a fresh handful of leaves; do not reheat balsamic repeatedly.
Allergens
Gluten (wheat), Milk, Sulphites, Tree nuts
Always verify every label and cross-contact risk; brand formulations can change.