I love dried figs and goat cheese. They are so yummy. So it is no wonder that they made it onto my homemade pizza. I absolutely love the taste of this pizza. The combination of red onion (I'm not even a big onion fan), spinach, dried fig and goat cheese creates such a wonderful taste on a freshly milled whole wheat crust. YUMM.
Finding the perfect homemade pizza crust can be difficult (at least I have found that to be true). Often homemade pizza dough can become very sticky and hard to manage (which equals lots of frustration by me and my lack of patience). But I found a great recipe from a fellow Grain Mill Wagon blogger for Whole Wheat Pizza Crust.
My Favorite Homemade Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza dough
Check out the whole wheat pizza dough ingredients here.
The only change I made to the ingredients was using coconut sugar instead of evaporated cane crystals (and I am sure you can use brown sugar as well). And I use onion powder instead of onion salt. Also, if you don't mill your own flour yet, you can use whole wheat flour.
yields two pizza crusts
Toppings (for one pizza)
1/2 medium size red onion (or a whole if you love onion:)
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh organic baby spinach
5-7 dried frigs
Goat Cheese
Directions
I use the mixer method described in the recipe. In a bowl I mix the freshly milled flour ground in my WonderMill with the yeast. I add the rest of the ingredients in my KitchenAid mixer. Once it is mixed together I add one cup of the flour mixture in at a time.
It takes my dough about an hour to double in size when covered and put in a warm place. When it is done rising, split the dough in half since it yields two pizza crusts. One pizza is enough for Michael and I, so I usually freeze half the dough. This dough freezes really well. I usually wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then in foil before putting it in a freezer safe zip top bag. When I am ready to use the frozen dough I just take it out of the freezer and let it defrost and then it is as good as freshly made.
The great thing about this pizza crust dough is that it is very pliable. You don't even need a rolling pin. You can just use your hands to stretch out the dough on your pizza stone/pan. I use my beloved pampered chef pizza stone. I sprinkle a little corn meal on the stone to make sure the dough doesn't stick. Using a fork, prick the dough to enable the steam to escape while baking (and not end up with a lovely pizza wart).
Pre-heat the oven to 450F.
While the oven is preheating go ahead and place the naked pizza crust in the oven to blind bake it. The crust takes longer to bake than the toppings so this gives it a head start.
Meanwhile cut up the onion and sauté over medium high heat until translucent. Then add some balsamic vinegar to taste and stir, cooking it another 3-5 minutes.
Slice the dried figs into smaller pieces.
Once the oven is pre-heated the crust is probably done pre baking. Remove it from the oven. Once the onions are done cooking spread them over the pizza crust.
Then add the spinach on top, then the figs, and finally sprinkle on the goat cheese.
Let the pizza bake for about 10 minutes.
And voila! It is ready to eat. So yummy.
Enjoy!
