2024 Perfect Your Pizza Finalist: Catherine Ralston’s “Formaggio-Style Crispy Soppressata & Prosecco Figs Pizza”

2024 Perfect Your Pizza Finalist: Catherine Ralston’s “Formaggio-Style Crispy Soppressata & Prosecco Figs Pizza”
Pair with Diamond Prosecco Rosé

Ingredients for Pizza Dough:

• 4 cups 00 Pizza Flour (464 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water 340 g (105-115 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for coating bowl after dividing dough into balls

Ingredients for Prosecco Figs:

• 1/2 cup Coppola Diamond Collection Prosecco Rose
• 1/3 cup chopped dried mission figs-stems removed

Ingredients for Crispy Soppressata:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 thin slices soppressata, cut into thin strips, about 1 1/2 ounces
• 2 tablespoons 00 flour for hands and pizza peel-use more if dough is sticky
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon chopped Calabrian chilis from a jar, drain as necessary
• 3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves

Directions:
1. 12-24 hours before serving, make pizza dough.
2. In a large bowl, stir flour, yeast and sugar together. Stir in salt. Stir in water to make a rough dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough sit at room temperature overnight.
3. Prior to making pizzas, divide dough into 10-ounce balls and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise 45 minutes to an hour.
4. While the dough is resting, make the rest of the pizza toppings.
5. To make the prosecco figs, heat prosecco in a small saucepan over medium heat until very warm. Place figs in a small bowl and pour warmed prosecco over figs. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit.
6. To make crispy soppressata, place olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add soppressata to hot skillet and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

7. Stretch pizza dough into a 10-inch circle using lightly floured hands and place onto a pizza peel dusted with 1 tablespoon flour (dust off excess) and 1 tablespoon cornmeal. You want the pizza crust to slide around in order to launch into the oven but not be caked with flour or cornmeal. Spread Calabrian chilis over dough leaving a 1-inch rim. 8. Sprinkle with fontina, gorgonzola and drained figs.
9. Cook pizza in a high temperature oven around 750 degrees for approximately 2 minutes turning pizza as necessary to ensure even cooking.
10. Remove pizza to cooling rack and let sit for 30-60 seconds. Top with arugula and soppressata crisps.
11. Slice and enjoy!