Pizza with Prosciutto, Red Onion, and Fresh Tomatoes

Homemade pizza is one of the best dishes to come out of your own kitchen. It’s more flavorful and healthful, fresher, and more satisfying than any pie from your local pizza shop. Need more reasons? It’s fun and creative too.

About the dough: Make it yourself. Like any great thing you build, start with a good foundation. Same for pizza. Making your own dough is easy—it just needs time, and a tender touch. You can create wonderfully chewy, tasty crust with only four ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water. 

I use Italian “00” (double-zero) flour to make pizza dough because it is very finely ground and as soft and silky as powder. (In Italy, grinds are measured as “1,” “0,” and “00,” with the latter being the finest.) If you can’t find double-zero, regular all-purpose flour will work just fine.

Italian "00" Flour

This dough recipe makes enough for three 12-inch pizzas, but you can divide it to suit your needs. Form any leftover dough into balls and place in individual freezer bags. They keep in the freezer for many months.

About the ingredients: The fewer the better. Real pizza isn’t crammed edge to edge with a dozen toppings. Instead, it features a few complementary fresh ingredients that don’t all blend into one when you taste it. For this recipe, I topped the pie with garlic, fresh tomatoes, red onion, thin slices of salty prosciutto, and a little shredded provolone. Chopped fresh herbs scattered on after baking give it a savory finish.

Thinly Sliced Prosciutto

Toppings for the Pizza

Ingredients Ready for Topping

About the baking: If you want to make your own pizzas on a regular basis (and you will after the first one), invest in a pizza stone. No other surface can create the same great, crunchy, chewy crust as a stone. But heat matters too. Place the stone in the oven as the temperature rises to 500° F and leave it an additional 30 minutes before using. If you don’t have a stone, cast-iron pizza pans or griddles are also good for pizza making.

A Well-Used Pizza Stone

For 1 medium pizza

Ingredients

For the Dough

(makes enough for 3 medium or 2 large pizzas)

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp plus 4 cups Italian 00 flour (or all-purpose), plus more as needed
• 2 cups warm water, divided
• 2 tsp salt

For the Pizza

• flour, for dusting
• 1/3 dough recipe (for a 12-inch pizza)
• cornmeal, for dusting
• olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
• 2 cluster (stem) tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 medium red onion, cut into thin vertical strips
• 3 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup shredded provolone cheese
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs

Preparation

For the Dough

1. Gently whisk the yeast, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Let stand until the mixture foams, about 10 minutes. (If it doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)
2. Mix the salt and 3 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups of water and stir until smooth. Stir in 1 cup more flour. (Dough will be sticky and wet, so keep your hands floured.)
3. Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough gently until it is soft and elastic, about 10 minutes.
4. Form the dough into a large ball and place in a large floured bowl.
5. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in bulk (usually a couple of hours, but it can stand overnight if you want to make it a day ahead).
6. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 3 balls. (Place leftover balls in individual freezer bags and freeze for up to 6-7 months.)

Rested Pizza Dough

For the Pizza

1. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500° F. Leave the stone in the oven for an additional 30 minutes before proceeding.
2. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to about a 12-X-11-inch rectangle. (Don’t worry about perfect lines. An uneven shape is the hallmark of homemade pizza.)
3. Dust a pizza peel with a good coating of cornmeal and transfer the dough to it. Push the dough out again and pinch a small lip around the edges. Brush with olive oil.

Pizza Peel Dusted with Cornmeal

Dough Brushed with Olive Oil

1. Lay the tomatoes in a single layer on the dough. Scatter the garlic over the tomatoes. (Tip: Gently shake the peel after applying each topping to keep the dough loose on the cornmeal. This will make it easier to slide onto the stone.)

Dough Topped with Tomatoes and Garlic

1. Top with red onion and prosciutto. Scatter the cheese on top. (Don't cover completely. This pizza is about fresh ingredients, not cheese.)

Dough Topped with Prosciutto and Cheese 

Dough Topped with Cheese

1. Carefully slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 13-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the dough. It’s done when the crust is crisp and brown and the top is bubbly.

Pizza on the Stone, Ready to Bake

1. Remove from the oven and transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Scatter the fresh herbs on top and drizzle with more olive oil. Cut into 8 slices and serve.

(For an easy pizza idea with store-bought crust, check out Pancetta Pizza with Olives, Dates, and Leek.)

Baked Pizza

Pizza with Fresh Herbs