Here’s a fantastic pizza idea. This fig walnut and feta pizza is sublime. I am obsessed with playing around with different pizza toppings, and I think I’ve found a particularly tasty one that makes a great appetizer or one delicious, sweet, and savory main course with a simple salad. There’s not even any tomato sauce involved, just some excellent figgy jam.
I actually wanted to use fresh figs and some honey here. But everywhere I looked, they were out. I decided to use a fig jam as a base sauce instead. Besides figs are not always in season. I love how this turned out. The pizza is salty and tangy from the feta cheese and then smoothed out with some creamy ricotta. There is a bit of a sharp, spicy bite from the arugula and crunch from the toasted walnuts with the slightly sweet base of some terrific fig jam. Then the whole pie is finished off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. What’s not to love? I couldn’t stop eating it. At my next party, I’m sure to serve some of this delightful fig, walnut, and feta pizza.
I make pizza regularly, usually using part of my sourdough bread dough. I always make two loaves worth of dough, and I quite often divide it into one loaf and two pizza balls. I then retard them both for a couple of days. And bake them on my day off. It was a no brainer to play around and come up with fun and different pizza ideas.
Using a pizza stone and homemade sourdough gives this pizza a great crispy, crunchy, yet chewy texture. However you easily could use pre-made pizza dough from the store or as a friend suggested you could, dare I say, use a precooked pizza crust. It’s so simple to make, and it tastes incredible. It’s all about the toppings.
This fig, walnut and feta pizza pairs well with a Lumière it is a fantastic cocktail that is light, citrusy, and lively. Perfect for a summer evening I have the recipe HERE and is my go-to for a hot summer day. It doesn’t even have to be cut into wedges, for your next party cut it into squares. Or play with the toppings. I’m sure apricot jam would be fabulous in this too. I find it very rewarding to play around with pizza toppings and how to serve them. I hope you move out of your comfort zone and try this it truly is fantastic.
- ¼ of a sourdough recipe or one small portion of pizza dough see note
- ½ cup fig jam or fig butter. About 5 ounces
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup crumbled Feta cheese
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup arugula
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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Heat your oven to 500° with a baking or pizza stone. Let the stone heat for at least 45 minutes or an hour if you have time. If you don’t have one, you can bake the pizza on a cookie sheet.
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Once the oven has heated, stretch pat or roll the pizza dough into a rough 12-14 inch circle. Be careful not to tear any holes in the dough. If you do, pinch together the dough to seal the hole.
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I find the I like to shape my pizzas onto a piece of parchment paper. You can use a peel dusted with cornmeal or just flour. Or if you are using a baking sheet, right onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
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If you are using a stone for baking your pizza, turn the oven to broil for 5 minutes as you make the pizza.
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Spread the ½ cup of the fig jam or butter evenly over the stretched surface., leaving an inch or so clean around the edge.
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Dollop tablespoon-sized spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese evenly over the surface of the fig coated pizza dough.
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Sprinkle evenly over the pizza the feta cheese and then the walnuts.
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Make sure you turn the oven back to bake.
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Using a peel, if using, or slide the pizza with the paper onto the hot stone.
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Bake for 12 to 15 minutes checking the pizza after 10 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.
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When the crust has a beautiful golden or browned bubbly appearance, and the cheese has browned nicely remove the pizza from the oven.
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Immediately sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the pizza and top with the arugula.
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Drizzle some of the balsamic vinegar over the finished pizza and serve hot.
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If making several of these pizzas remember to preheat your stone with the broiler for 5 minutes between pizzas.
If you don’t want to make your own pizza dough., You can find fresh dough in many grocery stores, or you can also ask to see if your local pizza place will sell you a portion. I used ¼ of my sourdough bread recipe for each pizza
