Charcuterie Pizza

Recipe by Lily Morello

Ingredients

1 ball of pizza dough (recipe below)
1 tbsp all purpose flour, for dusting (optional)
1/4 cup fig jam
5–6 oz fontina, grated
1 package of Three Little Pigs Charcuterie Trio
6–8 Three Little Pigs Cornichons, halved lengthwise
1 oz manchego, cut into small, thin slices
Fresh herbs, such as rosemary and thyme

Procedure

Prepare the oven: Place racks on the highest and lowest positions in the oven. Place a large, upside-down baking sheet or a pizza stone on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 495°F. For best results, allow extra time to get the oven heated well before baking the pizza.

Assemble the pizza base: Roll out or stretch the ball of pizza dough into a 10-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment paper, using flour for dusting if necessary to prevent sticking. The edges of the circle should be slightly thicker than the center.

Spread the fig jam evenly in the center area of the pizza. Then evenly sprinkle on the grated fontina.

Slide the parchment paper and pizza onto the baking sheet or stone and bake for 10–12 minutes* or until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are lightly browned.

If a bit more char is desired, slide away the parchment paper and carefully move the pizza up to the top rack of the oven. Turn on the broiler for 30 seconds to one minute, watching carefully to make sure the crust does not burn.

Remove the pizza base from the oven and transfer to a serving board.

Add the remaining toppings: Top the pizza with the Three Little Pigs Charcuterie Trio. Scatter the halves of Three Little Pigs Cornichons and the slices of Manchego next. Finish off with some pretty herbs and serve immediately. (The leftovers also taste great—cold or hot!)

Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients for the Pizza Dough

2/3 cup warm water
1 3/4 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp bread flour
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing

Procedure for the Pizza Dough

Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and gently mix together. Fit the stand mixer with the kneading attachment. Once some blooming activity is evident (may take up to 5 minutes), turn the stand mixer on to the lowest setting, add the salt, then gradually add the flour. Once all the dry flour has been incorporated, add the olive oil.

Turn the stand mixer up to medium speed and knead the dough for 6–8 minutes, using a spatula to scrape the dough down as needed. The dough should feel soft and smooth, and should pull away from the bowl easily without feeling sticky, but will cling to surfaces if left still.

Roll the dough into a tight ball. Rub a small amount of olive oil inside the bowl and around the ball of dough. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. Gently remove the dough from the bowl (it will deflate) and transfer to a piece of parchment paper to begin assembling the pizza.

*If using a different pizza dough from the one provided in the recipe, note that baking times may vary.

Description

This recipe combines two great party-pleasers: charcuterie boards and pizza. If you think about it, they have a lot in common. Both are means for delivering an assortment of delicious toppings to a crowd, and that assortment very often involves cheeses and sliced meats. But the pizza has one major advantage over a charcuterie board, and it is that the vessel itself—the very slab on which all those delectable meats and cheeses are assembled—is, in itself, edible! Of course, I am talking about the pizza crust.

So I decided that my goal here was to make a completely edible charcuterie board, where the pizza crust served as the edible platter for my curated selection of fine cured meats, artisanal cheeses, and gourmet accompaniments. Obviously, I had to opt for a more pizza-like distribution when arranging the toppings, so each slice got a little bit of everything, but I wanted each bite to really capture that medley of flavors that a good charcuterie board ought to have.

I wanted my charcuterie board pizza to have a variety of charcuterie, of course, and the Three Little Pigs Charcuterie Trio made that super easy to achieve. It contains the perfect amount of charcuterie to top the roughly 10-inch pizza, with a great mix of cured meats—pepperoni (a pizza classic!), soppressata (a nice mild salami), and prosciutto (to bring a touch of delicate sophistication). Having all three together in one convenient package really helped cut down on fridge space and food waste. With the charcuterie selection all set, I started to think about what else I could do with a pizza to make it resemble a charcuterie board. I decided to forgo the iconic tomato sauce and instead use a fig jam, since a sweet accoutrement is always nice to contrast with the salty and savory meats. Another bold move I decided to make was the addition of Three Little Pigs Cornichons, since something pickle-y is a must on a charcuterie board in my opinion, and I love how the sour bursts cut through the rich cheeses and charcuterie.

I like to make my own pizza dough but for a shortcut version, you could certainly get the fresh dough from the store. Either way, I hope you find this idea to be an easy way to turn your next pizza night into a special soirée.

What you’ll need to make a charcuterie pizza:

Three Little Pigs Charcuterie Trio: This collection of handcrafted, dry-cured, pre-sliced prosciutto, soppressata, and pepperoni is such a convenient way to add great variety to a charcuterie pizza. Rather than baking these toppings on to the pizza, which changes their texture, I opted to treat the pizza crust like a charcuterie board and add these on top after baking. To get the stylized effect shown in the photos, tear the slices of prosciutto in half lengthwise and roll them into loose coils before placing on the pizza. Separately, place a slice of pepperoni on top of a slice of soppressata with the circles slightly overlapping, then fold the arrangement in half and roll up into a spiral before placing on the pizza.
Three Little Pigs Cornichons: These mini sour pickles are a wonderful addition to a charcuterie board, providing bursts of tanginess to cut through the saltiness of the cured meats. So, for that same reason, they work great on this charcuterie pizza! I added these after the pizza crust was baked as well, so they retain all their tart brine.
Pizza dough: Can’t make a pizza without this! This recipe includes instructions for how to make a simple dough from scratch; it renders a tender crust that is airy and similar to a thin focaccia—perfect for acting as an edible charcuterie “board”. Feel free to use your preferred recipe, or to make things easier, pick up your favorite fresh dough from a store or pizzeria.
Fig jam: A good charcuterie board offers both savory and sweet elements so it seemed fitting to use a sweet, fruity jam as the sauce for this pizza. A fig jam is perfect for balancing out the rich savory flavors of the charcuterie medley, but feel free to use your favorite fruit jam.
Fontina: This mild, buttery cheese makes for a perfect melty base to hold on all the toppings. This is typically sold in blocks or wedges and you will need a box grater to grate it before sprinkling evenly over the pizza dough.
Manchego: Unlike the milder fontina that gets baked on to the crust, this nuttier, more robust cheese serves as a finishing touch. Cut this hard cheese into thin, unevenly-shaped slices to give the pizza a fun rustic appearance.
Fresh herbs: To bring a fresh aroma and some pretty natural color to the pizza, I opted to garnish the pizza with the same herbs that I’ve found to hold up well on charcuterie boards: rosemary and thyme.

Using these high-quality ingredients will ensure that your pizza will be a tasty success, so feel free to get creative with how you assemble the toppings!