Doesn’t this look like dessert?!
It might look sweet, but this pizza is delightfully savory — though if you love that sweet-and-salty combination, you could certainly serve it like a dessert.
I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever get tired of pizza. Saying pizza is your favorite food is almost as predictable as picking Dirty Dancing as your favorite movie or admitting your favorite color is pink. It’s a little cliché, but I don’t care — we love pizza.
We have pizza nights once a week, sometimes more, and inevitably one of us will declare, “I’m good on pizza for a while,” after a few slices. A week later we’re ordering or making pizza again. Cheese and dough have a way of calling you back.
This particular pie might not qualify as “typical” pizza for some — it’s more like a glorified flatbread if you insist on pepperoni and red sauce for definition. For us, it’s a full meal: a crisp crust layered with caramelized pears, creamy cheese, salty prosciutto and a punch of blue cheese. He calls it an appetizer; I call it dinner.
We talked about pizza the other night — how we prefer real, doughy, indulgent pies over pita or tortilla versions. Those quick substitutes are great in a pinch, but they don’t satisfy the craving the same way. We’ll eat lighter meals during the week so we can fully enjoy a rich homemade pizza on Friday (or sometimes Saturday — life happens).
Over the years I’ve made several seasonal pizzas: an autumn apple and bacon pie one year, a harvest pizza with butternut squash and goat cheese another. This version leans into fall flavors too, with pears caramelized in butter and brown sugar, balanced by salty prosciutto and tangy blue cheese. It may sound unusual to some, but the combination really works.
I almost piled arugula on top before serving, because I always love that fresh peppery finish. If you have arugula on hand, toss a handful with a little olive oil and salt and add it after the pizza comes out of the oven — instant brightness.
That chewy, gooey square below is exactly why pizza nights are sacred around here. Caramelized fruit, melty cheese, crisp prosciutto and a drizzle of balsamic make every bite interesting and indulgent.
Caramelized Pear, Prosciutto + Blue Cheese Pizza
3 to 4
2 hrs
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/8 cups warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pizza
- 2 semi-ripe pears, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling
Instructions
Dough
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt, stirring until the dough starts to come together but remains sticky. Form a ball and work in the remaining 2/3 cup flour on a floured surface, kneading a few minutes until smooth. Rub the bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Pizza
- While the dough rises, heat a large skillet over low heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the pears with the salt and nutmeg, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat if they brown too quickly. Stir in the brown sugar and cook 5 to 10 more minutes until golden. Set aside.
- After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it on a floured surface. Shape it with a rolling pin or your hands to your desired size and transfer to a baking sheet or pizza peel. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (or follow your pizza stone/skillet method if using one). Spread about three-quarters of the fontina over the dough, then scatter the garlic and shallots. Arrange the caramelized pears over the cheese, top with prosciutto, crumble the blue cheese and sprinkle the remaining fontina. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese bubbles. Remove and drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
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Halfway to complete pizza domination.