CategoryDifficultyIntermediate

For pizza lovers - fresh prosciutto and avo on a traditional crispy base.

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time25 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 15 mins

Pizza Base (makes 4 pizza bases)
 1 cup (250ml) warm water
 1 tablespoon active dried yeast
 1 teaspoon sugar
 450 g high grade flour
 1 tablespoon olive oil
 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
 1 400g can crushed or pureed tomatoes
 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
 2 avocados, sliced
 200 g prosciutto slices
 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
 2 handfuls baby watercress or rocket
 1 handful basil leaves
  cup creme fraiche or sour cream
 2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
 23 teaspoons lemon juice

Pizza Dough
1

To make the pizza dough, put the warm water in a mixing bowl and add the yeast and sugar. Stir gently. Leave in a warm place until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is frothy. Mix well.

Place the flour, olive oil and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix well to form a dough (note: there may be some left over flour in the bowl once you’ve formed the dough, this is fine). Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel or clingfilm and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk (about 40 minutes).

Once it has risen, knock back the dough and divide into 4 even pieces. This recipe uses 2 pizza bases so you can refrigerate or freeze the other 2 pieces of dough to use later. Or if you’re anything like us, you’ll cook all 4 pizzas, and just double the amount of toppings, and of course quadruple the amount of avos! Preheat oven to 230degC. If you have them, place two pizza stones on separate shelves in the oven to preheat. Alternatively preheat 2 oven trays. Get them really hot (this helps the bases crisp up on the bottom).

Lay each pizza base on a sheet of baking paper and roll them out to get a nice thin base. Spread tomato sauce over each base, leaving an edge for the crust. Sprinkle over mozzarella and arrange cherry tomatoes (cut-side-up) on top. Carefully lift up the baking paper with the pizza on top and place on hot preheated stone or tray. Cook the pizza until the base is crisp and the cheese is melted and golden, about 12 minutes.

The topping
2

Take pizzas out of the oven and now is the piece de resistance – your avo. Add as much as you want! Then add prosciutto on top, followed by red onion, watercress or rocket, and basil.

Mix creme fraiche, capers and lemon juice and drizzle over the top. Grind over plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Slice and eat a piece as soon you can get your mouth around it.

It’s OK with us if you want to pick the avo off first.

Created for NZ Avocado by Nadia Lim

Ingredients

Pizza Base (makes 4 pizza bases)
 1 cup (250ml) warm water
 1 tablespoon active dried yeast
 1 teaspoon sugar
 450 g high grade flour
 1 tablespoon olive oil
 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
 1 400g can crushed or pureed tomatoes
 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
 2 avocados, sliced
 200 g prosciutto slices
 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
 2 handfuls baby watercress or rocket
 1 handful basil leaves
  cup creme fraiche or sour cream
 2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
 23 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

Pizza Dough
1

To make the pizza dough, put the warm water in a mixing bowl and add the yeast and sugar. Stir gently. Leave in a warm place until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is frothy. Mix well.

Place the flour, olive oil and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix well to form a dough (note: there may be some left over flour in the bowl once you’ve formed the dough, this is fine). Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel or clingfilm and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk (about 40 minutes).

Once it has risen, knock back the dough and divide into 4 even pieces. This recipe uses 2 pizza bases so you can refrigerate or freeze the other 2 pieces of dough to use later. Or if you’re anything like us, you’ll cook all 4 pizzas, and just double the amount of toppings, and of course quadruple the amount of avos! Preheat oven to 230degC. If you have them, place two pizza stones on separate shelves in the oven to preheat. Alternatively preheat 2 oven trays. Get them really hot (this helps the bases crisp up on the bottom).

Lay each pizza base on a sheet of baking paper and roll them out to get a nice thin base. Spread tomato sauce over each base, leaving an edge for the crust. Sprinkle over mozzarella and arrange cherry tomatoes (cut-side-up) on top. Carefully lift up the baking paper with the pizza on top and place on hot preheated stone or tray. Cook the pizza until the base is crisp and the cheese is melted and golden, about 12 minutes.

The topping
2

Take pizzas out of the oven and now is the piece de resistance – your avo. Add as much as you want! Then add prosciutto on top, followed by red onion, watercress or rocket, and basil.

Mix creme fraiche, capers and lemon juice and drizzle over the top. Grind over plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Slice and eat a piece as soon you can get your mouth around it.

It’s OK with us if you want to pick the avo off first.

Avocado and Prosciutto Pizza