Yup, I'm coming at you with another fig recipe. That's two fig recipes back to back folks but I did warn you in my previous fig jam crumble cake recipe that my friend did deliver a whole lot of figs. Today we're going the savory route and making a fig and ricotta flatbread. Seems pretty typical, huh? But sometimes simplicity is just the way to go. Flatbreads baked with a savory ricotta filling and topped with fresh figs, reduced balsamic vinegar, pinenuts, and arugula just seemed like the best way to highlight the fruit. And I can honestly say, it was delicious.

Fig and Ricotta Flatbread

45 minTotal Time

Yields 4 flatbread

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Ingredients

Flatbread pizza
• 1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F)
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
Flatbread toppings
• 1 cup ricotta
• ½ cup parmesan, grated
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp thyme, fresh
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pint fresh figs, sliced
• 2 cups fresh arugula
• ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp reduced balsamic vinegar
• sprinkle of sea salt
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Make the flatbread dough. Combine 1 cup warm water with 2 tsp active dry yeast and 1 tsp granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is activated and the mixture is foamy.
3. Combine yeast mixture with 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth. Cover the dough and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, season the ricotta. Combine 1 cup ricotta with ½ cup grated parmesan, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp fresh thyme.
5. Gently punch down the dough. Dust a clean counter with flour and divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a flatbread. Spread ricotta on top and sprinkle with shallots. Place the flatbread on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is lightly charred and the flatbread is browned.
6. Top each flatbread with sliced figs, arugula, and pine nuts. Drizzle reduced balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil on top and sprinkle a touch of sea salt. Serve.

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**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Okay let's jump right in shall we? To me, flatbreads are basically pizzas without the sauce and so I used my usual pizza recipe for this fig and ricotta flatbread. It's a fairly standard recipe: activate the yeast with a little bit of sugar and warm and knead it with flour, salt, and oil. We're only going to let it rest for 15 minutes because there's a high amount of yeast in there.

While the dough is resting, prepare the toppings. Half of the ingredients are going to be baked directly on the flatbread and the other half is going on top after it's baked. Season the ricotta with parmesan, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Slice the shallots and figs, and toast the pine nuts. If you don't have already reduced balsamic vinegar, just simmer ¼ cup vinegar until thickened and reduced by at least half.

When the dough is ready, punch it down and divide it into four even portions. Shape each portion into a rectangle using your hands to prevent popping any air bubbles. Spread the prepared ricotta mix on top and sprinkle thinly sliced shallots.

Bake the flatbreads at 500 degrees F until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is slightly charred. If the dough is cooked but you're not getting that char on the cheese, switch the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to finish it off.

Finish the fig and ricotta flatbreads with fresh sliced figs, arugula, toasted pine nuts, and a good drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar. If you want to get extra fancy, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt.

Ahh, this is what life is all about. Sitting back and enjoying a slice or two or three of freshly baked flatbread. With a glass of rose. My day is complete.

Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.