California Common Fig and Walnut Flatbread

Servings: 4 to 6

Source
By Lori Rice. Reprinted with permission from Food on Tap: Cooking with Craft Beer (The Countryman Press, 2017).

Crust

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 ounces California common beer, room temperature
  • Extra virgin olive oil for coating bowl and pizza pan
  • 1 tablespoon yellow corn meal

Spread

  • 8 California Dried Figs, quartered
  • 6 ounces California common beer
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Topping

  • 1 ½ cups thinly sliced radicchio
  • ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions

  1. To make the crust, add the cake flour and all-purpose flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Sprinkle in the sugar and salt. Turn the mixer to low and pour in the beer. Allow the mixer to knead the dough on medium speed for 2 minutes. It should form a ball in the center of the bowl.

  2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 more minutes. Coat a medium size bowl with olive oil. Form the dough into a ball and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a draft-free spot for 1 hour. It will rise only slightly, by 30 to 50 percent.

  3. While the dough rises, place the figs in a small saucepan. Add the beer and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes.

     

  4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high in a small skillet. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon of salt.

  5. Transfer the figs and liquid to a small food processor single-serving blender. Add the shallots and garlic along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Puree into a paste.

  6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 16-inch round pizza pan with olive oil and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Spread the dough to a 13- to 14-inch circle on the pizza pan. Spread the fig paste over the dough. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are crisp and slightly browned.

  7. Top the flatbread with radicchio, blue cheese, and walnuts. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Beers to consider for this recipe:

  • Anchor Brewing Anchor Steam Beer, Anchor Brewing Anchor Dry-Hopped Steam Beer, Smuttynose Brewing Company East Coast Common