I've gotten many requests for a Hawaiian pizza video, but an angry mob of food bloggers surrounding my home carrying torches and pitchforks is the last thing I need. I may be exaggerating a little, but in certain culinary circles, pairing ham and pineapple on a pizza is considered a serious crime against nature — so this delicious grilled flatbread may be as close as I get.
It's not really the ham and pineapple pairing that bothers these people, since it's a proven scientific fact that salty cured meats and sweet fruit go marvelously together. The issue, I think, is that the pairing is being featured alongside tomato sauce and cheese. The horror! And while I'm not as outraged as your average food blogger with way too much free time, I do understand the criticism. So I played it safe, called this a flatbread, and resisted the temptation to add cheese.
Regardless of how you top it, I think everyone should be aware of just how easy it is to grill flatbread over charcoal. In fact, forget about the toppings (controversial or otherwise) and just grill some plain flatbread the next time you're cooking outside. The coals are already hot, and I can't think of any meaty main courses that wouldn't look great next to a plate of hot, slightly charred, grilled bread. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
For the Dough:
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½ cup warm water
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1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
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1 teaspoon active dry yeast
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Flatbreads:
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¼ small fresh pineapple, peeled and cored
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2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
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2 ounces sliced prosciutto
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1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
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freshly ground black pepper to taste
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flaky sea salt to taste
Directions
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To make the dough, combine warm water, 1/2 cup of flour, and yeast to a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix everything into a smooth batter. Cover bowl with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
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Add olive oil, salt, and remaining flour to the bowl, and stir with a spoon or fork until the mixture comes together to form a shaggy ball of dough.
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Transfer everything to a work surface and knead until the dough just starts to become elastic, about 2 minutes.
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Place dough in a lightly oiled zip-top bag. Press out most of the air, seal, and place in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
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The next day, take the bag of dough out of the fridge, and leave out at room temperature until it roughly doubles in size, about 45 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are white and ashy. Quarter your peeled and cored pineapple and trim out the tough, fibrous core in the center.
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Grill pineapple round-side down over hot coals until heated through, and fairly well charred, about 3 minutes; flip and continue to grill on the cored side until charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve until needed.
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Once dough has doubled, remove from bag and divide into 4 portions. Form each portion into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll dough into an oval, or circle about an 1/8-inch thick.
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Place dough over hot coals, and grill until dough is cooked through, and about half the surface area is slightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.
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Remove from grill and top each warm flatbread with a drizzle of olive oil. Top with prosciutto, thin slices of grilled pineapple, tarragon leaves, and freshly ground black pepper. Finish with another small drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
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Chef's Notes:
If you don't want to wait for the dough to chill overnight, just knead for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it's nice and elastic, and let rise, covered, in a warm spot until doubled in size.
If you want more grill marks on your pineapple, you can try and grill individual slices instead of quartered pieces.
Any salty, cured ham will work for this, and you can use any fresh herb of your choice, such as thyme leaves, rosemary, or chives.
If you're not into pineapples, this would be wonderful with grilled peaches, grilled figs, apples, pears, or even grilled beets.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
324 | Calories |
15g | Fat |
38g | Carbs |
8g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
Calories 324 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 15g | 19% |
Saturated Fat 3g | 16% |
Cholesterol 13mg | 4% |
Sodium 517mg | 22% |
Total Carbohydrate 38g | 14% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 8g | 16% |
Vitamin C 7mg | 8% |
Calcium 13mg | 1% |
Iron 3mg | 14% |
Potassium 93mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.