Summer's Best: Crispy Flatbread with Figs, Blue Cheese & Prosciutto

Holiday weekends call for good food, among other things.  Perfectly crisp and delicious homemade flatbread, topped with slightly warmed fresh figs, barely melted blue cheese and salty prosciutto is a party perfect bite--requiring little fuss--that should be on your menu agenda.

The freshly baked flatbread is probably the easiest homemade dough you'll ever make--and the rest is gravy from there, as you assemble the fig, cheese and prosciutto toppings.  Oh, and I can't forget that impeccable finishing touch of a drizzle of good quality honey.

With only a few days remaining in Summer, there's no time to waste in enjoying the remainder of the season's bounty.  And bringing sweet, juicy figs to the table is the perfect way to indulge!

Happy Eating!

Crispy Flatbread with Figs, Blue Cheese & Prosciutto
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
• Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
• Fresh figs, halved
• Blue Cheese (Roquefort recommended)
• Prosciutto, thinly sliced
• Honey, for drizzling

Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with blue cheese, prosciutto and figs. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until pale golden and browned in spots.

Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking).  Drizzle with honey to finish and enjoy!
Flatbread recipe adapted from Epicurious.com.