Pizza with Stracchino Cheese and Pratomagno Ham

I can provide you with a recipe for a pizza with stracchino cheese and Pratomagno ham. Pratomagno is an area in Tuscany known for its ham production, which can add a delightful savory accent to your pizza.

Ingredients

• 500 g of type “00” flour
• 300 ml of warm water
• 7 g of dry yeast (1 packet)
• 10 g of salt
• 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• Stracchino cheese, enough to cover the surface of the pizza
• Sliced Pratomagno ham, as needed
• Fresh arugula for garnishing (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil for finishing

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the dry yeast. Gradually add the warm water and start kneading.
2. Add the salt and extra virgin olive oil and continue kneading until the mixture is smooth and uniform. If necessary, adjust with more water or flour.
3. Form a ball with the dough, place it in a buttered or oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours or until it doubles in volume.
4. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature (ideally 250 °C or more if your oven allows it).
5. Take the risen dough, gently deflate it, and stretch it out on a floured surface to form your desired thickness for the pizza base.
6. Transfer the pizza base onto a lightly greased baking tray or pizza stone.
7. Spread the stracchino cheese evenly over the surface, leaving about a 1 cm edge.
8. Bake the pizza in the hot oven for about 10-12 minutes or until golden to your liking.
9. Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven and, while it’s still hot, add the slices of Pratomagno ham.
10. If desired, add fresh arugula and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Trivia

Pratomagno ham is a typical Tuscan product distinguished by its delicate taste due to the high altitude and the particular climate where the pigs are bred and the ham is cured. Paired with stracchino, a soft and creamy cheese, it creates a pleasant contrast of flavors that goes well with the neutral base of the pizza.