Yay for Spring and Spring asparagus! Enjoy it on this fabulous flatbread, paired with salty prosciutto and topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
There really isn’t much to this asparagus flatbread. Shave your asparagus with a vegetable peeler, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and place onto your flatbread. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan and some torn prosciutto. Pop in to the oven and enjoy.
The real recipe I want to share is the flatbread. So easy and the perfect base for so many different toppings. This recipe will make 4 good-sized flatbreads. You can eat one or two right away and freeze the rest. Then they’re ready to pull out and anytime, thaw and top as you please.
Even if you’re not usually a yeast-baker, this is a great recipe to try. No need to worry about your bread not rising ;) Of course, if you are just not feeling working with a yeast dough, simply use your favourite ready-made pizza dough.
Shaved Asparagus Flatbread with Prosciutto and Parmesan
Flatbread Dough: (makes four 5×14-inch flatbreads)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp. dry active or instant yeast
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup olive oil
Toppings:
Asparagus spears, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler
Prosciutto slices, torn into smaller pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. In a two-cup glass measure, combine warm water, yeast and honey. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
Add proofed yeast mixture and olive oil to bowl with flour and salt. Stir into a smooth dough, adding a few more tablespoons of flour, if necessary to make a smooth, moist (but not sticky) dough. Place into a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 400° F. with racks in upper third and lower third of oven. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove risen dough to a well-floured surface. Cut dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Your flatbread can be any size or shape. If making oblong ones, just be sure they aren’t longer than the length of your baking sheet, so it doesn’t hang over the edge. Somewhere around 5-inches wide to 14-inches long works well. Place two flatbreads side-by-side onto each baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes to rest.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, then switch baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. *If you have some large bubbles, poke them several times with the point of a sharp knife. Bake another 5-7 minutes, until firm and starting to turn golden in spots. *Don’t over-brown if you intend to re-bake flatbreads with toppings later on, to avoid over-browning when you bake the second time with toppings.
Remove flatbreads to a cooling rack to cool. (If making flatbreads immediately, leave oven on and set to 400° and keep baking sheets with parchment handy to re-use)
Once flatbread have cooled a bit, top with shaved asparagus and prosciutto. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and a little freshly ground black pepper. Return to parchment-lined baking sheet and pop back in to the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until toppings have warmed and softened. Top with freshly grated Parmesan. Cut into triangles for serving.
