My philosophy to cooking is simple: use the freshest and most local ingredients available, pair textures and flavours and always keep in mind that experimentation is key. The origin of this pizza is long gone, but it has since been immortalized in our family. I think we had a similar pizza on a wine farm, but I do not think that someone can rightly claim a recipe in any case. In any case, I present to you a modern South African recipe for a pizza: Honey, blue cheese, biltong, and figs. In a previous post I explained what biltong is and how you can make it at home. This recipe also utilizes a sauce I made last week. The roasted pepper sauce pairs so well with the other flavours. This is also not a true pizza. I use the technique that I saw from a YouTuber Ethan Chlebowski who uses Pita bread as bases for a quick pizza. In this recipe, I use a basic flatbread as base for the pizza. This technique is really awesome in the sense that you can make a "quick pizza" even though the real McCoy cannot be beaten. Without further ado, here is a step by step photo recipe of me making this contemporary South African Pizza.

The Flat Bread

This flatbread is really simple to make. You can also just buy flatbread. If you have a source for a good flatbread, this recipe will be even quicker and simpler. My flatbread recipe is basically 1 part bread flour, 1 part barley flour and 1 part semolina flour. I make the dough 60% hydration, that is for every 1000grams of flour I use, I add 600grams of water. (Same goes for the salt: 2,3% salt or 23grams for every 1000grams of flour). I leave it un-kneaded for an hour, roll it out and "bake" them.

I use a cast iron top lightly oiled to "bake" them. I do not use times, so I "smell" them until I know they are done. They looked slightly burnt, and I think that is how they should be.

(Here you can see how they "puff" up. If you make them slightly smaller, they will be perfect pita breads."

The Toppings

As mentioned, I used my wood fire-roasted pepper sauce as the base sauce. You can just use normal pizza tomato-based sauce. I then add the cheese and the biltong. One of them has blue cheese on it one not. I then add the figs. Only after the (mock) pizza's have baked, I put on the honey.

Bake Them

I use a special pizza tray. This helps the bottoms to not get soggy. Also, the bases are already cooked. So you do not have to cook the base like a normal pizza. Turn the broiler or top element on its highest setting and bake just till the cheese has melted to your satisfaction. Again, the bases are already cooked so the cheese only needs to melt. No need to bake them for any longer. I think it takes 10 minutes max. This is why this (mock) pizza is such an easy and versatile hack to have.

Enjoy This Tasty Mock Pizza Hack

Making pizza can be a schlep; it takes time to make and to bake, it never tastes like the real thing and again it takes time. This simple "hack" takes away all the hassle. Buy some flatbread bases or make your own, put on any toppings and bake them till the cheese has melted. It is not real pizza, but it so close. Also, please try this flavour combination. It is a truly contemporary South Africa flavour combination that rocks. I know figs are not truly South African, but the biltong is! I hope you try this one. Stay safe and eat healthy!

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