Caramelized Onion, Fig & Goat Cheese Pizza with Arugula

Amazing fig and goat cheese pizza with caramelized onion, goat cheese, and an easy homemade 100% whole-wheat pizza dough!

Ingredients:
For the whole wheat pizza dough:

¾ cup warm low-fat milk to 110-115 degrees F

½ tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tablespoon yellow cornmeal, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

Olive oil, for the crust

For the pizza toppings:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

12 dried figs, stems trimmed, cut into quarters

5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

1-2 cups fresh arugula

Balsamic reduction:

1/2 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
1. First start by making the crust: In a large bowl of an electric mixer, mix almond milk, yeast, honey, and olive oil together. Let it sit for a few minutes; you will know your yeast has activated if it begins to foam and bubble after a few minutes. If it doesn’t start to foam or bubble, start over as this is critical to making good dough.
2. After just a few minutes, mix in whole wheat pastry flour, cornmeal, and salt with a wooden spoon. Place dough hook on mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. (If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.)
3. Next place dough in a medium bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. It’s better if it’s in a slightly warm place.
4. While the dough is rising, you can make the caramelized onions: place olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, add onion slices, spread the onions evenly out in the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally. Check onions every 10-15 minutes until they have completely caramelized and turned golden in color. This usually takes 20-30 minutes total.

5. After dough has doubled, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Add parchment paper to a large baking sheet, or grease with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Grease an 11×9 or 8×12 inch baking sheet generously with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with a little cornmeal. Dump dough into an oil-rimmed baking sheet, and stretch dough out towards the edges.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for another 20 minutes. It’s okay if it doesn’t stretch all the way to the edges right away, it just needs a little time to rest.
8. Make the balsamic reduction: Add balsamic vinegar to a small pot and place over low heat. Allow it to simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced by half, then set aside until you are ready to enjoy the pizza.
9. After dough rests, pull again towards the edges of the pan so that it forms a nice small crust. Brush crust with a little olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until pizza is slightly golden brown on the crust and bottom.
10. Brush dough or drizzle with just a little bit of olive oil, and spread caramelized onions over the pizza, along with the figs and goat cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes or until onions and figs are warmed through.
11. Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into 10-12 squares and enjoy!