Pancetta and Asparagus Flatbread

When my mom visited nearly two months ago, I gave her a stack of recipes and asked her to pick out a few dinners. Imagine my surprise when she selected this Pancetta and Asparagus Flatbread recipe that I'd been wanting to make for months. The combination of fresh asparagus, pancetta and homemade dough made this flatbread very memorable. 

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light. The recipe can be found here. 

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

To prepare dough, combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; stir until blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (the dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If an indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

While dough rises, prepare topping. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add thyme, pancetta, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until pancetta is crisp. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 475°.

Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a 10-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a baking sheet. Spread topping evenly over dough. Arrange the asparagus over topping; sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 475° for 10 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light. The original recipe can be found here.