Asparagus & Fontina Wholemeal Pizza

A seasonal spring pizza with a nutty wholemeal base, charred asparagus, and melting Fontina cheese. The wholemeal dough gives this a deeper, earthier flavour than standard pizza - it pairs beautifully with the sweetness of roasted asparagus. One neat trick from the Italian original: roast the asparagus directly on the oven floor before it goes on the pizza. The direct heat chars the tips perfectly in a few minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough ball (about 250g - wholemeal dough if you have it, or standard Neapolitan)
• 200g asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
• 100g Fontina DOP, thinly sliced (or Taleggio as a substitute)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Zest of half a lemon (optional but brilliant)

Method

1. Drop your pizza oven to around 300°C. Wholemeal dough burns faster than white flour at full pizza temperature, so a steadier heat works better here.
2. Toss the asparagus spears with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them directly on the oven floor for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until lightly charred and just tender. Remove and set aside.
3. Stretch your dough to about 12 inches on a well-floured surface. Transfer to a floured peel and brush lightly with olive oil.
4. Lay the Fontina slices across the base, leaving a border for the crust.
5. Slide into your oven and bake for 5-8 minutes until the dough is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
6. Remove from the oven, arrange the charred asparagus on top, and finish with a grating of lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, and a crack of black pepper.