Hawaiian Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza, that salty and sweet combination, is a legitimate form of pizza and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! With an easy crust and marinara for the sauce, pizza just got easier, and more delicious!
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
Pizza Crust
- ¾ cup (200 g) lukewarm water (between 110° and 120° please)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey (I used honey. It doesn't actually add any sweetness to the crust, but it does feed those hungry yeasty beasties)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup (130 g)all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (130 g) extra fine (00) flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Toppings
- 2 teaspoon olive oil, for brushing on the crust
- A sprinkling of coarse sea salt for the edge of the crust
- ½ cup marinara (Store bought is fine, or I happen to have a great recipe here)
- 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Sliced pineapple, cut in chunks. I used fresh, but canned is fine.
- Thick sliced ham, cut in chunks
- Thin slices of hot pepper (Optional. I thought I was getting a really spicy habañero pepper. It wasn't 😕, but it looked pretty)
- A sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes (Also optional. I like things spicy 🔥, despite my pepper problems)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flours and salt.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together lukewarm tap water, honey, yeast and olive oil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy on top and smells “bready”. Pour it into flour mixture. Mix and then knead with your hands until just combined, approximately 2-3 minutes, then let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead the rested dough again, right in the bowl, for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Place dough ball on a heavily floured surface, cover with damp and clean kitchen towel, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. Don't mess with it. It'll be fine.If you're making the dough a day before you use it, at this point you can let it rest and rise for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Just let it come to room temperature first, then continue with the rising process.
- After 3-4 hours of rest, your dough should be nice and risen. Isn't science great? That yeast did a fabulous job! Let's make pizza!
- Plonk your fluffy dough onto a lightly floured counter. Roll it out to your desired size. I went for a rectangularly shaped pizza that would fit on my sheet pan.Once you've gotten your crust to the right size/shape, roll it onto your rolling pin and transfer it to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat your oven to 500°. Yes, 500°. This pizza cooks at high heat for a very short amount of time. Place your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Not the very bottom, but the next level. This is so your crust gets nice and crispy. Brush the edges of your crust with a little bit of olive oil and a light sprinkle of coarse sea salt. This is because crust is an essential part of pizza. We want it to have a little flavor and color, right? A light schmearing of marinara goes onto the crust first, not too little, not too much. We don't want a soggy bottom. do we?
- Now we'll add all of our toppings. Evenly distribute your cheese, leaving a bit of crust free for, I don't know, a handle to hold your slice? Yummy crispy bits? Both. Top with the pineapple, ham, and peppers if you're using them.
- Bake at 500° for about 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when the crust is browned and the cheese is all melty with a few caramelized cheesy parts here and there.Resist the urge to scald the inside of your face for about 5-10 minutes as the pizza cools to less than solar temperatures. Slice and enjoy! Embrace Hawaiian Pizza in all its salty sweet glory. Doesn't being right taste good?Now that you are a pizza chef, you can adapt this recipe any way you please. No sauce, a different sauce, other meats or vegetables, just cheese...the variations know no bounds!