Hawaiian Pizza

This post was originally published on Sift & Simmer in February 2018. Photos and content updated.

Friday nights are pizza nights in my house.

Mention the word “pizza” and my kids come running. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this Italian classic.

There’s something about the simplicity and versatility of sauce, cheese, and bread — you can eat it cold, hot, on-the-run, with a knife and fork, for breakfast, for lunch, or a midnight snack?

WHAT IS A HAWAIIAN PIZZA?

My childhood favourite was Hawaiian pizza — ham and pineapple with a little mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce on pizza dough.

Did you know that Hawaiian pizza is a Canadian invention?

It’s also a contentious topic of debate… whether pineapples belong on pizza?

Anyhow, to make a Hawaiian pizza, you need to make pizza dough.

Pizza dough is literally the foundation of a good pizza — I prefer a crust that isn’t too thick, with some air bubbles, holds up to toppings, is crisp, yet slightly chewy at the same time.

I’ve tried many different versions but have always come back to Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe.

It’s a nice light, elastic dough that bubbles up nicely and when cooked on a pizza stone, and gives a perfect amount of “crustiness.”

INGREDIENTS IN PIZZA DOUGH

There are only a few ingredients in pizza dough:

• warm water: dissolves the yeast and adds moisture to the dough
• active dry yeast: leavens the dough and makes it bubbly and active
• granulated sugar: helps to feed the yeast and give the dough a little flavour
• all-purpose flour: regular flour works perfectly fine for this recipe; if you prefer a chewier crust, try using bread flour instead
• sea salt: flavours the dough; you can use kosher salt if you like
• olive oil: adds flavour and richness to the dough

Mozzarella cheese: pizza mozzarella is great for Hawaiian pizza since it melts well and has less moisture than other cheeses.

Tomato sauce: homemade tomato sauce or jarred works fine. Tip: If using jarred sauce, add a pinch of oregano and basil to kick up the flavour.

Pineapples: my preference is to use fresh pineapples, but it can be hard to find fresh all year round; canned pineapples will work just fine. Just make sure to drain the pineapples well and blot them before adding to the dough.

CAN I USE OTHER TOPPINGS?

Absolutely. You can customize the pizza to your liking.

If you want to change up the tomato sauce, add a smoky barbeque sauce instead — it is super delicious!

CAN I USE THE DOUGH FOR A STROMBOLI?

Yes, it’s the same dough I use for my Pizza Waffles, and would be great in a calzone or stromboli.

OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE

Pizza Waffles

Peking Duck Pizza with Caramelized Onions & Hoisin Sauce for Baking Steel

Turkey Pepperoni Cheese-Stuffed Breadsticks

Be sure to let me know if you try out my Hawaiian Pizza recipe — tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer and leave me a comment/rating below.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Hawaiian Pizza (Ham & Pineapple Pizza)

A Canadian classic, Hawaiian pizza contains ham, pineapple, tomato sauce and cheese on a homemade dough. Sweet and savoury at it's best.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Resting Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time2 hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: ham & pineapple pizza, hawaiian pizza, homemade pizza, homemade pizza dough, pizza, pizza dough

Servings: 12

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Michelle | Sift & Simmer

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 ½ C lukewarm water 110° F, divided
• 3 ½-4 C all-purpose flour plus additional for rolling
• ½ tsp ( sea salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil plus 2 tsp for greasing bowl

Toppings

• 5-6 slices diced cooked ham
• 1 C diced pineapple drained and blotted
• 1 ½ C tomato sauce
• 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the dough:

• Add yeast and sugar into a bowl with ½ C lukewarm water. Give it a stir and set aside until yeast is bubbly and active.
• Add flour and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• While the mixer is running, add the activated yeast, the remaining 1 C of water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix until the dough forms smoothly into a ball.
• If the dough appears too sticky, add additional flour, and if it's too dry, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Note: this dough can be quite moist, so add a little water at a time.
• Knead until dough is smooth and shiny, about 7-8 minutes in the mixer. (If you're making the dough ahead of time, put the dough into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or put it into a ziplock bag. Store the dough in the fridge or freezer at this point in time).
• Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to double in size, about 1-1.5 hours.
• If you placed the dough into the fridge, take it out 2 hours prior to baking to allow it to warm up.
• Add a baking steel or pizza stone to the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Once the dough has risen, deflate it. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls.
• On a piece of parchment paper, stretch the dough ball into a disc about 10" in diameter.

Add the toppings:

• Spread a few Tbsp of tomato sauce on the dough, add sliced ham, pineapple, and sprinkle with cheese.
• Use a pizza peel to slide the pizza on the preheated pizza stone/baking steel and bake for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
• Carefully remove pizza and slice. Serve hot. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Notes

Yields appx 3 x 10" pizzas.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you try this recipe?Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer!