Name: Hawaiian Pizza with Pineapple and Ham
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 2 h 12 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 125 g plain flour; 75 ml water; 0.25 packet yeast; 0.25 teaspoon caster sugar; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 0.5 tablespoon olive oil; 75 ml tomato paste; 0.25 clove garlic; 0.25 tablespoon olive oil; 0.25 teaspoon oregano; salt; ground pepper; 37.5 g ham; 2 slices pineapple; 50 g mozzarella; olive oil; basil

Step by step process

Pizza Dough

1
Combine lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl, mix well, and let sit for about 10 minutes until the surface becomes foamy. This activates the yeast and jumpstarts the rising.
TIP:
Crumble the yeast, add sugar and lukewarm water (37-40°C). Leave it in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until a foamy cap forms, this indicates the yeast is ready to use.
2
Sift the flour into a large bowl, add salt, olive oil, and the activated yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly and knead by hand into a smooth, elastic dough, work for 8-10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to your hands and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
TIP:
Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and not sticky. Add water gradually to achieve the right consistency, and knead long enough to activate the gluten.
3
Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes or until it doubles in size.

Tomato Sauce

4
Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add finely chopped garlic, and gently sauté on low heat until fragrant, do not let it brown to prevent bitterness in the sauce.
5
Pour in the tomato passata, add oregano, lightly salt and pepper to taste, and stir well. Let the sauce simmer gently for about 5 minutes, so the flavors blend and the liquid slightly reduces. Use after cooling, it should be thick and lukewarm.

Assembling and Baking

6
Preheat the oven to 250 °C (ideally with a hot baking sheet in the middle of the oven) and prepare baking paper. Divide the risen dough into two parts and, on a floured surface, shape each into a round disc about 25 cm in diameter.
TIP:
Preheat the oven to the desired temperature before placing the food inside, and simultaneously heat the tray in the center of the oven to ensure the dish bakes evenly and quickly.
7
Transfer the discs to baking paper and spread a thin layer of tomato sauce almost to the edges. Slice the ham into strips, drain the pineapple, and pat dry with paper towels. Tear the mozzarella into pieces.
8
Layer ham, pineapple, and mozzarella pieces over the sauce. Brush the edges of the dough with olive oil for better color and crispiness. Transfer the pizzas with the paper onto the preheated baking sheet in the oven.
9
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, the pizzas are done when the edge is crisp and the cheese is bubbly.

Serving

10
After baking, remove the pizzas from the oven and let them rest for 2-3 minutes so the cheese sets slightly and the pizza slices neatly.
11
Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Cut the pizza into triangles with a sharp knife and serve immediately while the crust is crisp and the cheese is tender.