Hawaiian Style Pizza Recipe

Activate yeast

Combine warm water (about 105–115°F / 40–46°C), sugar, and active dry yeast in a small bowl. Stir gently and let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, knead on low speed with a dough hook for 5 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm draft-free place for 45–60 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.

Punch down the dough, shape into a ball, and let rest 10 minutes before rolling out to a 12-inch circle. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle rack while dough rests.

While the dough rises, make the sauce: combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and optional 1/4 tsp sugar in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sauce should be slightly thicker than soup consistency.

Set the sauce aside at room temperature. If using refrigerated canned tomato products, warm slightly to take chill off before spreading.

Prepare toppings: shred the mozzarella, thinly slice or dice the smoked ham, drain and pat dry the pineapple chunks if canned, and thinly slice the red onion if using.

If pineapple is fresh, pat the pieces dry on paper towels so they don’t release excess moisture on the pizza.

Dust a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with semolina or cornmeal. Stretch or roll the rested dough to a 12-inch circle, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust.

Brush the top of the crust lightly with olive oil to promote browning.

Spread 1/2 cup of the prepared sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the sauce, leaving a little at the edges for the crust to brown.

Distribute the smoked ham pieces evenly over the cheese, followed by the pineapple chunks and optional thinly sliced red onion.

If you like heat, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes evenly over the toppings.

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or inverted baking sheet and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Rotate halfway through baking for even browning.

Remove pizza from oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro or parsley if using. Slice into 8 pieces and serve hot.