Donair Pizza Recipe

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside on the middle rack for at least 30 minutes.

If using store-bought dough, let it come to room temperature 30 minutes before stretching. Lightly flour a work surface with 1/4 cup flour and oil your hands with 1 tbs olive oil.

Stretch or roll the dough into a 12–14 inch round (or rectangular 12x10) about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper for easier transfer to the oven.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef and ground lamb (if using). Add breadcrumbs, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, ground coriander, cumin, paprika and sugar. Mix gently but thoroughly until evenly combined. Do not overwork the meat.

Form the seasoned meat into a compact loaf or thin patties about 1/2 inch thick so they cook through quickly and can be easily crumbled. (If you prefer the traditional shaved donair texture, press into a thin rectangle to broil and then slice thinly, but for pizza, slices or crumbled pieces work best.)

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat (loaf or patties) and brown on both sides, breaking it apart with a spatula into bite-sized pieces as it cooks, until cooked through and nicely caramelized, 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel.

In a small bowl, stir the tomato sauce with 1/2 tsp dried oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. This will be the pizza base; do not over-sauced the crust—approximately 1/2 cup for a 12–14 inch pizza.

Spread the seasoned tomato sauce evenly over the stretched dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border for the crust.

Evenly distribute 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Reserve the remaining 0.5 cup of mozzarella (and optional cheddar) to sprinkle later for browning and extra cheesiness.

Scatter the cooked donair meat evenly over the cheese layer. Add the thinly sliced red onion and diced tomatoes on top of the meat. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella and cheddar evenly across the pizza to encourage a golden top.

Using the parchment paper, transfer the pizza to the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway, until the crust is puffed and golden and cheese is bubbly and browned in spots.

If you want extra crispness on the meat or edges, broil for an additional 1–2 minutes while watching carefully to avoid burning.

Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Immediately drizzle or spread the donair sauce (sweet garlic sauce) evenly over the hot pizza—start with about 1/4 cup and add more to taste so the sauce stays bright and not soggy.

Scatter chopped fresh parsley over the pizza for brightness. Add any additional fresh tomatoes or extra red onion on top for contrast.

Let the pizza rest 2–3 minutes to set, then slice into 6–8 pieces and serve hot with extra donair sauce on the side.