Homemade Hawaiian Pizza

Name: Homemade Hawaiian Pizza
Prep time: 47 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups (500 g) bread flour, spooned into the cup and leveled (or weighed); 1⅓ cups (315 ml) warm water, 100-110°F (38-43°C); 1¼ tsp (4 g) instant yeast; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for the dough, 1 tbsp for greasing the bowl; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the counter and your hands; 2 tbsp (20 g) semolina or coarse cornmeal, for dusting the peel; 1 cup (240 ml) pizza sauce, store-bought or homemade, at room temperature; 10 oz (280 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely shredded from a block (about 2¾ cups); 8 oz (225 g) fully cooked ham, cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) dice; 1½ cups (250 g) canned pineapple tidbits, drained well and patted dry with paper towels; 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the baked crust; ¼ tsp (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A chewy, blistered homemade crust topped with tangy tomato sauce, salty diced ham, sweet pineapple and a blanket of bubbly mozzarella. Two 12-inch pizzas, ready in about two hours, mostly hands-off.

Prep: 47 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 55 min
Makes: 2 pizzas, 12 inches (30 cm) each, 8 slices total

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the dough
4 cups (500 g) bread flour, spooned into the cup and leveled (or weighed)
1⅓ cups (315 ml) warm water, 100-110°F (38-43°C)
1¼ tsp (4 g) instant yeast
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for the dough, 1 tbsp for greasing the bowl
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the counter and your hands
2 tbsp (20 g) semolina or coarse cornmeal, for dusting the peel
For the toppings
1 cup (240 ml) pizza sauce, store-bought or homemade, at room temperature
10 oz (280 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely shredded from a block (about 2¾ cups)
8 oz (225 g) fully cooked ham, cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) dice
1½ cups (250 g) canned pineapple tidbits, drained well and patted dry with paper towels
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the baked crust
¼ tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)

Equipment (10)

Large mixing bowl (4-quart / 4-liter)
Stand mixer with dough hook (optional; you can knead by hand)
Baking stone, baking steel, or heavy rimmed baking sheet (about 18×13 inches / 46×33 cm)
Pizza peel or an upside-down baking sheet for launching
Sieve or colander
Chef's knife and cutting board
Box grater
Pizza cutter
Kitchen scale (recommended)
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Read the timing: the dough rises for about 50 minutes total, and the oven needs at least 30 minutes to preheat with a stone or steel inside. The preheat overlaps with the second part of the rise.
Drain the pineapple in a sieve for at least 15 minutes, then pat it very dry. Wet pineapple makes a soggy pizza.
Place the oven rack in the upper third and put your baking stone, steel or an upside-down heavy rimmed baking sheet on it before turning the oven on.
Use low-moisture mozzarella that you shred yourself from a block. It melts more evenly than pre-shredded cheese, which contains anti-caking starch.
Warm the water to 100-110°F (38-43°C). It should feel like a comfortable bath. Hotter water can kill the yeast.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, sugar and fine sea salt.
- Add the warm water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand for about 1 minute until no dry flour remains and the dough looks shaggy and rough.
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Ready when: No dry flour left; the dough forms a rough, sticky mass.
Tip: Keep the salt away from the yeast until both are mixed into the flour so the salt doesn't slow the yeast.
2
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a counter dusted with a little of the all-purpose flour and knead for 8 minutes by hand, pushing it away with the heel of your hand and folding it back.
- Or use a stand mixer with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes.
- Add only a teaspoon of flour at a time if it sticks badly.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, springy and slightly tacky but doesn't stick to clean hands; it springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: Too much added flour makes a dense crust. Slightly tacky dough bakes up lighter.
3
First rise
- Coat a clean large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil.
- Place the dough in it, turn once to coat, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave in a warm spot (about 75°F / 24°C) for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough looks puffy and has grown by about half.
4
Divide and start preheatOven 500°F / 260°C
- Put your stone, steel or upside-down baking sheet on the upper-third rack and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter, press out the large bubbles gently, and cut it into 2 equal pieces (about 425 g each).
- Shape each into a tight ball by tucking the edges underneath, place on a floured tray 3 inches apart, cover, and rest 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough balls are smooth, puffy and soft to the touch.
Tip: If your oven only reaches 475°F (245°C), that works too. Add about 2 minutes to the bake.
5
Prep the toppingsOven 500°F / 260°C
- While the oven heats, make sure the pineapple is drained and patted very dry.
- Check that the ham is diced into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces and shred the mozzarella on the large holes of a box grater.
- Divide each topping in half so you can top each pizza quickly: ½ cup (120 ml) sauce, about 140 g cheese, about 112 g ham and about 125 g pineapple per pizza.
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Ready when: Pineapple pieces feel dry to the touch and are not dripping.
Tip: Wet pineapple is the most common cause of a soggy center. Pat it until the paper towel comes away barely damp.
6
Stretch the first crustOven 500°F / 260°C
- Dust the peel generously with 1 tablespoon of the semolina.
- On a floured counter, press the first dough ball into a flat disc, leaving the outer 1 inch (2.5 cm) rim untouched.
- Lift it and stretch gently over your knuckles, rotating, to a 12-inch (30 cm) round.
- Place it on the peel and shake the peel to check the dough slides freely.
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Ready when: Round is about 12 inches (30 cm), evenly thin in the middle with a puffy rim, and slides on the peel.
Tip: Avoid a rolling pin, which squashes the air bubbles out of the rim. If the dough springs back, rest it 5 minutes and try again.
7
Top and bake first pizzaOven 500°F / 260°C
- Spread ½ cup (120 ml) sauce over the crust, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border.
- Scatter half of the mozzarella, then half of the ham and pineapple, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon oregano.
- Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Crust rim is deep golden with a few dark blisters, and the cheese is bubbling with browned spots.
Tip: Top the pizza right before baking. Dough that sits under sauce becomes sticky and welds itself to the peel.
8
Shape and bake second pizzaOven 500°F / 260°C
- While the first pizza bakes, dust the peel with the remaining semolina and stretch the second dough ball to 12 inches (30 cm) as before.
- Top it with the remaining sauce, cheese, ham, pineapple and oregano.
- Move the finished first pizza to a cutting board, close the oven door for 2 minutes to recover heat, then bake the second pizza at 500°F (260°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Same as the first: deep golden, blistered rim, bubbling browned cheese.
Tip: Ham is fully cooked, so you're only warming it through. It should sizzle at the edges and read 140°F (60°C) in the center.
9
Brush, rest and slice
- Brush the exposed rims of both baked pizzas with the finishing olive oil.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if using.
- Let each pizza rest on the board for 3 minutes, then cut each into 8 slices... or 4 big slices if you prefer, with a pizza cutter, and serve hot.
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Ready when: Cheese stops bubbling and the crust underneath feels crisp when lifted.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour if you can. A cup of scooped flour can weigh 20% more than a spooned one, which makes dry dough.
The hotter the stone, the better the crust. If the oven allows, preheat for a full 45 minutes.
Don't overload the toppings. Two thin layers bake crisper than one heavy pile, and the center cooks before the rim burns.
For a smoky twist, scatter a few thin slices of red onion or jalapeño over the pineapple before baking.

Make ahead

"Make the dough through step 3, then refrigerate in the oiled, covered bowl for up to 48 hours for deeper flavor. Bring it to room temperature for 1 hour, then continue from step 4. You can also dice the ham and shred the cheese up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate separately."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours after baking. Refrigerator: wrap leftover slices well and keep up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze slices on a tray, then wrap, for up to 2 months. Reheat slices in a 425°F (220°C) oven or a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is hot. Unbaked dough balls freeze up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge."

Substitutions

bread flour → all-purpose flour. Use the same weight (500 g). The crust will be a little softer and less chewy; add 1 to 2 tablespoons less water if the dough feels slack.
fully cooked ham → Canadian bacon or crisp cooked bacon. Canadian bacon can be sliced and quartered. Cooked bacon should be crumbled and added after the cheese.
canned pineapple tidbits → fresh pineapple, cut into ½-inch pieces. Pat very dry. Fresh pineapple is a bit more tart and releases more juice.
instant yeast → active dry yeast. Use 1½ tsp and dissolve it in the warm water for 5 minutes before adding. Expect the rise to take 10 to 15 minutes longer.