How to Make Hawaiian Pepperoni and Pineapple Pizza
Pizza is hands down my favorite food and every Friday night is pizza night! But what I love most is my homemade Hawaiian pizza recipe with pepperoni and pineapple. I know, I know, some of you just rolled your eyes at pineapple on pizza and some of you think that’s not Hawaiian pizza because it should have Canadian bacon or salty ham, but just bear with me and give it a chance. I promise you, nothing is better than the savory flavors from the spicier peperoni contrasted with the sweet pineapples and melted cheese.
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What is Hawaiian Pizza?
Classic Hawaiian pizza is normally made with fresh pineapple and delicious ham. While I do enjoy this popular choice, I think pepperoni and pineapple it is the perfect combination! While my pineapple pizza recipe is not traditional, it does make for easy pizza toppings and I have even added pineapple to frozen pizza before! So if you are in a rush, you can make a quick meal 😉
Basic ingredients of pizza recipes
Most pizza recipes have a few basic ingredients that are consistent across the board. I will break down what I use and why and give you a few alternatives for all you home cooks. Also, I am a pizza enthusiast and take pizza making pretty seriously, but with wine of course! So if you don’t want to do it the same way I do, that’s ok.
Pizza dough – At my house we almost always use a homemade pizza dough recipe. Ever since we got a pizza oven a few years ago, I have been a sucker for homemade pizza crust. Simply put, it just tastes better. If you have never made pizza dough before, it can be a little nerve racking at first, but I promise it is very easy! There are only a few extra steps and most recipes are a simple yeast mixture, warm water, salt and flour. I made this pizza in our pizza oven and have included the recipe for dough I use in a high temperature pizza oven.
Pizza Sauce – Normally I make my own version of marinara sauce for this pizza but you could also use store bought. You can also make a very simple red sauce with canned tomato sauce, salt, pepper, basil and oregano for a good pizza base. If you have fresh basil, even better! If you opt for the traditional Hawaiian style, BBQ sauce is a sweeter option as well.
Pineapple – Most nights I use canned pineapple unless I happen to have fresh juicy pineapple on hand. Either option is totally fine. If you use canned pineapple, make sure you drain it first. You can buy the pineapple rings or chunks in the canned fruit section of your grocery store. I do not cook the pineapple at all. Just simply add it to your unbaked pizza.
Pepperoni vs Ham – The great debate. While I enjoy savory ham, peperoni and pineapple is definitely one of my favorite toppings. The pepperoni just adds more salt and more spice to the pizza and it contrasts so well with the sweetness of the pineapple. I usually buy bagged pepperoni but the pepperoni sticks you slice yourself are really good too!
Cheese – A lot of pizza recipes call for mozzarella cheese, but yet again I dare to be different! I usually use a combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese. The cheddar gives an extra bit of flavor that compliments the sweet pineapple and the Monterey or Colby have a lighter flavor and a better melting consistency. I also normally shred my own cheese since we bake pizza in the pizza oven often. Since it cooks at high heat shredding real cheese gives better results because the melting point of bagged cheese is different. If you have a stand mixer you can use this attachment to shred your cheese in seconds! Feel free to use any cheese you want though, this is just what I do 😉
Additional Toppings – While pepperoni and pineapple are a perfectly sufficient combo, I like to add a few extra toppings. Red onion and jalapeno (if you like it spicy) are great additions! You can even add some bell peppers if you want. And if you are feeling extra adventurous, try dipping your pizza crust in Mike’s Hot Honey! It is spicy but oh SO good!
Pizza Equipment – Being pizza aficionados, we own a lot of tools and gadgets for pizza making. You definitely don’t need anything more than a pizza stone, pizza pan, or sheet pan to make this pizza, but if you have a pizza oven, you will probably want a pizza peel too. These work well to slide pizza into the oven.
Basic Pizza Oven Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 1/3 cup Bread or 00 Flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil to coat dough during rise
Instructions
- Combine the active yeast with the water and let set for a few minutes. The water should look foamy.
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook, begin mixing in the bread flour one cup at a time. You can also kneed your dough manually or use a hand mixer with a dough hooks.
- Once the flour is combined, add the salt and melted butter. Do NOT add salt, butter, or olive oil until the dough is completely combined and kneaded.
- Mix/Kneed on a low speed for 3 minutes. Do not mix for an extended period of time to avoid tough or weak dough.
- The dough should be stretchy and bounce back when poked with a wooden spoon.
- Rise dough in a covered bowl until it doubles in size (an hour or two on the counter).
- Divide dough into equal sized pizza dough balls and transfer them to a proofing box or large air-tight container. This recipe will make three dough balls.
- When ready to bake, roll out each dough ball into flat circles on a floured work surface. You can use a rolling pin but I prefer to stretch mine out by hand. I slowly stretch each ball pressing it outward in a circular motion with my fingers and knuckles. Be careful not to rip the dough.
- Top the pizza dough with toppings of your choice. Do not let the dough sit for too long with toppings prior to baking or it may get soggy.
- Bake for 90 seconds in your pizza oven at 900 degrees. Bake within 8 hours, refrigerate (up to 3 days) , or freeze (up to 3 months).
- Enjoy your homemade pizza!
Notes
- Big batches of pizza dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- The amount of dough needed will depend on how big of pizzas you are making. I usually double this recipe to make a big batch of dough and feed us extra days. If you make too much dough you can freeze it.
- Raw dough or anything made with yeast is bad for dogs. So make sure you don't drop any if you have a pup nearby 😉
Hawaiian Pepperoni and Pineapple Pizza
Ingredients
- pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
- 3-6 tbsp pizza sauce (homemade or store bought)
- pepperoni slices
- 8 oz canned pineapple chunks or fresh
- 1-2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- On a floured work surface, or pizza pan roll out pizza dough into a circle.
- Add pizza sauce one tablespoon at a time, spreading with the back of a spoon. Leave a small border for your crust, about an inch or two.
- Sprinkle raw toppings onto the pizza sauce including pepperoni, pineapple and any additional toppings you like. For crispier toppings, lay half of the toppings under the cheese and half the toppings on top of the cheese.
- Sprinkle cheese onto the pizza. Depending on the size of your pizza and preferences, you may use more or less.
- Bake pizza as pizza crust instructions dictate.
Notes
- Depending on the size of your pizza and preferences, topping amounts, sauce, and cheese may vary. This is enough to make three 10 inch pizzas with my dough recipe.
- Cooking times will vary. Follow the instructions on the pizza dough you use.
- Adding toppings under the cheese prevent toppings from falling off the pizza, while adding them on top of the cheese will make them crispy. I usually do half under and half on top.
Dough Options
For this recipe I used my pizza oven pizza dough. This is a very basic dough that can be used in the regular oven as well. If you are not ready to try homemade pizza dough yet, store bought dough would make a good pizza dough as well.
Storage
In the event you have leftover pizza, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you try my homemade dough, make sure you follow my instructions for how long it keeps.
Do you love pizza as much as I do and want to see more? Check out my other pizza recipes!
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