MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA
The so-called Hawaiian pizza was actually conceived by Sam Panopoulos, a proud Canadian with no particular ties to the Aloha State. Its ingredients have a distinct Hawaiian flair, though; generous amounts of pineapple and ham top the tomato-sauce-and-cheese base. It’s become a pizza classic in America, but its popularity in the United States is nothing compared to how much it’s loved in Australia. There, it is by far the most popular pizza, accounting for 15 percent of all pizza sales.
But even though Hawaiian pizza is now a standard, there’s nothing traditional about it, so I don’t feel bad about getting creative with its construction.
I jokingly call this pie PB and J, but don’t worry, there’s no peanut butter (or jelly) in it. Here, PB and J means pineapple, bacon, and jalapeño, and it packs a lot of heat. The heat of the Baking Steel means you don’t have to precook your bacon; it crisps up fine in the oven.
1 ball Seventy-Two-Hour Pizza Dough
Flour for dusting
¼ cup tomato sauce
50 grams (2 ounces) fresh mozzarella, torn
50 grams (2 ounces) fontina, shredded
110 grams (½ cup) cubed or diced pineapple
1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced
3 strips bacon, uncooked
1. Preheat the Baking Steel in your oven (here).
2. Stretch your dough into a 12-inch circle (oblong or oval is also fine). Lightly flour your peel and place the dough on top.
3. Set the oven to Broil.
4. Evenly distribute the tomato sauce across the top of the pizza, leaving about 1 inch around perimeter for the crust.
5. Evenly sprinkle the cheeses over the sauce. Top with the rest of the ingredients, trying to evenly distribute the pineapple, jalapeño, and raw bacon.
6. Use a generously floured pizza peel to launch your pizza onto the Baking Steel and bake under the broiler for 2 minutes.
7. After 2 minutes, open the oven and use your pizza peel to give the pizza a 180-degree turn. Turn off the broiler, set the oven to its highest temperature, and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese has attained the desired brownness.
8. Use your pizza peel to remove the pie from the oven. Slice and serve.