Motor City Hawaiian
2
9x9-inch pizzas
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
White Flour Dough
4 ⅓ c
(567 g) unbleached bread flour
1 ¾ tsp
(11 g) kosher salt
1 ¼ tsp
(4 g) instant yeast
2 c
(454 g) water, cool (about 60°F)
2 tbsp
(28 g) olive oil
1 tbsp
(14 g) extra olive oil (for stretching and folding)
Motor City Hawaiian
1 lb
brick, Muenster, mozzarella, fontina, Cheddar, or provolone cheese (or a combination), cut into ¼-inch cubes
4 oz
Canadian bacon, capicola ham, or cooked bacon, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ c
diced yellow or white onion
1
jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
1
8-ounce can pineapple chunks or sliced pineapple, ½ fresh pineapple peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks or slices, or 6 ounces frozen pineapple pieces
½ c
Crushed Tomato Pizza Sauce
¼ c
chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crushed Tomato Pizza Sauce (Makes enough for 4-8 pizzas)
1
28-ounce can crushed, ground, or whole tomatoes
¼ tsp
coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp
dried basil, or 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
¼ tsp
dried oregano, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp
granulated garlic, or 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced, plus more as needed
1 tbsp
red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice, or a combination, plus more as needed
1 tsp
kosher salt
There is probably no pizza more polarizing than what is called Hawaiian pizza, and, ironically, it’s not even Hawaiian. One version of its origin story claims that it was invented in 1962 by a Greek-Canadian, Sam Panopoulos, at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario. I guess this explains why so many versions are made with Canadian bacon. Sam said this pizza was inspired by his earlier experience preparing Chinese dishes, which commonly mix sweet and savory flavors. I find the sweet and savory flavor contrast can also be achieved with spicy ham, like capicola, as well as with bacon or pancetta. Regardless, it’s the pineapple, with its Hawaiian association (and thus the name, even if not its true birthplace), that causes all the controversy. But I say that it’s time for anyone who has a problem with pineapple (or any fruit) pizza topping to try this version and just get over it, because here’s what happens when Detroit-style deep-pan pizza meets Hawaiian pineapple: pure magic!
Directions
White Flour Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Add all of the water and mix on slow speed for 30 seconds or stir with a large spoon to form a coarse, shaggy dough. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil, increase the speed to medium (or continue mixing with the spoon or with wet hands), and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a wet, coarse, sticky dough. It may seem too wet to form a cohesive dough at this stage. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high (or continue mixing by hand) and mix for another 30 to 60 seconds to make a smooth, sticky dough. It should be soft, supple, and sticky to the touch, and offer a little resistance when pressed with a wet finger.
- Use 1 teaspoon of the extra oil to make a 15-inch-diameter oil slick (see page 31) on the work surface. Rub some oil on a plastic bowl scraper and on your hands and use the scraper to transfer the dough to the oil slick. Stretch and fold the dough as shown on page 22. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold (rub more oil on the work surface as needed), cover the dough, and let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Then repeat the stretch and fold, cover with the bowl, and again let it rest for 2 to 5 minutes. Perform a fourth and final stretch and fold to make a smooth ball of dough. The dough will have firmed up after each stretch and fold and will now be soft, smooth, supple, and somewhat sticky but firm enough to hold together when lifted. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 to 72 hours.
Crushed Tomato Pizza Sauce
- In a large bowl, stir together the tomatoes, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic, vinegar or lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of the salt, adding the salt gradually and tasting as you go. Add more vinegar or lemon juice and salt, if needed. But be careful; the flavors of the herbs, garlic, and salt will intensify when the pizza is baked, so resist the urge to increase the amount. You can always add more herbs and salt on top of the pizza after it comes out of the oven.
- Transfer to a covered container, seal tightly, and refrigerate up to 10 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Motor City Hawaiian
- Five hours before baking the pizza, begin panning and dimpling the dough, at 20-minute intervals.
- Oil the pan, using 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, or half oil, half melted butter, for a 9 by 9-inch pan.
- Place the appropriate size piece of dough in the center of the oiled pan. Rub the surface of the dough with olive oil and use your fingertips to begin dimpling and expanding it in all directions.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough relax at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes.
- At 20-minute intervals, dimple from the center, with fingers angled toward the edges and corners. Each successive dimpling will expand the coverage over more of the pan.
- By the third or fourth dimpling, the dough will evenly cover the whole surface of the pan.
- Twenty minutes before assembling and baking the pizza, preheat the oven to 500°F (450°F for convection). When ready to bake, cover the dough with an even layer of Canadian bacon, capicola, or bacon pieces and sprinkle with the onion and jalapeño (if using). Top the dough with the remaining half of the cheese cubes, making sure to get plenty around the edges, where the dough meets the pan. For a 9-inch pan, spread about 3 ounces of the pineapple pieces or slices (the actual amount will depend on the size of the pan) evenly over the cheese.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 8 minutes. Then rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue to bake 7 to 9 minutes longer, or until the cheese caramelizes to a golden brown and the pineapple bubbles and browns or chars slightly.
- Transfer the baked pizza to the stovetop or to a heatproof counter. Using an offset spatula or bench blade, carefully slide it around the edge, between the crust and the side of the pan, and then lift the pizza out of the pan and slide it onto a cutting board. Use a spoon or squirt bottle to drizzle the pizzas with the pizza sauce, if using. Garnish with the parsley. Let cool for 1 minute, then cut into 3-or 4-inch squares and serve.
Reprinted with permission from Perfect Pan Pizza by Peter Reinhart, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography copyright Johnny Autry.
