Ham & Pineapple Pizza

Method

Dough

1. Dissolve the yeast in the 50ml water in a cup and allow to activate for 2 minutes.
2. Place the flour in a mound on your work surface and make a well in the centre. Add 250ml of the water, and sugar to the centre of the well, then pour in the oil. Add the yeast & water mixture and combine until a dough comes together for 2 minutes.
3. Add the salt, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. To check the elasticity is correct, stretch a piece of dough, and if it forms a strong, transparent membrane without breaking (similar to blowing a bubble with gum), it is ready.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then stand in a warm, draught-free place to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size. If you want to let the dough mature, refrigerate the dough overnight before proving.
5. The dough is now ready to be shaped into balls and then rested further in the refrigerator before shaping into discs.

Resting time 1 hour or overnight if time permits

Shaping pizza dough into balls

1. Place the balls on a covered non-stick tray. Make sure there is at least one ball width between each ball and the edges of the tray and that the balls don’t touch the cover. Use a fine mist water spray to hydrate the surface of the balls once they are on the tray. Let rise for 1 hour at 20–24°C .
2. After resting, place in a refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours. The balls can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Topping (4 Pizzas)

1. In a medium fry pan, over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and add sliced onions.
2. After 5 minutes, add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and keep cooking until completely caramelized.  If they start to dry out, simply add a little water, one tablespoon at a time. Should take about 20-30 minutes to completely caramelize. Set aside.
3. Add mozzarella and diced pineapple to the pizza and place in the oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the dough starts turning lightly golden.
4. Remove pizza from oven and add the prosciutto, warm caramelized onions and wild rocket.

To shape into discs

1. Remove from the refrigerator once the dough has matured and tripled in size. Leave at room temperature for 3–4 hours (less in summer and more in winter) before forming the bases.
2. Preheat the oven to 240°C .
3. Choose the dough ball to be used and lightly sprinkle some flour on top and along the edges where it touches the surrounding balls. Use the bench scraper to separate the dough ball from the attached dough balls.
4. Lift the dough ball from the tray and turn bottom side up, revealing the bubbles.
5. Place the dough ball, still bottom side up, on a small mound of flour and turn it over in the flour so that both sides are covered.
6. Begin by using your fingers to form the cornice (border) and push the dough out, making the circle larger. Keeping one hand on one side of the base, gently stretch the opposite side with the other hand and lift and slap the dough circle from side to side. This will stretch the gluten in the dough and the base will get larger and larger.
7. Once it has doubled in circumference, pour a little olive oil onto 4 pizza (30-35cm- 12 inch) trays, tilting to cover the base with the oil.
8. Place the dough on the oiled tray before using your fingers to press it into the tray. This will give the pizza its distinctive undulating form and maintain the pockets of air created during the long rising time.
9. Once the pizza base is stretched to the desired size (around 30cm/12in diameter), dress with the toppings and then bake for 10 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Note

• It’s essential to use the right kind of flour. You’ll need a plain flour with a medium protein content and this is sold as strong, bakers or pizza flour.
• Never combine the salt and yeast together as the salt can kill the yeast and you’ll end up with a brick of a pizza.

If you have time, proving the dough for 24 hours before using not only adds depth of flavour to the dough, it also allows the yeast to fully mature meaning you’ll feel less bloated after eating