Fall in Love with Pineapple Pizza

A whole pineapple was thoughtlessly purchased without a clue of what to do with it. Although, it’s a bit complicated to chop up, it’s a juicy snack or a nice garnish for a rum drink. Chunks of it always sweeten a mean, green stir-fry. When it’s pureed, it sweetens most dessert (try it in Hummingbird Cake with Mascarpone Frosting). After some thought, I decided to challenge myself by making a savory pineapple pizza.

Very few people order pineapple pizza, including me. The thought of pineapples and tomato sauce doesn’t sound appetizing. However, this version is an exception. The pineapple, sage, and goat cheese — believe or not — they all marry well.

There’s this theory to believe: Any vegetable and fruit topping on homemade pizza, especially dough made from scratch, is going to be delicious. I won’t lie, it was a little difficult thinking of alternative ingredients for tomato sauce and ham to pair with pineapple. Although, goat cheese has a strong flavor, it’s usually makes a creamy base for sweet ingredients in savory recipes. Sage became the wildcard herb, and it works quite well because of it’s strong flavor to contrast with pineapple’s sweet and acidic taste. Be careful not to use too much of it, for it’s flavor should be subtle in this pizza. Ham is always a classic pairing with pineapple, but there are people in this house who don’t eat pork. It’s why duck prosciutto makes a wonderful substitution as it gives the pizza a nice crunch. When the pizza is pulled out of the oven, top it with micro or baby arugula greens, a sprinkling of sea salt and fresh black pepper.

Since, traditional pineapple pizza is probably the least requested flavor to order, there are quite a few visitors reading this story who are a bit skeptical. If you’re in an experimental mood to try new flavors, then make this Pineapple and Duck Prosciutto Pizza. It’s one of the few pineapple pizzas most people will love.

Pineapple and Duck Prosciutto Pizza

Ingredients

• 2-cups unbleached, all-purpose white flour
• 1-cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh sage
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 to 2 pinches of crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. quick rising yeast
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 to 1-¼ cup water; room temperature
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 whole pineapple or store-bought fresh slice pineapples (about 6 to 8 rings)
• 8 oz. plain goat cheese; room temperature
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh sage; plus more as needed for garnish
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic; minced
• Sea salt; as needed
• Fresh black pepper; as needed
• Crushed red pepper; as needed
• The juice of half a lemon
• About 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small red onion; thinly sliced
• About ¼ lb. proscuitto (duck or pork); sliced a bit thicker than the usual paper thin thickness
• Garnish: Baby or micro arugula leaves

Directions

1. Follow the directions for making the pizza dough below.
2. Place goat cheese, parsley, sage, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper, lemon juice and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Either buy fresh pre-cut pineapple slices or slice a fresh pineapple into about ¼” inch thick slices. For directions on how to slice and core a pineapple, click here.
4. With either the store-bought or the basic dough (see directions for making it from scratch below), knead it lightly and form into a ball on a clean and floured surface. Sprinkle the dough ball with a little flour and place a damp towel or a plastic wrap over it. Let it lightly expand for about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the highest temperature and grease a baking sheet.
6. When the dough is ready, flatten the dough ball onto the baking sheet. If the dough resists (which usually happens), let it rest for a few minutes. Then continue to flatten and spread on to the baking sheet. Shape the dough for a round or rectangle pizza.
7. Gently spread the parsley-sage herb goat cheese over the dough about one inch away from the edge. Place red onion slices over the herbed goat cheese. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Lay pineapple slices over the red onions. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the pizza. Sprinkle fresh black pepper and sea salt on top. Layer duck prosciutto over the pineapples. Garnish with a little more minced sage. Again, lightly drizzle olive oil over the pizza. Sprinkle fresh black pepper and sea salt on top.
8. 5. Place pizza in the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes or when the edges are golden brown. When done, garnish with more chopped sage, arugula, a little more sea salt and fresh black pepper.
9. 6. Cut into individual slices to enjoy.
10. In a food processor, combine both flours, sage, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper and yeast. With the processor running, quickly add the honey, olive oil and 1 cup water through the feed tube. Process the dough for just 30 seconds or until it starts to form into a ball. The dough will be a little sticky to touch. (Note: If the dough is too dry, add another tablespoon of water. If the dough is too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour. Be careful not to add too much flour or water).
11. On a clean and floured surface, knead the dough very briefly to form a smooth round ball (it takes a few seconds). Add the dough to a bowl greased with a little olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a plastic wrap. Place in a warm (about 85°F) and draft-free place until it doubles in size for about two hours.
12. Follow the above directions to finish making the pizza or use your own toppings.

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Fall in Love with Pineapple Pizza

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