Pineapple Pizza with Bacon and Jalapeños

From “Pizza Night” Copyright © 2024 by Alexandra Stafford. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Eva Kolenko.
Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing.

Ingredients

• 1 ball Thin-Crust Pizza Dough (see pizza dough recipe below)
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• ¼ pineapple (6 to 7 ounces; see Note)
• 4 ounces bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
• Semolina flour, rice flour, or all-purpose flour, for the peel
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese
• ¼ to ½ cup jalapeño slices
• 4 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, pulled into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• Flaky sea salt

Directions:

Prepare the dough: Transfer the dough from its storage container to a roomier, lightly floured, covered container and allow it to proof at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours.

Prepare the toppings: Cut the pineapple quarter lengthwise into three sections, then, keeping the sections together, cut them crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces.

Place the bacon in a large skillet and set over high heat. As soon as the bacon begins sizzling, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bacon has rendered some fat but is not yet crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and set over medium heat. Add the pineapple and season with a pinch of sea salt. Cook until the pineapple is beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the pineapple is fork-tender and the underside is beginning to brown, another 2 to 3 minutes. Lift the pineapple out of the pan juices and transfer to a plate to cool.

Prepare the oven and pizza peel: About 1 hour before you want to bake the pizza, place a baking steel in the top third of the oven and preheat it to 550ºF convection roast (or as high as it will go). Dust a pizza peel lightly with semolina flour or top with parchment paper.

Roll the dough: Lightly dust a work surface and the dough ball with flour. With lightly floured hands, pinch the outermost edge of the dough to flatten and depress the air from the edges. Flip the ball and repeat the pinching at the edges. Using a lightly dusted rolling pin, roll the dough into a 13-inch round, flipping the dough every few strokes and using flour as needed. Transfer the stretched dough to the prepared peel and give it a shake to ensure it’s not sticking.

Assemble the pizza: Brush the dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with the Romano. Scatter the jalapeños evenly over the top. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top all the way to the edges. Scatter the pineapple evenly over the top, followed by the bacon. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake the pizza: Shimmy the pizza onto the steel and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are beginning to char, 4 to 5 minutes. (This may take 8 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven.)

Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board (discard the parchment paper). Cut and serve.

Servings: Makes one 13-inch pizza

Thin-Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

Timeline: 1½ to 3 days

Makes four 245-gram balls

385 grams (about 3 cups) tipo “00” flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

165 grams (about 1 cup) semola rimacinata or all-purpose flour

15 grams salt

2 grams (about ½ teaspoon) instant yeast

385 grams (about 1 ⅔ cups) cold (about 60°F) water

28 grams (about 2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Mix the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the tipo “00” flour, semola, salt, and yeast. Add the water followed by the olive oil and use a spatula to mix until the dough comes together, forming a sticky ball. If the dough is dry, use your hands to gently knead it in the bowl until it comes together. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold: Fill a small bowl with water. Dip one hand into the bowl of water, then use the dry hand to stabilize the bowl while you grab an edge of the dough with your wet hand, pull up, and fold the dough toward the center. Repeat this stretching and folding motion 8 to 10 times, turning the bowl 90 degrees after each set. By the end, the dough should transform from shaggy in texture to smooth and cohesive.

Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the dough and use your hands to rub it all over. Cover the bowl tightly and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has nearly doubled in volume, 6 to 10 hours. The time will vary depending on the time of year and the temperature of your kitchen.

Portion the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 4 equal portions, roughly 245 grams (or slightly less) each. Using flour as needed, form each portion into a ball by grabbing the edges of the dough and pulling them toward the center to create a rough ball. Then flip the ball over, cup your hands around the dough, and drag it toward you, creating tension as you pull. Repeat this cupping and dragging until you have a tight ball.

Store the dough: Place the dough balls in individual airtight containers (see Dough containers, page 16) and transfer to the fridge for 1 to 3 days.

Rolling Out the Thin-Crust Pizza Dough

On a lightly floured work surface, pinch the outermost edges of the dough, depressing the air as you press.

Flip the ball and repeat the process, depressing the air from the edges as you pinch.

Using floured hands, lightly pat the center of the dough ball to flatten it.

Using a lightly floured rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough.

Use flour as needed and flip every few strokes.

Roll until your round is 12- to 13-inches in diameter.