This pizza not only looks like a paella but it tastes just like one too! With its saffron base, juicy prawns, tasty squid, smokey chorizo, tender chicken and all the extras it has a fantastic fusion of Spanish and Italian flavours.
I made my own pizza base which was really simple to do and tasted so good. If you want to buy a base to save time then feel free but you really can’t beat homemade! If you’re a paella lover then you must give this pizza a go, you wont be disappointed!
Dean and I love pizza and we always have one or several when we visit Italy! 😂 We have never been to Spain together and had a traditional paella but it is on our list to do. We cook a lot of paellas at home and I tend to cook them just for myself when Dean is away and adapt them slightly, sometimes I put more shellfish in and leave out the chicken.
Dean had the idea for this pizza when we recently went to an Italian restaurant. We ordered a pizza with lobster and it had a saffron base. I thought it was a great idea to use saffron on a pizza and was really surprised when I came to eat it at just how much it tasted like a paella without the rice.
The base of the pizza turned out exactly as it should, crispy underneath and at the edges while still being doughy and soft in the middle. Making your own pizza dough is so easy and pretty fun. If you do have a little extra time I’d really suggest making your own instead of using shop bought for that authentic texture and taste.
We also have a soft spot for Paellas for another reason. When Dean came to visit me in Bermuda the first ever meal he cooked for me was a paella (adventurous I know!).
I always remember it as we took a trip to the supermarket together and bought these massive prawns. They were not cheap either making it probably the most expensive paella he had ever made, but that’s what it was like living out there! His paella was delicious and it’s safe to say I was very impressed.
When we first moved in together and we had friends round, we would always cook a paella – it was our go-to meal. In fact I think that most our friends have tried it at some point! So now we will have to give them the paella pizza instead and see what they think.
There are so many different ingredients you can put into a paella, when we went to Vegas we had one with rabbit in which we did a take on with pheasant. Here are just some of the other ingredients I’ve had in paellas in the past: mussels, scollops, lobster, clams, octopus, pork, vegetables. What do you love in your paella? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below 😊
Items used in this recipe:
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Paella Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza base
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 1/2 tbsp fine salt
- 7 g dried yest
- 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
- 325 ml lukewarm water
Pizza toppings
- 125 g mozzarella sliced
- 1 pre cooked chicken breast sliced
- 1/2 red pepper sliced
- 1/2 small red onion sliced
- 2 baby squid sliced into rings
- 200 g precooked king or tiger prawns
- 60 g chorizo cubed
- 1 handful frozen peas
Pizza base sauce
- 5 tbsp low fat crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 clove of garlic crushed
- salt and pepper seasoning
Instructions
- First make your pizza dough. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
- Mix your yeast and sugar with the lukewarm water and pour into the well.
- Using a fork slowly make circular movements, bringing the the flour from the inner edge of the wall into the water. Continue to mix bringing in all the flour. The dough will start to come together now and become hard to mix, using your hands begin to pat into a ball.
- Knead your dough for 10 minutes by rolling it backwards and forwards. Using your left hand to stretch the dough towards you and your right hand to push the dough away from you at the same time.
- You should now have a smooth, springy dough. Put the dough in a oiled bowl and cover with cling film, then leave to prove for 1 hour.
- Halfway through the prove, preheat your oven as hot as you can. Place a baking or pizza tray in there to heat up.
- Once the hour is up, cut your dough in half. You can freeze one half for next time. Dust your work surface with a little flour and roll out to the shape of your choice.
- Now it’s time for the sauce. Heat a little oil in a saucepan a low to medium heat. Add your crushed garlic into pan and cook for a few minutes. Then add the crème fresh and give it a good stir.
- Stir in the tomato puree and add the saffron, paprika and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and spread the sauce evenly over the pizza base. Place on the mozzarella, chicken, chorizo, red pepper and onion. Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and carefully transfer the pizza onto it. Cook for 8 minutes.
- While your pizza is cooking, boil the peas to the instructions on the packet and cook your squid in a frying pan for a few minutes with a little salt and pepper until cooked.
- After 8 minutes, check your pizza and add the prawns, squid and peas. Then cook for a further 2 minutes or until your dough around the crusts is golden.
- Serve with a side salad and enjoy!
Items used in this recipe:
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