Pizza with Tuna, Basil, & Pine Nuts
Submitted by BlueTaco
Tuna pizza with homemade dough, fresh tomato sauce, pine nuts, and basil. An Italian-style pizza from scratch with a slow-rise crust and Mediterranean toppings.
YIELD
1 pizzaPREP
4 hrsCOOK
55 minREADY
5 hrsTuna on pizza sounds unconventional to American ears, but it’s a staple across Italy and the Mediterranean. This version goes all-in: homemade yeast dough with a long rise, a from-scratch fresh tomato sauce, two cans of flaked tuna, toasted pine nuts, and a shower of fresh basil right out of the oven.
The dough uses gluten flour for an extra-chewy, elastic crust. After kneading (by hand or food processor), it rises for a full 2 to 2.5 hours until tripled in size, then gets punched down, rolled onto the pan, and rises again for another hour. That double rise develops serious flavor and a light, airy structure. You can make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight for even more flavor development.
The sauce is worth the effort. Fresh tomatoes get peeled (a quick dip in boiling water loosens the skins), then cook down with softened onion and garlic for 20 minutes into a thick, concentrated sauce. The drained tuna gets stirred directly into the tomato sauce so it absorbs those flavors before going on the dough. Scatter pine nuts across the top before baking; they toast in the oven and add a buttery crunch to every slice.
Fresh basil goes on after baking, never before. Heat wilts and blackens basil instantly.
Chef Tips
- Test your yeast first; if it doesn’t bubble and double in the water, start with a fresh packet
- Peel tomatoes while still warm for the easiest skin removal
- Toast pine nuts lightly before adding; the oven browns them further and burnt pine nuts taste bitter
- The sauce should be thick, not runny; excess liquid makes the crust soggy
Variations
- Olive addition: Scatter sliced black olives over the pizza before baking
- Caper tuna: Add a tablespoon of drained capers to the tomato-tuna sauce
- Quick version: Use store-bought pizza dough and canned crushed tomatoes to cut the time in half
Ingredients
Directions
Pizza Dough: Combine the yeast with ¼ cup of water.
Cover and leave until double in volume.
If the mixture does not rise, throw it away and use a fresh package of yeast.
If using a food processor, fit the bowl with a steel blade and put the flour, salt, olive oil, yeast mixture, and remaining water into the bowl.
Process until the dough forms a ball, about 20 seconds.
Place the dough on a smooth surface and knead for a couple of minutes, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky.
If using the hand method, combine the flour and salt and place the mixture on a smooth working surface.
Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, olive oil, and remaining water.
Gradually work the flour into the liquid, using a wooden spoon.
When the dough is too stiff to work with the spoon, knead until smooth and shiny, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add more flour if the dough gets too sticky.
Put the dough in a large mixing bowl.
Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise for 2 to 2½ hours in a warm place until tripled in size.
Punch down the dough, sprinkle with flour, and knead for a minute.
If not using until the next day, place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
Grease a 12-inch pizza pan with oil.
Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin directly onto the pizza pan.
Brush with olive oil.
Let rise for 1 hour.
The pizza is now ready for filling.
Pizza: Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Peel the tomatoes either by placing them in boiling water for a few minutes or by charring them over a gas flame or under a broiler.
Slip off the skins while the tomatoes are still warm.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and soften the onion without browning it.
Add the garlic and the tomatoes.
Cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat, until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce has thickened.
Add the tuna fish and mix thoroughly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the filling evenly over the pizza dough.
Sprinkle with the pine nuts and the remaining oil.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done.
Sprinkle with the basil and serve.
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