Polynesian Deep Dish pizza has a super zingy flavor sensation of my newly created Polynesian Sunrise Sauce. It is seriously now my very favorite deep dish pizza pie; a new true song of the islands!
I have never really been a huge fan of pineapple on pizza in the past, but I think it was the sauce. I didn’t like red sauce (which I love) paired with pineapple. The solution: Make a new sauce! So I did! WOW, the SAUCE! OH-MY-GOODNESS! I was in instant deep dish tropical love!
I have only found one pizzaria that has had anything close; and theirs is good. However, my love for being independent and the fear that something I love on a menu will be discontinued fired me up.
So, yes, the Pie Lady recreated that divine sauce, and I have to say, it’s better than good. I even went back to the “unnamed establishment” and tried another slice of pie. WINNER! DING, DING, DING! Polynesian Sunrise Sauce is now a regular item in my fridge. It makes me so happy.
Click here to jump straight to Polynesian Sunrise Sauce! The sauce will make you want to get up in the morning and find something to dip into it. Maybe a leftover slice of Polynesian Deep Dish?
If you are looking for a less chewy crust, try out my Neapolitan Style Pizza. It’s a whole new type of dough.
Regardless, let’s talk toppings. I highly recommend trying some green tomatoes. Seriously, you need to try this. Green tomatoes have their very own unique tangy flavor. When baked they keep their texture and taste absolutely nothing like a ripe red tomato. The combination is better than I had hoped. A perfect marriage of honey ham, bacon, red onions and pineapple. I can’t say enough about the green tomatoes, but by all means, call a friend who gardens. Like a parking space; you only need one.
In the meantime, enjoy the sauce and whatever veggies you put on your pie. Any toppings on a Hawaiian-type pizza is a winner in my book!
Now that you have your pie, don’t forget to save the last slice for yourself (and some extra Polynesian Sunrise Sauce for dipping)!
Polynesian Deep Dish
Ingredients
Deep Dish Pizza Dough (for 10-inch skillet)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3/4 cups water, room temp
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Deep Dish Toppings
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups veggies of choice (chopped green tomatoes, green or sweet red peppers,olives, roasted diced broccoli, etc.)
- 8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumble
- 8 ounces thinly sliced honey ham
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Johnny's Mediterranean blend seasoning (divided)
- 3/4 cup pineapple tidbits (save liquid for Polynesian Sunrise Sauce) – you may use fresh pineapple
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thing
- 1 cup Polynesian Sunrise Sauce (see recipe below)
- 2-1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (any combination of Mozzarella, Provolone, Asiago, Parmesan, Mizithra, etc.)
Polynesian Sunrise Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (use a less "sweet" type)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- dash of salt
- 1 tablespoon Clearjel or Tapioca starch (regular cornstarch can break down in high heat).
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Pizza Dough
- In mixer, with dough hook attached, mix flour, yeast and salt, and add the yeast mixture. All at once add the water and 1 tablespoons of the olive oil. Knead dough with mixer for about 7-8 minutes.
- Coat a large bowl with remaining olive oil. Form dough into bowl, turn once to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise while preparing the rest of the ingredients for deep dish.
- You can make the dough hours ahead, just punch down dough after rising and stored in tightly wrapped plastic wrap in refrigerator, take out about 30 minutes before using. (You can also make this right before placing it in skillet to bake, making it ahead will make the baked crust a little chewier which is delish!)
Polynesian Sunrise Sauce
- Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch and water. Simmer in a saucepan on stove top for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix Clearjel (or tapioca starch) and water. Whisk into simmering sauce, cooking an additional 1 to 2 minutes until thickened and the opaqueness has cleared.
- This makes about 2 cups of sauce. You can use this as you would any sauce for pizza or dipping, hot or cold.
Toppings (if using green tomatoes)
- In a separate skillet from which your deep dish will be baked in, over medium high heat, cook and crumble the bacon, remove from skillet and drain on paper toweling, set aside.
- Drain the pineapple tidbits, reserving liquid for Polynesian Sunrise Sauce.
- In the same skillet as bacon was cooked in, drain out most of the fat, and saute the green tomatoes and minced garlic for about 3-5 minutes (the bright green color will fade) place on paper toweling to absorb any liquid. (Other veggies need no pre-cooking.)
- In a medium bowl mix green tomatoes & garlic with Johnny's Mediterranean blend seasoning, set aside.
Pizza Assembly
- Preheat Oven to 425 degrees F.
- Coat the bottom of a 10 inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stretch and press the pizza dough on bottom and up the sides in the prepared skillet.
- Layer in order: 1/2 cup Polynesian Sunrise Sauce, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, all of the ham, an additional 1/2 cup Polynesian Sunrise Sauce, another 1/2 cup shredded cheese, seasoned green tomatoes, across the dough. Layer in order: cooked sausage, pizza sauce, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, green tomatoes, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, pineapple, bacon and red onions, top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes until crust is browned and cheese is golden brown; let rest in pan for about 5 minutes, cut right out of pan and dig in.
Thanks! I used Sweet Baby Ray’s because that is what I had on hand. I finally got around to making it and my family absolutely loved it. They talked about it for days, like one of the best pizzas ever. Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe!
I’m curious what brand of barbecue sauce you used since that can make a big difference in the flavor.
I like Bullseye, Sweet Baby Ray’s. Stubbs, or Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, as they are all a little on the less sweet side. I keep all 3 in the house. I used Stubbs this time and before that I used Bullseye, and the Polynesian sauce tasted the same to me. Just don’t use a super sugary sweet BBQ sauce as you will be adding more sugar! I can’t wait until you try it!
I said, 3 but listed 4, I usually keep about 3 kinds in the house.