History
Hawaiian pizza was invented in 1962 by Sam Panopoulos at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, two hours west of Toronto. Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant who emigrated to Canada in 1954, added canned Dole pineapple to a ham-and-cheese pizza on a whim and named it Hawaiian after the brand on the can. The combination remains divisive; Toronto's reference Italian-Canadian pizzerias still carry it as a hat tip to the Canadian original.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough ball, about 250g
- 100ml tomato sauce, San Marzano-based
- 150g shredded mozzarella, fior di latte if possible
- 100g ham, sliced and torn into pieces
- 100g fresh pineapple, cubed (or drained canned)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Black pepper, oregano
Method
- Preheat oven to 250C with a pizza stone or sheet pan inside for 30 minutes.
- Stretch the dough into a 30cm circle on a floured peel.
- Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer, leaving a 2cm crust border.
- Scatter mozzarella, then ham, then pineapple cubes.
- Drizzle olive oil over the top, season with pepper and a pinch of oregano.
- Slide onto the stone or sheet pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is leopard-spotted and the cheese bubbles.
Tip from the editors. Fresh pineapple is sweeter and less aggressive than canned; if using canned, drain and pat dry to prevent sogginess. Sam Panopoulos used canned Dole.
Where to eat hawaiian pizza
Hawaiian pizza in Toronto
Pizzeria Libretto ★ 4.3
Pizzeria Libretto on the Danforth is the AVPN-certified Neapolitan pie chain since 2009, the Margherita with San Marzano DOP and fior di latte.
OrderThe Margherita pie or the Funghi with mushrooms and pecorino.
TipWalk-ins easier weeknights. Sister University, Yonge and Etobicoke locations carry the same pizza; the Ossington original is now Bar Libretto, late-night pivot.
Pizzeria Libretto University ★ 4.2
Pizzeria Libretto University on University Avenue is the downtown business-lunch branch of the AVPN-certified Neapolitan chain, vegan and gluten-free pizzas.
OrderThe Margherita or the Diavola with hot calabrese salami.
TipLunch the easier walk-in. The downtown crowd thins after 14:00.
Bitondo Pizzeria ★ 4.2
Bitondo Pizzeria on Clinton Street has run a Little Italy storefront since 1960, panzerotti and meatball sandwiches with hot sauce and sweet peppers.
OrderThe panzerotti, folded over and fried with mozzarella and tomato.
TipCash only. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The tiny room seats six; most customers eat on the curb.
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