Daily Italian Recipe · Pizza
Pizza with Italian Ham & Rocket
Crisp-edged pizza meets silky Italian Ham DOP Aged 24 Months, peppery rocket and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake the tomato-and-mozzarella base first, then add the delicate toppings just before serving.
Total time
120 minutes
Serves
2 people
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Emilia
Pizza’s best-known roots lie in Naples, while Emilia is celebrated for its cured meats and Parmigiano Reggiano. This combination brings those traditions together rather than claiming to be an ancient regional pizza.
The Italian approach is simple: let good ingredients speak. Adding the cured ham, rocket and cheese shavings after baking preserves their texture and creates a fresh contrast with the hot crust.
Ingredients
- 600 g, divided into 2 × 300 g balls Home-made pizza dough, thawed if frozenShop
- 160 g Home Made Pizza Tomato SauceShop
- 100 g Italian Ham DOP Aged 24 MonthsShop
- 160 g, weighed after draining Fresh cow’s-milk mozzarella, cut into strips and patted dry
- 40 g Rocket, washed and thoroughly dried
- 20 g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 24 Months, shavedShop
- 10 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 20 g Plain wheat flour, for dusting
Method
- 1
1. Relax the dough
Keep the dough balls covered and let them stand at room temperature for 60–90 minutes, until relaxed and easy to stretch, following any pack instructions. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first; thawing time is additional.
- 2
2. Heat the oven and prepare the toppings
Place a pizza stone, baking steel or heavy inverted baking tray in the upper-middle of the oven. Preheat at 250°C conventional for at least 45 minutes while the dough rests. Drain and dry the mozzarella, dry the rocket and shave the Parmigiano Reggiano. Keep the ham refrigerated until shortly before serving.
- 3
3. Stretch the first base
Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Press one dough ball from the centre outwards, leaving a 1–2 cm rim untouched, then stretch gently into a 28–30 cm round. Avoid a rolling pin so the rim retains its air.
- 4
4. Add tomato and mozzarella
Move the base onto a lightly floured pizza peel. Spread with 80 g tomato sauce, leaving the rim clear, and distribute 80 g drained mozzarella over it. Work promptly and check that the pizza slides freely before transferring it to the hot baking surface.
- 5
5. Bake until crisp
Bake for 12–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes, until the rim is well browned, the underside is cooked and the mozzarella is bubbling. Shape and top the second pizza towards the end of the first bake, then bake it the same way. Total baking time is approximately 24–30 minutes.
- 6
6. Finish out of the oven
Let each baked pizza stand for 1 minute, then loosely drape with 50 g Italian Ham DOP Aged 24 Months. Scatter over 20 g rocket and 10 g Parmigiano Reggiano shavings, then finish with 5 ml extra virgin olive oil. Slice and serve each pizza immediately.
Chef's secret
Drape the ham in loose folds rather than laying it flat. The residual warmth gently softens its fat without cooking it, while the folds keep the topping light and tender.
Did you know?
Rocket is called rucola in Italian. Its peppery bite balances the richness of cured ham and mozzarella, which is why this combination works without a heavy dressing.
Common mistakes
- Baking the ham and rocket with the base: the ham can become dry and overly salty, while the rocket wilts.
- Using wet mozzarella or too much sauce: excess moisture makes the centre soggy.
- Skipping the long oven preheat: hot air alone cannot brown the underside as effectively as a thoroughly heated baking surface.
Storage & reheating
Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 24 hours; remove the rocket and ham before storing separately where practical. Reheat the pizza base on a preheated tray at 220°C for 5–8 minutes, until hot throughout, then return the ham and add fresh rocket. Untopped baked tomato-and-mozzarella bases can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Follow pack instructions for unused dough and opened products.
Shop the recipe
Delivered across Hong Kong by SF Express or Lalamove.
FAQ
Can I use frozen pizza dough?
Yes. Thaw it covered overnight in the refrigerator, following the pack instructions, then allow 60–90 minutes at room temperature before stretching. Overnight thawing is not included in the preparation time.
Do I need a pizza stone or steel?
No. A heavy oven-safe baking tray, inverted and preheated for at least 45 minutes, is a useful alternative. Transfer the pizza carefully with a lightly floured peel.
Can I order the featured ingredients in Hong Kong?
The Italian Club Hong Kong offers the featured dough, pizza tomato sauce, Italian Ham DOP Aged 24 Months and Parmigiano Reggiano for delivery across Hong Kong via SF Express and Lalamove. Source the fresh mozzarella, rocket and pantry ingredients separately.