AI-generated image
Pizza cubana
Pizza cubana: thick, soft Havana street pizza with sweet tomato sauce and lots of melted cheese
CubanHavana's own pizza is nothing like a crisp Neapolitan one. Sold from house windows and tiny cafeterías along Calle 23 in Vedado and around the University of Havana, it is a thick, soft, bready round about the size of a side plate, spread with a sweetish tomato sauce and smothered in mild melted cheese right to the edge. Students fold it in half and eat it on a square of paper for lunch or a late snack. Cuban vendors use a local gouda-style cheese; traditional cheeses of this type may be made with animal rennet, so choose one labelled vegetarian (microbial rennet). Chef's tip: bake it in small oiled tins or a frying pan with an ovenproof handle, so the base fries a little in the oil and turns golden.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 4 tbsp vegetable oilhalf for the dough, half for the tins
For the sauce
- 1 cup tomato passata
- ½ onionsmall, finely grated
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
For the topping
- 10 ½ oz mild gouda-style cheese (vegetarian)coarsely grated
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add 1 cup warm water and 2 tbsp vegetable oil and bring together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
5 minStep 2: Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes, until smooth and springy. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 45 minutes, until doubled.
45 minStep 3: Meanwhile, put 1 cup tomato passata, ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp salt in a small pan and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, until thick enough to hold a line drawn with a spoon. Leave to cool.
15 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan). Brush four 18–20 cm cake tins or ovenproof pans with the remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
3 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 4, press each piece into a tin with your fingers so it is about 1.5 cm thick, and leave for 15 minutes to puff a little. Common mistake: rolling it thin like an Italian pizza; Cuban pizza should be thick, soft and bready.
15 minStep 6: Spread each base with a quarter of the sauce, leaving almost no border, then pile on 10 ½ oz mild gouda-style cheese (vegetarian) right to the edges.
3 minStep 7: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling with brown spots and the underside is golden when you lift an edge with a spatula.
14 minStep 8: Rest for 2 minutes, slide out of the tins, fold each pizza in half and eat it hot, wrapped in a square of paper.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pizza cubana take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Hot pizza gravy
A big batch of spicy pizza sauce with fresh oregano, thyme and basil, plus ginger, garlic and green chilli for an Indian-style kick. The tomatoes are cooked down, strained and simmered until thick, so the sauce won't make the base soggy. Freeze it in portions for quick pizzas, or use 2 tsp dried herbs in place of fresh.
Vegetable pizza
Eight small pizzas on a soft yogurt dough made with half wholewheat flour, spread with hot pizza gravy and loaded with capsicum, pineapple, onion, mushrooms, olives, sweetcorn, chilli flakes and both mozzarella and cheddar. The bases can be baked ahead and topped when the guests arrive. Cut into quarters and serve hot.
Italian
Homemade margherita pizza
A simple dough, a no-cook tomato sauce and the hottest oven you can manage. A heavy baking tray preheated in the oven does a good job of standing in for a pizza stone.