Pizza with smoked mackerel and squid

On a day when I wanted to use the leftover squid and a smoked mackerel I had in the fridge, I tried this slightly unconventional pizza. There was a request for something special, so I combined the squid and smoked fish with a few ingredients to tie everything together. Usually, I quickly knead the dough in the bread machine, and the rest goes quite fast with the preparation of the toppings.

Quick info
Total time: about 1 hour (including rising and preparations)
Servings: 2 medium pizzas (enough for 2 people)
Difficulty: easy to medium

Ingredients

For the dough:
- 200 g white flour
- 100 ml lukewarm water
- 1/4 cube fresh yeast (approx. 10 g)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

For the topping:
- Tentacles from 1 large squid
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 smoked mackerel (skin and bones removed)
- 200 g cheese (grated on a large grater)
- 1 handful of pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/2 red onion

For the tomato sauce:
- 100 ml tomato juice (ideally homemade or simple puree)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste

Optional, for serving:
- Garlic yogurt sauce

Preparation method

1. The dough
Dissolve the yeast together with the sugar in lukewarm water. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes until it starts to foam. In a bowl, put the flour and salt, then add the activated yeast and olive oil. Knead for 5-6 minutes by hand or in the bread machine until the dough becomes elastic and no longer sticks. Cover the bowl and let it rise for 15-20 minutes in a warm place.

2. The squid
Meanwhile, cut the squid tentacles into suitable pieces. Marinate them in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for 10 minutes. After marinating, sauté the pieces in a hot non-stick pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. It is important not to let them cook for more than 5 minutes, otherwise, they become tough. After they cool slightly, cut them into smaller pieces if needed.

3. The sauce
In a small bowl, mix the tomato juice with the olive oil, dried basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. It doesn’t need to be cooked; I leave it raw to make it easier and quicker.

4. The rest of the toppings
Remove the skin and bones from the smoked mackerel, then break it into small pieces. Grate the cheese on a large grater. Thinly slice the onion. Cut the olives into rounds if they were whole.

5. Assembling
When the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface until it reaches a thickness of 4-5 mm. Place it on baking paper in the pizza tray. Spread the tomato sauce, sprinkle the grated cheese, distribute the squid pieces, smoked mackerel, olives, and sliced onion. Let the pizza sit for 10 minutes on the stove or on a warm radiator to rise slightly.

6. Baking
Preheat the oven to 180°C before assembling the pizza. Bake the pizza for 15-18 minutes until the edges become golden, the cheese melts, and browns slightly. Check the base to ensure it's not too soft under the toppings.

7. Serving
Remove the pizza onto a wooden board and, if desired, serve with yogurt sauce mixed with crushed garlic. It cuts best after cooling for 5 minutes.

Why I make this recipe often
I return to this combination because it’s a useful way to use leftover smoked fish and squid without wasting them. It’s quick to make, doesn’t require complicated ingredients, and the dough performs well even if not left to rise for a long time. The toppings are flexible, and you can adapt based on what you have on hand.

Tips and variations

Tips
- Do not exceed 5 minutes when sautéing the squid, otherwise it becomes tough.
- The dough reacts better if the water is lukewarm, not hot.
- If using canned tomato puree, add a little extra salt to the sauce.
- Grate the cheese at the last moment so it doesn’t warm up and stick together.

Substitutions
- You can use tuna instead of smoked mackerel, but the flavor will be less pronounced.
- If you don’t have squid, shrimp can also be quickly sautéed using the same method.
- Cheese can be replaced with block mozzarella or any hard cheese that melts nicely.

Variations
- Add capers or a few slices of bell pepper if you want a fresher note.
- Instead of red onion, shallots or very thin white onion also work.
- For a crispier crust, bake the pizza directly on a baking stone if you have one.

Serving ideas
- Serve with a simple green salad with vinegar.
- The garlic yogurt sauce adds a nice touch, especially with fish-based toppings.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh?
Yes, for this amount of flour (200 g) use 3 g of dry yeast.

2. Can I let the dough rise longer?
You can let it rise for up to 1 hour for a more airy dough. If you’re in a hurry, 15-20 minutes are sufficient for decent results.

3. Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, after kneading and the first rise, you can wrap it in plastic and freeze it. It thaws overnight in the fridge, then is used normally.

4. Is it necessary to marinate the squid?
It’s not necessary, but it helps tenderize it and gives it a fresher taste.

5. How can I prevent the pizza from being too wet?
Don’t put too much tomato sauce and make sure the ingredients don’t release too much water (onion, olives – well drained).

Nutritional values

A whole pizza has approximately 700-750 kcal, of which:
- Protein: 40-45 g (mostly from fish and cheese)
- Carbohydrates: 80 g (dough and sauce)
- Fats: 25-30 g (oil, cheese, fish)
The salt and omega-3 content is high due to the smoked fish and olives.

Storage and reheating

If there are leftovers, I keep the pizza in the fridge in a container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days. To reheat, I put the slices directly in a pan with a lid over low heat until heated through and the crust becomes slightly crispy again. I do not recommend the microwave – the crust becomes rubbery. The pizza does not retain its texture if frozen after baking.

The pizza dough was kneaded in the bread machine, and the ingredients were added in the order written above. After kneading, I let the dough rise for 15 minutes. In the meantime, I prepared the pizza filling: I grated the cheese using a large grater, cleaned the mackerel of bones and broke it into pieces, and marinated the squid tentacles for 10 minutes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice, with a pinch of salt and pepper. After marinating, I sautéed them in a pan for 3-4 minutes and then cut them into smaller pieces. For the sauce: I mixed all the ingredients, which I added more or less, depending on everyone's taste. After the dough had risen, I rolled it out into a round shape. I placed it in the pizza tray, added the sauce, grated cheese, pieces of squid, smoked mackerel, olives, and sliced red onion. I left the tray on the warm radiator for 10 minutes, then put it in the preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy your meal!! Be careful not to fry the squid for more than 5 minutes, otherwise it will become rubbery. Serve with a white yogurt sauce with garlic.

 Ingredients: For the dough: 100 ml warm water, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 200 g flour, 1/4 small cube of fresh yeast. For the filling: tentacles from 1 large squid, 1 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 smoked mackerel, a handful of Kalamata olives, 1/2 red onion, 200 g cheese. For the sauce: 100 ml homemade tomato juice, a pinch of freshly ground salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon olive oil.

 Tags:  fish pizza cheese delaco