Recipes for Semolina Pizza Dough, Béchamel Prawn Pizza and Vegetarian and Pizza Supremes, all homemade

Cook in a Gas Fired Pizza Oven or a Conventional Oven, Your Choice

 We've been working hard on our recipe for the best pizza results using a Gas Fired Pizza Oven, and I think we've nailed it. The dough is light, yet crispy and delicious, and the freshest green prawns from Karumba, located in the Gulf Country region of North West Queensland ensured the Prawn Pizzas lived up to our expectations. After all a prawn pizza should really be about the prawns, the silky béchamel sauce, and a good dough. We cooked these pizzas in our gas fired pizza oven, but not everyone has one of those, so I have given you conventional oven instructions as well.

When we visited Croatia recently in May 2026, the number of pizza restaurants there was very noticeable, and given the strong Italian influence on the Croatian cuisine this wasn't at all surprising. However, I don't think we actually ordered any pizzas when we were dining out, as there were so many other Croatian dishes to be enjoyed, and after all pizzas are also very popular in Australia. What was noticeable though, were the number of pizzas on the menus and being ordered which had a béchamel sauce base. This wasn't something that I was used to at all, not being as popular here in Queensland.  I realised that seafood pizzas, which we enjoy, were most commonly served in Croatia with the white sauce as a base. So when we purchased our new Germanica 14" Gas fired Pizza Oven recently (no advertising intended) we began to use it to cook flatbread, crumpets, and we started replicating the best prawn pizza we could with a Béchamel sauce base. However, it is also fine to make prawn pizzas with a more traditional tomato paste base if that is what you prefer. We have now though become quite obsessed with making and eating delicious prawn and Béchamel sauce pizzas.

Let's start with the dough:

Semolina Pizza dough (total 500 g)

Makes two pizza bases

Bread flour or '00'flour: 375g (75%)

Fine Semolina Flour (Rimacinata): 125g (25%)

Instant Dry Yeast: 3 1/2 g (1/2 a sachet of dry yeast)

Water: (cool, around 65deg.F/18deg. C)325g (65 %) Don't sweat about this, we just used water out of the tap

Fine Sea Salt: 10g (2%) We used Himalayan. 

Method:

1. Combine your dry ingredients (minus the salt): Tip them into a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, semolina flour, and the instant dry yeast. This ensures the yeast is evenly distributed throughout the flours before it gets wet.
2. Add the Water and Mix: Pour in the cool water. Using a spoon, or your hands, mix this all up until you have a shaggy, rough dough and until there is no dry flour at the bottom of the dough. (This is important, my friends.) Dampen a tea towel, cover the bowl, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes). We are getting rather scientific here, as this step is called an autolyse, which allows the flour to fully hydrate, and this makes the kneading process ahead of you much easier.
3. Add the Salt and Knead: Sprinkle the salt over the rested dough. It's Kneading time. If you are using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on a low speed for 6-8 minutes. If kneading by hand, tip the dough onto a lightly floured bench or other surface, and knead for 10-12 minutes. We need a smooth, elastic dough. A good test is that you need to be able to stretch a small piece thin enough so that light is visible through it without the dough tearing. (In the bread making world this is called the "Windowpane test.) However if you have kneaded it sufficiently, it should be ok. ( A stand mixer makes the kneading so easy, and we don't plan to ever knead this dough by hand again (particularly Mr. HRK), however I will continue to hand knead my sourdough breads as not as much kneading is required, and hand kneading seems to complement the whole ethos of making sourdough bread.) However if you really enjoy kneading by hand, go for it. 
4. Bulk fermentation: Lightly oil your large mixing bowl, just use vegetable oil or grapeseed oil, place the ball of dough inside, turning it over in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid, but my secret weapon here is to use an elasticised plastic shower cap. This is what I use when making my Sour dough bread, and it works perfectly. Mr. HRK doesn't tend to use a shower cap though when he is making dough (hee, hee.) Let it rise at room temperature for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until it has surprised you and doubled in size, roughly.) OR for even better flavour, and this give you more time as well, place it in the refrigerator for what is called a cold ferment for 24 to 72 hours.  This way you can be well prepared in advance, however you do what suits you best, time wise.
5. Divide and Shape:  When your dough has risen sufficiently, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Press it down gently with your fists, to de-gas. You might need to grab your measuring scales here, as you need to divide it into two equal portions. I would, Mr. HRK wouldn't. So pull the sides down, and tuck them underneath the ball of dough.  Two tight balls of dough are needed. 
6. The Final Proofing: Thank goodness I can hear you saying, but please believe me my friends, this process is so worthwhile. Place the dough balls into lightly oiled, individual containers. Cover them with shower caps or cling wrap again, and let them proof for another 12 hours at room temperature, until they look puffy and are nicely soft. You will know! If however you did a cold ferment, tale them out of the fridge 2-3 hours before you plan to bake them.
7. Stretching and Baking: Your dough is now ready to use. Dust your bench surface with semolina, and use your fingertips to press out the dough, on this surface to your required shape. 
8. Top the pizza bases  with your favourite ingredients.  (See below for recipes).
9. Bake in a very hot oven, as hot as it can go, preferably on a preheated pizza stone.
10. We used a Gas fired pizza oven. Mr. HRK preheated the pizza stone on the highest heat, then turned the oven down to low, dusted the pizza peel with semolina, and placed the pizza on the peel. He inserted the pizza into the oven, slid it off the peel, and kept rotating the pizza until cooked, which takes no time at all.
11. Happy pizza baking

 PRAWN PIZZA

Ingredients for 1 prawn pizza

Pizza Dough 1 ball (250 g) using recipe as above

(N.B Please note when I wrote up the instructions for the pizza bases above, I suggested that you divide the dough into two even balls, for two pizzas. However, we have since found that when making a Prawn Pizza, a 250 g ball is sufficient as a thinner and crispier base is more suited to a prawn pizza with a bechamel sauce base. Using Bechamel sauce and grated cheese on a thick base can be very filling. However, that is your choice.) 

Bechamel sauce - 1/3 cup

Red onion: Just enough for a small scattering over the top of the pizza

A little minced garlic and olive oil for marinating the prawns (optional)

Prawns: 10 - 12 raw Green (uncooked) prawns (halved if large), peeled deveined, and cut in half. 

Optional aromatics and toppings for a prawn pizza: Chopped green onions, chopped fresh dill or fresh parsley, grated lemon zest or a lemon wedge

Making the Béchamel Sauce:

These amounts will make enough Béchamel for 3-4 pizzas. Leftover Béchamel will keep in the refrigerator for a few days

1 cup full cream milk

(40 g) 2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

Pinch ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat
2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux or paste
3. Slowly whisk in the milk to prevent lumps forming
4. Simmer until thick and creamy, then season with salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. 
5. If the sauce is too thick, keep adding a thin stream of  milk while simmering until it is to your liking, remembering that if you plan to keep it chilled in the refrigerator until it is ready to use, it will thicken even more.
6. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
7. Make sure the béchamel is completely cooled so it doesn't make the dough soggy or melt the dough structure prematurely

Prepping the Prawns

Toss the raw prawn halves in a small bowl with a little olive oil, minced garlic and a pinch of salt. If you like chilli you could add a few chilli flakes as well. (I didn't as the cayenne pepper in the béchamel sauce was enough heat for me.)

Keep the prawns raw if your Gas Fired pizza oven reaches 400 deg C - 500 deg C which it should, otherwise they can become rubbery. No-one wants to eat rubbery prawns. They will cook and pink up in 90 seconds. 

Conventional oven: 

If you would prefer, if you are cooking your pizzas in a standard or lower temperature conventional oven, you can give them a quick 30-second sear in a hot pan, before adding to your pizza. I have never done this though.

Assemble the Prawn Pizza

Lightly flour your pizza peel with semolina. Stretch out your pizza dough ball into a 30cm circle or to fit your pizza peel.

Spoon the cooled béchamel sauce (1/3 cup) onto the centre of the base and use the back of the spoon to spread it out evenly, leaving a small 2cm border for the pizza crust.

Distribute a very thin layer of mozzarella cheese evenly over the béchamel.

Scatter the raw prawns with a few pinches of red onion. 

Heat the Gas Pizza Oven and Bake:

Set the gas fired oven to the highest setting to bring the pizza stone to approx. 400 deg. C.

Reduce the heat to low, place a layer of semolina on your pizza peel, place the pizza on the peel and give it a little shake to ensure the dough is sliding freely.  

Launch the pizza onto the hot stone.

Bake for 90 seconds to 2 minutes.

Use your peel to rotate the pizza as soon as possible so the side facing the gas burner doesn't char. (A little charring is okay.)

Rotate to where the crust needs more browning if needed.

 

Pauline's cooking notes:

• I bought fresh green prawns from the supermarket which were already peeled, and deveined. This cut down on the work required. The prawns came from Karumba located in the Gulf Country region of North West Queensland, and well known for it's prawn industry. It is located roughly 750 kilometres west of Cairns. The prawns had been thawed out from frozen, but that didn't affect the quality at all.
• If you like sliced cherry tomatoes on your pizza, you could add these to the top of your prawn pizza as well, however I haven't done this, it really doesn't appeal to me.
• I was a little bit concerned that there were a few charred looking edges on the pizza, however in a gas fired pizza oven it is difficult to avoid those completely, and everyone that we have cooked these pizzas for, assures us that the crispy slightly burnt edges add to the enjoyment of the pizzas, however it can easily be scraped off if you prefer. This is why the pizzas need to be rotated while cooking.
• To cook pizzas in a conventional oven, it is still best to use a high oven temperature. 250 deg. C-290 deg. C (500 deg. F to 550 deg. F) will ensure crisp edges on the dough, and a soft and airy inside before the toppings dry out. Baking for 6-8 minutes at these temperatures should ensure it is cooked, but the pizza in the oven needs to be checked after 6 minutes.

Prawn Pizza Leftovers reheated the following day for lunch were delicious.

In addition to the delicious Prawn and Béchamel Pizza, we also make Vegetarian and Pizza Supremes. The Pizza Supremes could very easily be adapted to become a Meat Lover's pizza with extra salami, cooked chicken, and bacon if that is your preference. However, I really enjoy just a simple and delicious Vegetarian pizza, for me, meat isn't essential at all on pizza.  If you are reading this, I am presuming you enjoy eating pizzas, and possible like to make your own as well. If that's the case you have probably already made your own Vegetarian and/or Supreme pizzas. Mr. HRK and I like a minimum of toppings on our pizzas, as is the Italian tradition, but not necessarily how the Pizza restaurants serve their pizzas. 

This is a Vegetarian pizza, just out of the conventional oven after being reheated at 100 deg. C. It was initially cooked in our Gas fired pizza oven and was still delicious when reheated. Pizza reheats and crisps up beautifully as well in the Air Fryer oven. 

Vegetarian Pizza ingredients:

• A simple base of tomato paste (Or your own homemade tomato sauce)
• A scattering of fresh basil leaves over the tomato paste so that they don't burn  
• A thin layer of  Pizza Blend grated cheese, 3 types especially mixed for pizzas, Mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan 
• Scatterings of pickled chargrilled eggplant 
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Sliced black olives
• Sliced fresh capsicum. 
• Another layer of blended Pizza cheese 

These are all the ingredients that we think are really needed on a vegetarian pizza, however you might have other favourite toppings. We purchased the Pizza Blended Cheese in a packet from the supermarket. It keeps well in the freezer.

I've called this a Pizza Supreme, but the Meat Lover's pizzas that the Pizza restaurants sell will have a lot more meat toppings than this one does. We just used a simple layer of salami which is what we prefer. 

Our toppings for the Pizza Supreme were as follows:

• A simple base of tomato paste (Or your own homemade tomato sauce)
• A scattering of fresh basil leaves over the tomato paste so that they don't burn 
• A thin layer of  grated cheese, 3 types specially mixed for pizzas  (Mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan)
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Sliced black olives
• Sliced salami
• Sliced fresh capsicum. 
• Another layer of cheese. 

Happy Pizza baking.

Best wishes,

Pauline