Hello everyone! Having been in Spain for a while, besides Tapas and paella, the thing I crave the most here is the local ham. The other day, I suddenly thought, what if I combine Spanish ham pizza recipe — merging Italian pizza with Spanish ham — what kind of sublime flavor would that be? So, one weekend afternoon, my kitchen adventure began! Today, I’m sharing my beginner-friendly homemade Spanish ham pizza recipe!
Essential Ingredient: Choosing and Handling the Ham
The soul of this pizza is, of course, the ham! For this homemade Spanish ham pizza calories, I used mid-priced Serrano ham, which is very cost-effective. Naturally, if your budget allows, Iberian ham will take the flavor to a whole new level! Here, the Spanish ham pizza making process includes a crucial tip: never put the ham in the oven together with the pizza! High heat destroys the delicate fat aroma and texture of the ham, making it dry and tough. The correct way is to add ham slices only after the pizza comes out of the oven.
My Simple Recipe
To keep it easy, I bought ready-made pizza dough from Mercadona. You can also make your own dough, but for lazy people like me, ready dough is a lifesaver. Below is the simple list of ingredients I used:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|
| Pizza dough | 1 base | Purchased ready-made, round or square works |
| Tomato sauce | 3-4 tablespoons | Preferably dedicated pizza sauce |
| Mozzarella cheese | 150g | Shredded; the more, the merrier |
| Serrano ham | 50g | Thinly sliced |
| Arugula | A small handful | Added after baking to enhance flavor |
| Olive oil | A drizzle | Extra virgin olive oil |
The process is super simple: preheat the oven to 200°C. Spread tomato sauce evenly on the dough, then sprinkle generously with shredded mozzarella. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and the crust turns golden. Once out of the oven, immediately top with Serrano ham slices and arugula, then drizzle a little olive oil — and voilà! I feel ready to open a pizza shop.
The taste is incredible! The crispy crust, creamy cheese, sweet and tangy tomato sauce, combined with the salty ham and the slight peppery bite of arugula create a rich texture. Paired with a glass of Rioja red wine, the whole weekend feels elevated. You must give it a try — it’s almost foolproof but super satisfying! Do you have any creative ham pizza ideas? Feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
