Why this formula works
This is deliberately a cold-finished salmon pizza. The white base has enough mozzarella to set 110 g crème fraîche, while dill, horseradish and lemon season it without extra salt. Cucumber is salted by neither the recipe nor the fish: removing its seedy core and blotting the ribbons keeps the crust crisp. All 180 g salmon stays out of the oven and goes on only after a two-minute rack rest.
Honest timing
| Active preparation | 25 min |
| Hydration / proof / preheat | 1 h |
| Cooking / baking | 8 min |
| Elapsed total | 1 h 33 min |
Ingredients
- mature room-temperature pizza dough ball280 g (9.9 oz)
- crème fraîche110 g (3.9 oz)
- low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated110 g (3.9 oz)
- cold-smoked salmon, kept refrigerated180 g (6.3 oz)
- seedless cucumber, shaved into long ribbons100 g (3.5 oz)
- red onion, cut into paper-thin rings60 g (2.12 oz)
- small capers, rinsed and drained25 g (0.88 oz)
- fresh dill, chopped and divided20 g (0.71 oz)
- prepared horseradish8 g (0.28 oz)
- fresh lemon juice, divided25 g (0.88 oz)
- finely grated unwaxed lemon zest2 g (0.07 oz)
- coarsely ground black pepper, divided1 g
Equipment
- pizza steel or stone
- pizza peel
- vegetable peeler
- fine sieve
- clean towels
- fine grater
- digital scale
- rack
Exact method
- 1. Preheat the selected steel, fully preheated inverted sheet or stone oven using the exact table below. Keep salmon below 4°C / 40°F.
- 2. Soak onion rings in ice water for 10 minutes, then drain and blot completely dry. Rinse capers and dry them as well.
- 3. Shave cucumber into ribbons, stopping at the watery seed core. Spread between clean towels for 10 minutes; do not salt it.
- 4. Mix crème fraîche with horseradish, 8 g dill, 10 g lemon juice, all lemon zest and half the pepper. Grate mozzarella.
- 5. Open the 280 g dough to 30–32 cm with a 1.5–2 cm rim. Move to a lightly dusted peel and confirm it slides.
- 6. Spread the seasoned crème fraîche thinly and add mozzarella. Bake using the matching setup below until the underside is brown and the white base is set.
- 7. Rest the hot base on a rack for exactly 2 minutes. Distribute dry cucumber and onion, then fold all 180 g cold-smoked salmon loosely over the pizza.
- 8. Add capers and remaining 12 g dill. Drizzle the remaining 15 g lemon juice over the salmon, finish with remaining pepper and serve immediately.
How to know it is ready
- The hot white base is browned and set before any cold topping is added.
- Salmon remains glossy, supple and coral-colored.
- Cucumber stays crisp with no clear water around it.
- Horseradish is present as clean warmth, not a harsh paste pocket.
Troubleshooting
- Wet finish: remove the cucumber core and dry cucumber, onion and capers thoroughly.
- Dry pale salmon: it entered the oven; every gram belongs on the rested base.
- Over-salty pizza: do not salt the dairy or cucumber; salmon and capers supply enough.
- Sliding topping: use loose salmon folds over a thin set white layer and rest before cutting.
How to adapt the base recipe
- People who are pregnant, older, very young or immunocompromised should not use refrigerated cold-smoked salmon as a cold topping. Use a fully cooked version with hot-smoked salmon and heat the topping until steaming hot.
- For a milder base, reduce horseradish to 4 g but keep lemon and dill unchanged.
- For 35 cm, use 320 g dough, 140 g crème fraîche, 135 g mozzarella, 230 g salmon, 125 g cucumber and 75 g onion.
Storage and food safety
Serve immediately and return unused salmon to refrigeration. Chill the finished pizza within 2 hours and eat within 1 day. For leftovers, remove cold topping if practical, heat the base until steaming and add freshly chilled topping; people at increased risk should use only the fully heated version.
Allergens
Fish, Gluten (wheat), Milk Depending on the selected product, may also contain: Sulphites.
Always verify every label and cross-contact risk; brand formulations can change.