This halloumi pizza combines classic Italian cuisine with a Cypriot twist. The dough is light, the mozzarella is creamy, and the halloumi is salty, stretchy and delicious.
The dough is simple to make by hand and needs just a short rise to become soft, elastic and full of air.
This gives you a chewy base with a puffed, golden crust.
A quick dusting of semolina under the dough helps add a subtle crunch and keeps it from sticking to the tray.
The toppings start with a layer of passata or leftover pasta sauce, followed by mozzarella for creaminess and halloumi for salty, chewy richness.
Grating the halloumi helps it distribute evenly across the pizza and encourages it to caramelise at the edges.
Red onion slices add sweetness, tang and a little bite, and a drizzle of pesto lifts everything with herby freshness.
If your pesto is too thick to drizzle, you can loosen it with a little olive oil.
A pinch of black pepper is all the seasoning you need, as the halloumi is already quite salty.
Halloumi is a firm, brined cheese from Cyprus, known for its high melting point and distinctive squeaky texture.
I think it’s really underused as a pizza topping! When cooked, it softens and browns without melting away, making it perfect for adding flavour and bite to pizza.
Baking at a high temperature is key to getting that classic pizza texture with a crisp base and soft centre.
The exact baking time will depend on how hot your oven gets, but you’re looking for a golden crust and bubbling, lightly browned cheese.
Once baked, carefully lift the pizza onto a board and enjoy!
Read on for the full recipe with detailed instructions and a helpful photograph for every step. And if you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 150 g (5.3 oz) strong white bread flour
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) fast action yeast
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
- 90 ml (3 floz) warm water
- semolina to shape
Toppings
- 60 g (2.1 oz) passata or leftover pasta sauce
- 50 g (1.8 oz) fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
- 40 g (1.4 oz) halloumi grated
- 1/4 red onion finely sliced
- 1 tbsp pesto
- Pinch black pepper
Equipment
- Knife
- Dough scraper (optional)
Instructions
Make your pizza dough
Measure the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a large bowl.
Stir, then add the olive oil and warm water.
Mix to a shaggy dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and for about 8 minutes in total until smooth and springy.
Wipe and oil the bowl and return the dough to it.
Cover with a cloth, cling film or a shower cap and place somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size.
Shape your pizza dough
When you're ready to shape your pizza, turn it as hot as it will get. Ours goes up to 250C/480F.
Lift the dough out of the bowl and gently shape back into a ball, then cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Working on a semolina-dusted surface, use your fingers to press out the middle of the pizza. This will push the air bubbles to the edges, which gives you that lovely puffy crust when it bakes.
Use the flats of your fingers to stretch the middle out a little more.
Top and bake
Transfer your dough to a baking sheet dusted with semolina - you can stretch it a little more at this stage, if you like.
Spread the base with the tomato sauce.
Scatter with the torn mozzarella.
Sprinkle the grated halloumi.
Dot the sliced red onion onions on top, and drizzle with the pesto - if the pesto is too thick to drizzle, you can thin it with a little olive oil.
Season with pepper (it’ll be salty enough from the halloumi.
You can stretch the pizza gently back into shape at this point, if needed.
Place the pizza tray in the very hot oven and bake until the crust turns pale golden and the cheese just starts to caramelise at the edges. This will take somewhere between 4 and 12 minutes depending on how hot your oven is able to get.
When you remove the pizza from the oven, take great care as the metal tray will be very hot. Slice and enjoy.
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
Print this Halloumi Pizza Recipe
Halloumi Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough
- 150 g (5.3 oz) strong white bread flour
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) fast action yeast
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
- 90 ml (3 floz) warm water
- semolina to shape
Toppings
- 60 g (2.1 oz) passata or leftover pasta sauce
- 50 g (1.8 oz) fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
- 40 g (1.4 oz) halloumi grated
- 1/4 red onion finely sliced
- 1 tbsp pesto
- Pinch black pepper
Equipment
- Knife
- Dough scraper (optional)
Instructions
Make your pizza dough
- Measure the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a large bowl and stir, then add the olive oil and warm water and mix to a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and for about 8 minutes in total until smooth and springy.
- Wipe and oil the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover with a cloth, cling film or a shower cap and place somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size.
Shape your pizza dough
- When you're ready to shape your pizza, turn it as hot as it will get. Ours goes up to 250C/480F.
- Lift the dough out of the bowl and gently shape back into a ball, then cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Working on a semolina-dusted surface, use your fingers to press out the middle of the pizza. This will push the air bubbles to the edges, which gives you that lovely puffy crust when it bakes. Use the flats of your fingers to stretch the middle out a little more.
Top and bake
- Transfer your dough to a baking sheet dusted with semolina - you can stretch it a little more at this stage, if you like.
- Spread the base with the tomato sauce, then scatter with the torn mozzarella and the grated halloumi.
- Dot the sliced red onion onions on top, and drizzle with the pesto - if the pesto is too thick to drizzle, you can thin it with a little olive oil.
- Season with pepper (it’ll be salty enough from the halloumi).
- Place the pizza tray in the very hot oven and bake until the crust turns pale golden and the cheese just starts to caramelise at the edges. This will take somewhere between 4 and 12 minutes depending on how hot your oven is able to get.
- When you remove the pizza from the oven, take great care as the metal tray will be very hot. Slice and enjoy.
Nutrition
More halloumi recipes to try
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