I have a confession to make: for a long time, I wasn’t really a pizza person. Growing up in Sichuan, my heart belonged to spicy wok dishes and noodles. It wasn’t until a trip to Sanya—a beautiful coastal city in China famous for its fresh catches—that I had a seafood pizza that completely changed my world.
It opened my eyes to how versatile pizza can be. Back in my kitchen, I often found myself with leftover seafood ingredients after making dishes like Seafood Fried Rice, and I realized this was the perfect way to use them. I took that memory from Sanya, tweaked the dough ratio for better texture, and developed this recipe. It allows you to load up on toppings (because homemade means no skimping!) while keeping the crust crispy.
What Is Seafood Pizza (Haixian Bisa)?
In China, “Haixian Bisa” (海鲜披萨) is a popular bakery and café item. Unlike Italian minimal styles or American pepperoni heavyweights, Chinese-style seafood pizza is often loaded with a colorful mix of corn, peas, peppers, and various seafoods like shrimp, squid, or crab sticks (surimi).
The dough in this recipe is a unique blend of high-gluten (bread) flour and low-gluten (cake) flour. This mimics the texture of “00” flour, giving you a crust that is structured enough to hold heavy toppings but soft enough to chew easily.
Why This Recipe Works
- Custom Flour Blend: By mixing bread flour and cake flour, we achieve a texture that is chewy but tender, perfect for a home oven.
- Moisture Control: The secret to this recipe is pre-roasting the high-water content vegetables and seafood. This ensures your pizza never turns into a soggy mess.
- Versatility: It is designed to use whatever is in your fridge, making it an excellent “clear the fridge” meal similar to a Tomato and Egg Stir-fry in terms of utility.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flours: We use a mix of High Gluten Flour (Bread Flour) and Low Gluten Flour (Cake Flour). If you don’t have these, you can substitute both with 200g of All-Purpose Flour, though the texture will be slightly different.
- Yeast: Instant yeast works best here for a quick rise.
- Seafood: I use shrimp and crab sticks (imitation crab). You could also use squid rings left over from making Salt and Pepper Squid or scallops.
- Mozzarella: You must use low-moisture mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella contains too much water for this loaded style of pizza.
- Sauce: A store-bought pizza sauce works fine, or you can reduce ketchup (tomato ketchup) slightly if you prefer a sweeter, Hong Kong-café style base.
Comparison: Bread Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour
For this recipe, we use a specific blend. If you use only Bread Flour, the crust might be too tough and chewy for the delicate seafood. If you use only All-Purpose flour, it may not have enough structure to hold the heavy pile of toppings. The blend offers the perfect middle ground.
Ingredients
The Dough:
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) Bread flour (High gluten flour)
- ½ cup (50g) Cake flour (Low gluten flour)
- 1 tsp (5g) Instant yeast
- 1 tbsp (15g) Sugar
- ½ tsp (3g) Salt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (85g) Warm water (approximate, see notes)
- 2 tsp (10g) Vegetable oil or olive oil
The Toppings:
- 1/3 cup Pizza sauce or tomato ketchup
- 1 cup (80g) Mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
- ¼ cup Green bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp Sweet corn kernels
- 2 slices Bacon, chopped
- ½ cup Mixed Seafood (shrimp, crab sticks, chopped)
Recipe Notes Before You Begin
- Water Content: The 85g of water listed is a starting point. Depending on the humidity in your kitchen and the brand of flour, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons more water to get a soft, pliable dough.
- Oven Temp: We bake at a high temperature (200°C / 400°F). Make sure your oven is fully preheated.
- Safety: Since we are using seafood, ensure your shrimp is peeled and deveined. If using frozen seafood, thaw and pat it completely dry before the pre-roasting step.
Mise en Place / Prep
- Weighing: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for the flour and water for consistency.
- Chopping: Cut all vegetables and meats into uniform bite-sized pieces.
- Pre-roasting: This is the most critical prep step. Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Place your peppers, mushrooms, corn, and raw shrimp on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. This dehydrates them slightly so they don’t release water onto your pizza dough later.
How to Make Seafood Pizza
- Mix the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, cake flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Slowly pour in the warm water while stirring with chopsticks or a fork until it looks like shaggy flakes. Note: Add the water gradually; stop if it gets too sticky, or add a teaspoon more if it’s too dry.
- Knead: Add the vegetable oil to the dough. Knead by hand for about 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the “windowpane test” (you can stretch a small piece thin without it tearing).
- Proof: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in size. This usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your room temperature.
- Prepare Toppings (While Proofing): While the dough rises, perform the pre-roasting step mentioned in the “Prep” section for your veggies and seafood. This concentrates the flavor, similar to how we prep shrimp for Garlic Fried Shrimp.
- Shape the Dough: Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release air. Roll it out into a round circle to fit your pizza pan (about 9-10 inches). Brush the pan with a little oil, place the dough inside, and use a fork to poke holes all over the surface (this is called docking).
- Tip: If you want to meal prep, you can par-bake this crust at this stage for 3 minutes, wrap it, and freeze it for later!
- Assemble: Spread a layer of pizza sauce over the dough. If you don’t like the sourness of tomato sauce, you can skip this or use a thin layer of Chinese Garlic Sauce for a fusion twist. Sprinkle a little cheese first, then arrange the bacon, pre-roasted seafood, and vegetables evenly. Top with a thick layer of the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned spots appear. Watch carefully so the crust doesn’t burn.
Common Mistakes When Making Seafood Pizza
- Using Wet Toppings: Putting raw, watery vegetables or frozen seafood directly on the dough is the #1 mistake. It leads to a “soup sandwich.” Always pre-roast or blot them dry with paper towels.
- Overloading the Center: It’s tempting to pile everything in the middle, but this prevents the center crust from cooking. Spread ingredients all the way to the edges.
- Water Temperature: If your water is too hot (over 120°F/50°C), it will kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, the dough won’t rise. Aim for lukewarm, like a baby’s bathwater.
Notes:
- Safety: Ensure seafood is fully cooked. Shrimp should be pink and opaque.
- Hydration: If the dough feels too dry with 85g water, add more one teaspoon at a time. Different flour brands absorb water differently.
What to Serve With It
This pizza is hearty, so I like to serve it with lighter sides to balance the meal:
- A refreshing Smashed Cucumber Salad cuts through the richness of the cheese.
- If you have extra shrimp, Pan-Fried Chinese Shrimp Cakes are a great appetizer.
- For a fun texture contrast, try serving with some Homemade Meat Floss sprinkled on top after baking—a very popular way to eat pizza in China!
How to Store & Reheat
- Storage: Keep leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not leave seafood pizza out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Reheating: To restore the crispiness, reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a lid on for 2-3 minutes, or in an air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes. Do not microwave, as the crust will become rubbery.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I’m Lin, a chef born in Sichuan with over a decade of experience in professional kitchens. While my training focused on traditional Chinese techniques, my travels have taught me that great food transcends borders. This recipe was developed in my home kitchen after realizing that standard Western pizza dough recipes didn’t quite match the texture I enjoyed in Asian bakeries. I tested the flour ratios three times to ensure that even without professional pizza oven heat, you can achieve a crust that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Authoritative References
- For guidelines on safe minimum internal temperatures for cooking seafood, refer to the USDA Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.
- To understand more about flour protein content and gluten development, King Arthur Baking offers an excellent guide.
Nutrition Information (Estimate)
- Calories: ~482 kcal per serving
- Protein: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Sodium: ~650mg
- Allergens: Contains Wheat (Gluten), Shellfish, Dairy.
- Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included. Actual values may vary based on product brands used.
Homemade Seafood Pizza (Haixian Bisa)
A hearty, bakery-style seafood pizza loaded with shrimp, crab, and veggies on a custom crispy-chewy crust. Includes a chef’s secret step to prevent soggy toppings!
Equipment
- Pizza Pan
- Oven
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 150 g High Gluten Flour (Bread Flour)
- 50 g Low Gluten Flour (Cake Flour)
- 85 g Warm Water Plus more as needed (see notes)
- 5 g Instant Yeast
- 15 g Sugar
- 3 g Salt
- 10 g Vegetable Oil
Toppings
- 80 g Mozzarella Cheese Shredded (use more if desired)
- Pizza Sauce Or tomato ketchup
- Green & Red Peppers Diced
- Mushrooms Sliced
- Sweet Corn
- Bacon Chopped
- Mixed Seafood Shrimp, Crab stick, etc.
Instructions
- Combine flours, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Gradually add warm water, stirring until shaggy. Add vegetable oil and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (windowpane stage).
- Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm place until doubled in size (approx. 45-60 mins).
- While dough rises, place peppers, mushrooms, corn, and seafood on a baking tray. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 5 minutes to dehydrate them slightly. This prevents a soggy pizza.
- Punch down the risen dough to release air. Roll into a circle and place in a greased pizza pan. Poke holes all over the surface with a fork (docking).
- Spread a layer of sauce. Add a small layer of cheese, then arrange the bacon, pre-roasted seafood, and vegetables. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.
Notes
Dough Hydration: The recipe calls for 85g water, but flour absorption varies. If your dough is too stiff or dry, add more warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until soft and pliable.
Meal Prep: You can bake the crust alone for 3 minutes, freeze it, and add toppings later for a quick meal.
Nutrition (Estimate): Calories: 482 | Protein: 22g | Carbs: 55g | Sodium: 650mg.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
Meal Prep: You can bake the crust alone for 3 minutes, freeze it, and add toppings later for a quick meal.
Nutrition (Estimate): Calories: 482 | Protein: 22g | Carbs: 55g | Sodium: 650mg.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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