Spicy Prawn Pizza with Apple and Cabbage Slaw

This is FRIDAY NIGHT SORTED. A homemade focaccia-style pizza base topped with a rich tomato sauce, spicy marinated prawns, and melted cheese, served alongside a fresh, crunchy apple and cabbage slaw that cuts right through the richness. This is the kind of dinner that feels like a proper treat, but it comes together from a budget supermarket shop and a little bit of patience while the dough rises. This recipe is part of my Savvy Suppers series, where I head to the supermarket, spend under $50 NZD, and make three dinners for two to three people with leftovers for lunch. This is the Friday night dinner from the series, and honestly, it might be my favourite one yet. 

Watch me make this on YouTube!

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour rising time
• Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 to 40 minutes
• Serves: 2 to 4 people (Easily 4 but 2 if your feeling like a feast!)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Large baking tray or oven dish, lined with baking paper

A quick note on the dough before you start. This is a soft, pillowy focaccia-style dough and it will feel quite wet and sticky compared to a traditional pizza dough. Do not panic, that is exactly right. The softness is what gives you that gorgeous chewy base. Do not be tempted to add extra flour. Just trust the process, oil your hands if you need to, and let the dough do its thing.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Genuinely budget-friendly: This pizza comes from a shop of under $50 that feeds two to three people across three dinners. Homemade pizza for a fraction of the cost of a takeaway.
• Fresh yeast for the win: Fresh yeast is often cheaper than dried and you get far more of it. Any leftovers wrap up and freeze beautifully, so nothing is wasted.
• That slaw though: The apple and cabbage slaw sounds simple, but it is the perfect partner for this pizza. Cold, crunchy, and a little tart against the spicy, cheesy topping.
• Totally flexible: No garlic? No worries. Different vinegar in the dressing? Perfect. This recipe works with what you have, which is the whole point of Savvy Suppers.

Ingredients

For the pizza dough:

• 6g fresh yeast (or 2g dried/instant yeast, just under 1 tsp)
• 2g caster sugar (½ tsp)
• 210ml warm water
• 240g plain flour
• 3g sea salt (½ tsp)
• 12g olive oil (1 tbsp), for oiling the bowl

For the tomato sauce:

• ½ onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced (optional but great if you have it)
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• Salt, to taste
• A drizzle of olive oil

For the topping:

• 150g raw prawn meat, cut into chunks
• ½ tbsp crushed chilli (adjust to your heat preference, and always taste your chilli first as they vary enormously)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A drizzle of oil
• 75g grated cheese

For the apple and cabbage slaw:

• ¼ of a half cabbage (so one eighth of a whole cabbage), finely sliced
• 1 apple, cut into thin batons
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A splash of vinegar (apple cider, white wine, or whatever you have on hand - you just want something a little tart)
• A drizzle of olive oil
• Toasted sesame seeds, optional but lovely

Instructions

1. Make the dough: Crumble the fresh yeast into the warm water and add the sugar. Give it a stir and leave for a few minutes until it starts to look a little foamy. Add the flour and salt and mix together until a soft, sticky dough forms. It will be wetter than you expect and that is fine. Oil a bowl generously, place the dough inside, cover with a clean tea towel or cling film, and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour until doubled in size. A great trick is to pop it in the oven with just the light on for a little extra warmth if your kitchen is a little cool.
2. Make the tomato sauce: While the dough rises, heat a drizzle of oil in a pan over a low to medium heat. Add the onion and garlic if using, along with a pinch of salt to help them soften. Sweat them down slowly for about 8 to 10 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and let everything bubble away until the sauce is thick and reduced. Season to taste and set aside.
3. Marinate the prawns: Cut the prawns into chunks and add the crushed chilli, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Toss to coat and set aside. Remember to taste your chilli before you add it as every jar and every fresh chilli is completely different in heat.
4. Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 220°C (210°C fan / 450°F / Gas Mark 8) and line a large baking tray or oven dish with baking paper.
5. Shape and top the pizza: Once the dough has doubled, tip it out onto your lined tray. It will be soft and sticky, so oil your hands and use your fingers to press and stretch it out to fill the tray. Do not worry about it being perfect. Spread the tomato sauce over the base, leaving a small border around the edges. Scatter over the marinated prawns and then top with the grated cheese.
6. Bake: Place in the hot oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the base is golden underneath and the cheese is bubbling and starting to catch at the edges.
7. Make the slaw: While the pizza bakes, finely slice the cabbage and cut the apple into thin batons. Add to a bowl with a splash of vinegar, a drizzle of oil, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add toasted sesame seeds if you have them.
8. Serve: Slice the pizza and serve alongside the slaw. The cold, crunchy slaw against the hot, spicy pizza is genuinely one of the best flavour combinations you will taste.

Chef's Tips

On fresh yeast: I used fresh yeast for this recipe because it is actually often cheaper than dried yeast and you get a lot more of it. Any leftover fresh yeast wraps up easily and goes straight in the freezer, so nothing gets wasted. If you can only find dried or instant yeast, use just under 1 tsp (about 2g) and it will work just as well.

The dough will feel very soft: This is a focaccia-style dough and it should feel wetter and stickier than a traditional pizza dough. Do not add extra flour. Oil your hands instead of flouring them when shaping, and just press it into the tray with your fingertips. It comes out beautifully.

Taste your chilli: This cannot be said enough. Every chilli, whether fresh or from a jar, is completely different. Some are mild, some will blow your head off. Add a little at a time, taste as you go, and find the level that works for you.

Low and slow for the sauce: Taking the time to sweat the onion down slowly before adding the tomatoes is what gives you a sweet, rich sauce rather than a sharp, raw-tasting one. Do not rush this step.

The slaw dressing: I used my own homemade raisin vinegar here, but apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar both work beautifully. You just want something a little tart to cut through the richness of the pizza. If you have mayonnaise you could make a creamy version, or add a little mustard for a sharper dressing.

Substitutions & Variations

• No fresh yeast? Use 2g (just under 1 tsp) of dried or instant yeast instead. Instant yeast can be added straight to the flour without activating first.
• No prawns? Sliced mushrooms, roasted capsicum, or any leftover cooked meat would all work well as a topping.
• No canned tomatoes? Tomato paste thinned with a little water makes a perfectly good pizza sauce in a pinch.
• Want more heat? Add extra crushed chilli or scatter some fresh chilli over the top before baking.
• No apple for the slaw? A small handful of raisins or some thinly sliced pear would give a similar sweet contrast.
• Make it cheesier: If you have more cheese on hand, go for it. A little extra never hurt anyone.

Storage

Best eaten fresh: This pizza is at its absolute best straight from the oven while the base is still crisp and the cheese is bubbling. The slaw is best made and eaten on the day.

Fridge: Store leftover pizza slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer for 5 to 8 minutes to crisp the base back up. The slaw keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days and makes a great addition to a lunchbox the next day.

Freezer: The baked pizza can be frozen for up to 1 month. Freeze slices individually on a tray first, then transfer to a bag. Reheat from frozen in a hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The slaw is not suitable for freezing.

Avoid: Do not reheat pizza in the microwave. It makes the base go soft and soggy and the cheese rubbery. The oven or air fryer takes just a few extra minutes and gives a completely different and much better result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. You can make the dough the night before and let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight rather than on the bench. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to use it to come back to room temperature.

My dough didn't rise. What happened? The most common reason is that the water was too hot and killed the yeast. The water should feel warm to the touch but not hot. If you have a thermometer, aim for around 35 to 38°C. Also check that your yeast is not out of date.

Can I freeze the dough? Yes. After the first rise, knock the dough back, shape it into a ball, and freeze in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before using.

Can I double this recipe? Yes, but you will need two baking trays. Make the dough as one batch then divide it after the first rise. Bake both trays at the same time if your oven is large enough, or one after the other.

What if I do not have a large baking tray? Any oven-safe dish or pan works here - the pizza does not need to be a perfect rectangle. A round cake tin, a cast iron pan, or even a roasting dish all work well. The shape will just be different.

How spicy is this? That completely depends on your chilli. Start with ½ tablespoon of crushed chilli, taste, and add more if you want more heat. Always taste your chilli before adding it as the heat level varies enormously from brand to brand and jar to jar.

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3 Budget Dinners Under $50 NZD - Prawns, Dahl and Pizza - The full Savvy Suppers episode with all three recipes and the complete shopping list.

There is something genuinely satisfying about making pizza dough from scratch and watching it double in the bowl while the sauce is bubbling away on the stove. The fresh yeast is the secret here, it is cheaper than dried, you get more of it, and any leftovers go straight in the freezer. The prawn topping comes together in minutes and the slaw is the element that makes the whole plate. Cold, crunchy, a little tart, it sounds like a strange pairing but it is exactly what the rich, spicy pizza needs alongside it.

Enjoy!

Del x

A homemade focaccia-style pizza with spicy prawns and a fresh apple and cabbage slaw, proper Friday night food that proves budget cooking never has to be boring.