Recipe at a glance
- Estimated yield: 1 fourteen-inch pizza (4 servings)
- Prep: about 25 minutes
- Cooking: about 25 minutes
- Additional time: about 125 minutes (resting, rising, chilling or freezing, where required)
- Total: about 175 minutes
Times and yields are planning estimates, not results from a documented kitchen test. Follow the texture and temperature checks in the method; optional overnight rests take longer. Measurements use US cups and spoons unless stated otherwise.
This white clam pizza uses a garlic cream sauce and mozzarella. It is a home-style variation, rather than a claim to reproduce a particular New Haven pizzeria’s clam pie.
Ingredients
- For the dough: 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for shaping
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (195 ml) lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the pan
- For the topping: two 6.5 oz cans chopped clams, drained with juice reserved
- Bottled clam juice as needed to make 1 cup (240 ml) with the reserved juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Black pepper and salt, as needed
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Mix water, sugar and yeast; let stand about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt and tablespoon of oil. Knead 8–10 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky. If necessary, adjust with water or flour a teaspoon at a time; avoid a dry, stiff dough.
- Cover in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1–2 hours depending on room temperature.
- Measure the clam juices and add bottled juice to make 1 cup. Melt butter in a saucepan, soften garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the 2 tablespoons flour. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in clam juice and cream; simmer until thick enough to spread, about 3–5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and pepper; taste before adding salt. Cool until warm.
- Heat oven to 475°F (245°C). Lightly oil a 14-inch metal pizza pan. Stretch the dough to fit, leaving a small rim.
- Spread on a thin layer of sauce; reserve any excess for another use rather than flooding the crust. Scatter on drained clams and mozzarella.
- Bake about 15–20 minutes, until the underside is cooked and browned and the topping is bubbling hot. Use the crust’s condition rather than the clock alone. Add parsley and rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Storage and serving
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use within three to four days, or sooner if an ingredient label requires it. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Limit perishable food to two hours out of refrigeration, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Food-safety guidance.
Editorial update: October 23, 2026. Ingredient and method consistency reviewed; a documented kitchen test is still needed.
