This clam pizza recipe makes a white pie topped with clams, garlic, oregano and melted cheese on a simple yeast dough. Fulton Fish Market’s version uses six cups of flour and bakes at 450°F for 15 to 17 minutes. The method is easy, but the clams need the most care.
What Is Clam Pizza?
Clam pizza is a white pie topped with clams, garlic, oregano, mozzarella and Parmesan, with no tomato sauce base.
The clam pizza recipe on this page follows that white style, similar to a classic white pizza recipe without tomato. The base is a yeast dough brushed with olive oil, then topped with a garlic and clam mixture and two cheeses. Without tomato sauce, the flavor of the clams and garlic comes through more clearly than it does on a red pie.
Because the topping cooks in only 2 to 3 minutes once the garlic and clams hit the pan, most of the active work happens in the dough. Plan for the dough to rise first, then build the topping while the oven heats. A simple clam pizza recipe fits well into that schedule.
This style suits anyone who likes seafood on a pizza and wants a garlic-forward topping. It may not suit a reader who expects a tomato sauce, because the flavor is built on clams, garlic and cheese.
Ingredients for a Clam Pizza Recipe
A clam pizza recipe needs basic dough ingredients, about one pound of thawed clams, garlic, oregano and two cheeses. The amounts below follow the Fulton Fish Market clam pizza recipe for one batch of dough.
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the counter
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 packet dry active yeast and 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for the dough, plus 1 tablespoon for drizzling
- 1 pound frozen shucked clams, thawed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan
- 3 strips bacon, chopped (optional)
The recipe lists sugar as an acceptable swap for the honey, so either sweetener will feed the yeast. The Fulton page lists 3 to 4 servings and splits the dough into thirds, rolling out one third for each pizza.
How to Make the Dough
Dissolve the yeast and honey in warm water, let it stand 15 minutes, then mix it with the flour and salt until a ball forms.
- Dissolve the yeast and honey in the 2 cups of warm water, whisk gently, and let it sit for 15 minutes to activate.
- Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- On low speed, add the yeast mixture and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Raise the speed to medium and mix about 3 minutes, until a ball forms.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rise for at least one hour.
The recipe gives volumes, not a flour weight or a water percentage. If you want a repeatable dough for each clam pizza recipe batch, weigh the flour and water on a kitchen scale and keep the same flour brand each time. If the dough turns sticky, this guide to fixing pizza dough that is too sticky can help.
Food Network’s version skips the rise entirely. It starts from one pound of refrigerated pizza dough, stretched into a 12-inch round, and its page gives no rise time because the dough comes straight from the package.
Preparing the Clam Topping
For this clam pizza recipe, sauté the garlic, clams and oregano for 2 to 3 minutes, after rendering the optional bacon for 2 to 3 minutes in the same skillet.
Thaw the frozen shucked clams completely before you start. If you use bacon, cook the chopped strips in a hot skillet over medium-high heat until the fat renders, which takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, the clams and the dried oregano to the skillet, then sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch the garlic closely, because it can turn bitter if it browns too far. Spread the mixture over the rolled dough once it is hot.
Not every clam pizza recipe cooks the clams first. Food Network’s white clam recipe scatters drained chopped clams over the crust raw, and the clams bake along with the pizza.
This topping is built for a white pie. If you want a tomato base, the method changes, and you should follow a red-sauce recipe instead.
Baking Clam Pizza at Home
Preheat the oven to 450°F for this clam pizza recipe, then bake the pizza for 15 to 17 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, as the Fulton Fish Market recipe directs.
Roll out one third of the dough on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to a pizza pan or stone. Spread the clam mixture over the dough, add the mozzarella and Parmesan, then drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before slicing. The Fulton recipe calls for this short rest, which gives the topping time to settle before you cut.
Gozney’s clam pie recipe bakes in its dome oven at 400°C, or 750°F, a much higher setting than 450°F, so check the crust early. The Food Network white clam pizza sits in between at 500°F for 13 to 15 minutes, with a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack. For how other ovens compare, see this guide to pizza oven temperature.
Fresh, Canned and Frozen Clams
Frozen shucked clams work well in this clam pizza recipe, and the sources handle canned or fresh clams in different ways.
| Clam type | Where it appears | Prep note |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen shucked clams | Fulton Fish Market recipe, 1 pound | Thaw fully before cooking |
| Canned chopped clams | Food Network white clam pizza, two 6.5-ounce cans | Drain and keep the juice for drizzling |
| Fresh clams | Gozney clam pie, mixed with canned clams | No amount or cooking method given in the source |
Gozney’s clam pie recipe does not give clam quantities or a cooking method for either clam type. For measured amounts, the Fulton recipe is the safer starting point.
The Food Network recipe is the one that gives a measured amount for canned clams: two cans of 6.5 ounces each. It asks you to drain the clams, reserve the juice, and drizzle two tablespoons of that juice over the pizza before it bakes.
Shellfish Safety Tips
Buy shellfish from a seller you trust for any clam pizza recipe, keep it cold until you cook it, and check your local health authority for current shellfish handling advice.
Shellfish guidance changes over time and by region, so treat these points as a starting point rather than a replacement for your local rules.
- Keep frozen clams frozen until you are ready to thaw them.
- Thaw frozen shucked clams before they go into the skillet, as the Fulton recipe directs.
- Cook the clams in the topping until they are hot throughout, not just warm on the surface.
- Ask your fishmonger how fresh clams were handled before you bring them home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a clam pizza recipe good for beginners?
Yes. The dough is a standard yeast dough, and the topping needs only 2 to 3 minutes of sautéing once the clams are thawed. Following the steps for a clam pizza recipe in order makes the first attempt easier.
Can I use canned clams?
Yes. Gozney’s clam pie recipe mixes canned clams with fresh clams, so canned clams are a recognized option. Gozney gives no quantity, but the Food Network version uses two 6.5-ounce cans of chopped clams, drained, so that is a useful measure to start from.
Should I cook the clams before baking?
It depends on the recipe. Fulton Fish Market sautés thawed clams with garlic and oregano before spreading them on the dough, while Food Network’s version places drained canned clams on the crust raw. Both methods appear in the sources used for this article, so choose the one that matches the clams you have.
What oven temperature should I use?
Preheat to 450°F and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, turning the pan halfway, as the Fulton Fish Market recipe directs. Gozney’s dome oven uses 400°C, or 750°F, which cooks faster, so check the crust early in that oven.
Should I add bacon?
Bacon is optional in this clam pizza recipe. If you use it, cook three chopped strips in a hot skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the fat renders, before you add the garlic and clams.
How long should the dough rise?
Let the dough rise for at least one hour in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel; how long to proof pizza dough explains how longer rests change the result. The Fulton recipe gives this as the minimum time, so the rise should not be shorter than that.
Do I need a kitchen scale?
The Fulton recipe uses cups and does not give a flour weight. A kitchen scale helps you repeat the dough from batch to batch, but you can make the recipe with measuring cups.
If you make this clam pizza recipe once, start with the dough and the thawed clams, then bake on the hottest surface your oven allows. For a general walkthrough, read how to make pizza at home. Taste the topping before it goes on the crust, and adjust the garlic or oregano to suit the people you cook for. Write down the timings from the clam pizza recipe you choose, so the dough, the clams and the oven finish together on the same evening.