Coastal Coconut Sourdough Pizza with Charred Sukuma and Pilipili Infusion

Introduction

Karibu! Today we marry the ancient sourdough traditions of artisan pizzaiolos with the sun-kissed spice routes of Mombasa. A wild fermented dough kissed by young coconut water meets charcoal-blistered greens, spiced pigeon peas, and an aromatic pilipili-infused oil that carries the warmth of the Indian Ocean right into your kitchen.

Ingredients

• 300g unbleached bread flour
• 50g whole grain fermented teff flour
• 230ml fresh young coconut water, lukewarm
• 60g active sourdough starter
• 7g fine sea salt
• 120ml thick coconut milk simmered with ripe tomatoes, tamarind pulp, and cumin
• 1 cup shredded sukuma wiki (collard greens), massaged with lime and salt
• 1/2 cup cooked pigeon peas (mbaazi), lightly tossed in berbere spice
• 1/4 cup thinly shaved red onions
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced semi-ripe plantain ribbons
• 3 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil infused with crushed pilipili chiles, green cardamom, and garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh kachumbari (finely diced tomato, red onion, fresh coriander, lime juice) for finishing

Instructions

1. Whisk the active sourdough starter and lukewarm coconut water together in a large ceramic bowl until frothy, then incorporate the bread flour and teff flour until a rough shaggy dough forms, resting it covered for 30 minutes.
2. Work the fine sea salt into the dough, knead gently for 5 minutes, and perform three rounds of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes before placing the dough in the refrigerator for a slow 12-hour cold ferment.
3. Gently warm the virgin coconut oil in a small pan over very low heat with crushed pilipili chiles, lightly bruised cardamom pods, and smashed garlic cloves for 10 minutes to create an infused finishing oil, then remove from heat to steep.
4. Preheat your oven with an artisan pizza stone or heavy steel plate on the top rack to 250°C (485°F) for at least 45 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into two rounds, dust your surface with teff flour, and carefully stretch each ball by hand from the center outward to create a rustic circle with an airy, elevated cornicione border.
6. Spread a thin layer of the simmered coconut-tamarind tomato sauce over the base, leaving the edges completely untouched.
7. Scatter the spiced pigeon peas, shaved red onions, thin plantain ribbons, and massaged sukuma wiki greens evenly across the sauce.
8. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are dramatically blistered with smoky leopard spots and the greens are lightly charred.
9. Transfer immediately to a wooden board, drizzle generously with the strained pilipili-infused warm oil, scatter fresh kachumbari across the center, and serve immediately.

Slice into this blistered crust while the pilipili and cardamom steam rises into the air. It carries the heartbeat of the Kenyan coast straight to your table—warm, unapologetic, vibrant, and effortlessly modern.

Nia