Cheesy Garlic Fingers with Donair Dipping Sauce

Here’s a deep, burning question: Is there anything better than homemade, piping-hot pizza? According to journalist and one-time pizzaiola Ivy Knight (@ivyporkchopknight), the answer – at least for Atlantic Canadians – is a resounding yes, and it’s pizza served with garlic fingers and donair sauce. 

The marriage of garlic bread and cheese pizza is a Maritime province speciality (a region in Eastern Canada that includes Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), and the reason these fingers are distinct is twofold: the cut and the sauce. Sure, it may look like a pizza because of its round shape, but it should never be cut like one, i.e., no triangular slices, only thin strips. Once cut, you must serve the fingers with a dipping sauce, though not marinara, ranch, or blue cheese, and certainly not pink sauce. For Canadians, only donair sauce will do.

Inspired by tzatziki (a Greek yoghurt sauce), the donair sauce (and dish) wasn’t invented until the 1970s when Greek brothers Peter and John Gamoulakos opened Velos Pizza in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Ivy’s recipe is a nod to the original, quick to make, and only requires condensed milk, white vinegar and garlic powder. And while it’s fantastic as a dipping sauce for these garlic fingers, it’s also delicious drizzled over a donair pizza. 

So the next time you’re feeling extra hungry or indulgent, why not serve garlic fingers and donair sauce alongside your pizza or as a late-night sweet and savoury snack? Cheesy, garlicky, and nearly impossible to stop eating, don’t miss out on this authentic taste of Canada. 

Difficulty

Servings

Four 12-inch (30-centimetre) pizzas (14 to 16 fingers per pizza)

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

2 to 3 minutes

By Ivy Knight

Cheesy Garlic Fingers with Donair Dipping Sauce

Note

For the dough, we recommend our Classic Pizza Dough. Just be sure to set aside 3 to 4 hours for proofing before cooking. 


For the donair sauce

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until well combined.

Leave the mixture in the bowl or transfer it to a squeeze bottle. Place in the refrigerator and let cool for about 1 hour before serving. 

Tip: The mixture will thicken as it cools; add a bit of water if you need a thinner consistency.


For the garlic fingers

1. Mix the garlic and melted butter together in a small bowl.

Let it sit for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to meld. 

2. Preheat your oven, aiming for 500 °C on your pizza stone.

You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer. 

3. Place a dough ball on your lightly floured work surface.

Push the air from the centre out to the edge with your fingers. Stretch the dough out to a 12-inch (30-centimetre) round base, and then keep your dough on the countertop or lay it over your lightly-floured pizza peel.

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4. Working quickly, brush about 40 grams of the garlic butter over the dough.

Top with 55 grams of grated mozzarella and 25 grams of Parmesan. Sprinkle with 0.5 grams of dried parsley and bacon bits to taste (if using). If you haven't already, slide the dough onto a floured peel.

5. Launch the pizza into the oven and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the pizza every 30 seconds to ensure an even bake.

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6. Remove the cooked pie from the oven and garnish with more Parmesan.

Add fresh parsley if you like. Cut once vertically down the centre, then make horizontal slices to create 14 to 16 fingers.

7. Serve with donair sauce for dipping.

Repeat with remaining dough balls. 

Ivy Knight

Ivy Knight (@ivyporkchopknight) is a journalist, former line cook and one-time pizzaiolo who grew up on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Her byline can be found in The New York Times, The New Yorker and Food & Wine. She also creates restaurant memes @allezceline.

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