Thin and Crispy Spicy Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

We love a good pizza party in our house! My sweet toddler tried sausage and mushroom pizza the other day and has been asking me to make it ever since. Tonight I gave it a try, and we had a very memorable pizza party with our little family while we watched a Christmas movie. The crust on this pizza is crunchy and stands up well to the hearty toppings. Blanketed in spicy sausage, baby bellas and two kinds of cheese, this pizza will satisfy any pizza lover in your house!

Serves: 3-5

Pizza dough:

2 cups of warm water

2 1/3 cups bread flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

cornmeal and olive oil

Add the water and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and flour and mix until dough forms a ball (if it's too sticky, add a little more flour; if it's too dry, add a tiny bit more water). Cover and allow to rise for at least 2 hours. Rub the entire surface of either a pizza stone, pan or baking sheet (yes, this will do in a pickle; no need to go buy new equipment if you don't need to) with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with cornmeal. Stretch the dough using your hands (or you can cheat and use a rolling pin; I'll never tell on you) so that the dough extends to the edges of the pan.

Sauce:

You can use any sauce you'd like, but I typically freeze a simple marinara to use on pizzas. Here's my recipe:

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

3/4 cup red wine (I typically use cab)

3 minced garlic cloves

1/2 yellow onion, minced

6-8 baby portabella mushrooms, diced

kosher salt, black pepper

1 tbsp. red pepper flake (I like my sauce pretty spicy)

3 tbsp. olive oil

Saute onions and mushrooms over medium high heat in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flake and saute for one additional minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the wine by half, then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Cool completely before adding to the pizza dough.

Toppings:

Go crazy here!

These are my favorites~ browned balls of hot Italian sausage (Johnsonville is actually pretty good. Apologies to my Sicilian Grampa and Great Uncle Joe for this transgression! I buy uncased sausage then pinch off little pieces and saute them in olive oil) & baby bella mushrooms. I add a layer of muenster (yes, you read that correctly...it melts like a dream!) on top of the sauce then a layer of mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan over the toppings (so it goes dough, sauce, muenster, toppings, mozzarella/parm).

Bake at 375 (this might vary based how hot your oven runs) until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is gently browned. Wear a bib and enjoy!

Deep Dish Chicago-Style Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

I am a total Chicagoan when it comes to pizza~ the deeper the better! I was raised on Malnati's and Gino's, so since I moved out of state it's been hard to find anything that compares. I finally decided to give it a shot myself and below is the result. My pizza most closely resembles Lou Malnati's, with a layer of hot sausage on the bottom topped with mushrooms, three cheeses and a homemade garlic marinara. This is my husband's absolute favorite dish I make, and it's great for leftovers (if you happen to be lucky enough to have any!).

Yields: 1 pie (serves about 4-6 people)

For the dough:

2 1/3 cups bread flour

1 cup cold water

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. Kosher salt

a dough hook attachment for your mixer

Pour water and yeast into mixer and allow to stand for about five minutes. Add flour and salt, then mix on medium for about 3-4 minutes until dough becomes elastic. Transfer to a bowl and coat with olive oil. Cover and allow to rise 4-5 hours. Punch dough down and roll out (use flour to keep dough from sticking).

For the sauce (this recipe makes a little more than double what you'll need; freeze the leftovers, and you'll have plenty for another pizza night):

1 28 oz. can tomato puree

1 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (drained)

1 cup dry white wine (pinot is my favorite)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 onion, minced

6-8 baby portabella mushrooms, chopped

Kosher salt, black pepper

1 tbsp. red pepper flake

3 tbsp. olive oil

Saute onions and mushrooms over medium high heat in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flake and saute for one additional minute. Pour in white wine and bring to a boil. Reduce wine by half, then add both cans of tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1-2 hours, until sauce is thick and reduced by about 1/4-1/3. Cool completely before adding to pizza. (This sauce is also excellent with penne and fresh parmeggiano reggiano cheese).

For the pizza:

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 lb. hot Italian sausage (try Johnsonville's hot sausage out of the casing)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

4 slices muenster cheese (yes, muenster...it's the secret ingredient!)

1/4 cup parmeggiano reggiano cheese, grated or shredded

6-8 sliced baby portabella mushrooms

1 cup garlic marinara sauce (see above)

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Coat the bottom of a round pan with cooking spray or olive oil. Add cornmeal and roll around until the pan is coated. Press dough into the pan then cut off the excess crust (save this for an AWESOME dessert; search "dough" in the sidebar). Press sausage into the pan, spreading with your fingers. Top with a layer of sliced mushrooms, then sauce and finally muenster, mozzarella and parmeggiano reggiano. Fold edges of crust inward and place pie on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving (you may need to drain a bit of the fat from the sausage by gently tipping the cooked pie over a bowl).

Technique Tuesday: Perfect Pizza Dough

Below is a picture of my homemade deep dish sausage and mushroom pizza. It is hands-down my husband's favorite meal, and it is really not all that difficult to make. Homemade pizza dough is easier than you think to make...it requires very few ingredients and only a few little techniques. You can use it for deep dish or thin crust, grilled pizza or individual pizzas. It is really versatile and delicious; you will impress your friends and family for sure! Just follow the quick tips below, and you will be making delicious pizza dough in no time at all.
1. Pick the right yeast
You will need active dry yeast for this recipe. You can usually buy it in packs of three. Store it in a cool dry place and be mindful of expiration dates.

2. Use the right flour
Bread flour is best for pizza dough because it has more gluten than all purpose. It also has small amounts of barley flour that helps activate the yeast. The result of using bread flour will be a chewier, more delicious pizza dough.

3. Be patient
The yeast has to do its job, so do let it rest for at least four hours before you roll it out. If you cut this process short, you will not end up with airy pizza dough.

4. Choose the right tools
When you are mixing your pizza dough, make sure to use a dough hook. I have a Cuisinart stand mixer that came with the dough hook attachment. You will end up with a sticky mess if you use the standard whisk-like stand mixer attachment.

5. Don't forget the cornmeal
Sprinkling cornmeal on the bottom of your pan will give you a delicious crispy crust. It will also give you the flavor of pizzaria pizza.

Your new favorite pizza dough recipe :)

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup water
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. corn meal

Assembly:
Combine water and yeast in your mixer. Let stand until the yeast dissolves. Add the remaining ingredients except for olive oil and corn meal. Mix on low using a dough hook until dough forms a ball. Raise speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, until dough is elastic. Place dough in a bowl and coat with olive oil. Allow dough to rise at least 4 hours (I usually put mine uncovered in the oven). Sprinkle the bottom of your pan with corn meal and roll out dough. Place the dough in the pan and spread it out with your fingers. Add your toppings and sauce then bake!

My sauce recipe and pizza making hints are coming soon!