Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Filling
- 1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage
- 1 cup medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped, or 10 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 ounces whole milk mozzarella, sliced thin
Topping
- 1 can Italian style tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or chopped fresh herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- For the dough, in a large bowl, combine the dough ingredients in the order listed. Mix and knead to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes, or refrigerate the dough overnight to bake the next day. After this rest, divide the dough 70/30; set the smaller piece aside, covered. Roll the larger piece to a 14” circle. Brush a 12” pizza pan or cast iron skillet with oil. Press the transfer the dough to the prepared pan, letting ½” drape over the sides.
- For the filling, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, peppers (or spinach) and mushrooms. Season with salt then remove from the heat to cool to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- To assemble, spoon the cooled filling into the dough-lined pan. Place sliced mozzarella over the filling. Roll the smaller piece of dough into a 12” circle and place on top of the filling. Roll the overhanging dough over the edge of the top piece and pinch together to seal.
- Poke holes in the top dough to allow steam to escape.
- For the topping, sauté the tomatoes and spices for 10 minutes, breaking the tomatoes up with a fork. Cool to room temperature then spread over the top of the pizza. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, if using. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
- Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and let the pizza stand for 10 minutes before serving.