Chicago Style Sausage Pizza
This recipe is for one large or two small pizzas.
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
3 and 1/4 cups (16 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) yellow cornmeal
1 and 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast, activated in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar
1 and 1/4 cups water (10 ounces), room temperature
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 Tablespoons, softened
1 teaspoon plus 4 Tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated onion, from 1 medium onion
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
For the Toppings:
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
3 links Italian sausage, removed from casings, cooked & broken into bite-size pieces
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Directions:
For the Dough:
Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and activated yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low-speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.
Add water and melted butter with mixer on low-speed and mix until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes; scraping the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes.
The dough will be soft and tacky.
Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula.
Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to coat top of dough.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.
For the Sauce:
While the dough is rising, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted.
Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes and sugar.
Increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Stir in basil and oil, and season with salt and pepper.
For the Dough – 12″ Pizza:
Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 F.
Using a rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15x12-inch rectangle.
Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along edges.
Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder.
With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18- by 4-inch rectangle.
Working from both ends, start folding into thirds like business letter with final fold in the center to bring the two halves together.
Pinch seams together to form a ball.
Return ball to the oiled bowl.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, about 40 to 50 minutes.
To Assemble a 12″ Pizza:
Coat 12-inch cast iron skillet with 4 tablespoons olive oil.
Transfer dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 14.5 inch disk about 1/4 inch thick.
Transfer the dough to the pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling-pin and unrolling into pan.
Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into corners and 1 inch up the sides.
(If the dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again.)
Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over surface of dough.
Cover cheese with sausage. Spread sauce over cheese and sausage, then sprinkle Parmesan or Pecorino over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Carefully remove pizza to cutting board with a wide spatula for slicing so the cast iron pan is not damaged; returned sliced pizza back to skillet for serving.
For the Dough – 9″ Pizzas:
Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 F.
Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15x12-inch rectangle.
Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along edges.
Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder.
With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18x4-inch rectangle.
Cut rectangle in half crosswise.
Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like business letter; pinch seams together to form ball.
Repeat with remaining half.
Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, about 40 to 50 minutes.
To Assemble the 9″ Pizzas:
Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each.
Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick.
Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan.
Lightly press dough into pan, working into corners and 1 inch up sides.
If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again.
Repeat with remaining dough ball.
For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella evenly over surface of dough.
Spread 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle 2 Tablespoons Parmesan over sauce.
Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.