Sausage and Pepper Deep-Dish Pizza
This deep-dish pizza will satisfy a hungry crowd. You can prepare the dough and assemble the pie in advance, then pop it in the oven and welcome your guests with the enticing aroma of fresh-baked pizza. Toss a simple green salad, pour some red wine and dinner is served.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) warm water (105° to 110°F/40° to 43°C)
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz./390 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
For the topping:
- 3 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 lb. (375 g) mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 1 lb. (500 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups (24 fl. oz./750 ml) pizza sauce
Directions:
To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the yeast, warm water and sugar and whisk by hand until dissolved. Let stand until the mixture starts to bubble, about 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable oil, flour and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on low speed until smooth and pliable, about 5 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead by hand for 30 seconds, shaping the dough into a ball and dusting with a little flour if needed. Dust a baking sheet with flour and place the dough on the sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a fry pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the bell peppers and salt and pepper to taste, and cook until soft and lightly caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl.
Return the pan to medium heat and cook the sausage, breaking the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a separate bowl.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C).
Pour the remaining 2 1/2 Tbs. olive oil into a deep-dish pizza pan and thoroughly grease the bottom and sides. Place the dough in the pan and, using your fingers, press the dough in an even layer across the bottom and up the sides.
Arrange the provolone on top of the dough, overlapping the slices slightly if needed. Top with the mozzarella, Parmesan, bell peppers and sausage. Using the back of a spoon, spread the pizza sauce on top of the pizza.
Bake the pizza until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into slices and serve. Serves 8 to 10.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen
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$27.95
