Deep Dish Sausage Pizza Recipes

CHICAGO DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage and bell pepper in skillet 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in mushrooms and pizza sauce. Keep warm over low heat.
• Unroll dough in pan. Press in bottom and up side of pan, folding edge under to form crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly in bottom of crust. Spoon hot sausage mixture over cheese. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese, the tomatoes and olives.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with onions. Let stand 5 minutes. To serve, cut pizza into wedges with serrated knife.

DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 cup flour, oil and crust seasonings; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; roll out into a 15-in. circle. Transfer to a well-greased 12-in. heavy ovenproof skillet or round baking pan, letting crust drape over edges. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. , In a skillet, saute the green peppers, onion and topping seasonings in oil until tender; drain. Layer half the mixture over crust. Layer with half the Parmesan, sausage and tomatoes. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella. Repeat layers. Fold crust over to form an edge. , Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pepperoni and remaining mozzarella. Bake until crust is browned, 10-15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

SAUSAGE PAN PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the water, sugar and yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, add the oil and salt, then gradually add the bread and whole-wheat flours. Increase the speed to medium high and mix, adding just enough additional bread flour so that the dough no longer sticks to the bowl, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, 7 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, mix by hand and knead on a lightly floured surface.) Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it once or twice to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place for 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
• For the pizza: If the dough was refrigerated, let the dough sit at room temperature for about an hour before shaping.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place a 14-inch cast-iron pan into the oven to preheat while you prepare your other ingredients.
• Add the sausage to a medium pan over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it up into crumbly pieces, until browned throughout and no longer pink, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Flour a work surface and rolling pin, then roll out the dough to a 14-inch round.
• Remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat. Carefully place the dough into the pan and push the edges up against the side of the pan. Drizzle the dough with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Top with the tomato sauce in an even layer. Then, sprinkle on the kale, sausage, mozzarella, grated Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest and some salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then slice and serve straight from the pan!

SAUSAGE DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough into a 10-in. circle. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest for 10 minutes. Roll and stretch the dough into a 12-in. circle. Grease a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough onto bottom and 1 in. up sides of prepared skillet. , Spread with pizza sauce; top with sausage, 1 cup cheese, oregano and green pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

SAUSAGE, PEPPERS AND ONION DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the water and oil and mix to combine (you may have to get in there with a spatula to help everything incorporate). Turn the mixer to medium-high and knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl without sticking, adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Coat a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss a few times to coat the dough. Cover and let sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Liberally coat two 10-inch cake pans with the softened butter. Divide the dough into two balls and place each one in a pan. Cover loosely and let sit for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats and you prepare the other toppings.
• Place the tomatoes in a strainer and sprinkle on a couple good pinches of salt; let drain for 10 minutes. Flatten out the dough all over the bottoms of the pans and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Top with cheese slices, overlapping them. Tear the sausage into golf ball-size pieces, then press on top of the cheese and flatten, leaving little holes for the cheese to poke through. Top with the tomatoes, peppers and onions. Sprinkle over the Pecorino-Romano and oregano.
• Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, the cheese on top is turning golden and the sauce has begun to bubble, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if desired.

DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: Whisk together the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble and foam.
• Add the flour and kosher salt to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix until just combined. With the mixer off, add the yeast mixture. Turn the mixer back on and knead, gradually increasing the speed from low to medium, until the flour and yeast are combined and the dough looks shaggy. Turn the mixer off again and add the melted butter. Mix, slowly increasing the speed to medium, until the dough holds together and the butter is completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on the lowest speed, knead the dough for 3 minutes. If the dough moves too high up the hook and is no longer being kneaded, turn the mixer off and push the dough back down.
• Coat a large bowl with the olive oil. Remove the dough from the stand mixer, form into a ball and place in the greased bowl. (The dough will feel tacky when it comes out of the mixer but should come out in one piece. If necessary, knead additional flour into the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.) Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• For the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepot. Add the onions and saute until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, crushed red pepper and salt; cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the stewed tomatoes, breaking up any large pieces. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste. Let cool. (Makes 1 1/4 cups.)
• For the sausage pizza: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sweet Italian sausage and hot Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the sausage into small pieces. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• Combine the mozzarella and Asiago in a bowl and reserve in the refrigerator.
• Place the proofed pizza dough on a lightly-floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll into a 14-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to a 10-inch nonstick springform pan. As evenly as possible, unroll the dough over the springform pan and guide the dough into the pan, pressing it evenly into the bottom and working it gently all the way into the edges. Next, lift the sides of the dough up and press against the sides of the pan, making sure the dough doesn't fold over itself at any point. The dough should come 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
• Add half of the cheese to the bottom of the crust, top with half of the sausage and then cover the sausage with the marinara sauce. Add the remaining cheese, followed by the rest of the sausage. Fold the top of the pizza dough over so that it sits evenly on top of the filling.
• Place the pizza on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate, cover with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven when the crust is a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let rest for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. Serve with torn basil scattered over the top.

CHICAGO STYLE ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPER DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Press the dough into 2 greased 12-inch deep-dish pizza pans. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same pan, over medium heat, add the sausage and render for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Lay 1/4-pound of the sliced provolone on the bottom of each pizza. Spoon 1/2 the onion and pepper mixture over each pizza. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sausage over the onion mixture on each pizza. Scatter 1 cup sliced mushrooms over sausage. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the top of each pizza. Layer 1/4-pound mozzarella slices over top of each pizza. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake the pizzas for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into individual servings.
• In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour and salt and mix, using a dough hook, until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.

DEEP-DISH PIZZA WITH SPICY SAUSAGE AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Make the dough. Transfer one 1-pound ball of dough to a 9-inch round cake pan coated with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let the dough rise again until almost spread to the edges of the pan, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 500˚ F (use the convection setting, if available) with a pizza stone, baking steel or inverted large baking sheet in the lower third of the oven.
• Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and let drain and cool.
• Press the dough to reach the edge of the pan, then press the dough up the sides to create a lip 1/2 to 3/4 inch higher than the center of the dough. Top with the Parmesan and sliced mozzarella, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Spread the pizza sauce over the cheese, almost to the edge, and top with the sausage, olives and the shredded mozzarella.
• Place the pan on the hot stone and bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a small offset spatula and remove the pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the hot water in a small bowl. Let stand until dissolved and slightly foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and add the olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust the dough with flour and knead, dusting with more flour as needed, until very smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Divide the dough into two 1-pound balls. (If making sheet-pan pizza, let the dough rise, covered, on an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet coated with 3 tablespoons olive oil instead of in a bowl; do not divide into two balls.)
• If not using the dough right away, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Combine crushed tomatoes, garlic clove, olive oil, dried oregano and a pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; season with more salt and sugar if needed. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

HOMEMADE DEEP DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough into a 9 inch circle.
• Cover with plastic wrap; let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll and stretch the dough into a 12 in circle.
• Sprinkle corn meal into a greased 9 inch springform pan.
• Place dough in pan and press 1 inch up the sides of pan.
• Spread pizza sauce over crust.
• Top with sausage, 1 cup cheese, oregano and green pepper.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• Remove to a wire rack; let stand for 5 minutes before removing sides of pan.

CHICAGO STYLE DEEP DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA - REAL DEEP DISH

Steps:

• MAKING THE DOUGH: In a mixing bowl, dissolve sugar and salt into the lukewarm water.
• Add yeast, corn oil, and a small amount of the flour.
• Mix until you have a thick batter, then add the rest of the flour and continue mixing until combined.
• Knead until the dough comes together into a smooth ball, then STOP. DON'T OVER-KNEAD. Total mixing/kneading time should be no more than 2 - 3 minutes (This step can also be done in a mixer with a dough hook in 1 - 2 minutes. If it looks smooth, but doesn't form a ball, just take it off the hook and form into a ball).
• Place the dough in a bowl (or keep it in your mixing bowl), lightly oil/spray the dough ball.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours (or until dough has doubled).
• After the rise, you can use the dough immediately OR punch down the dough and let it rise again until you're ready to use the dough OR place it into a plastic zip-top bag and into the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.
• ASSEMBLING YOUR PIZZA AND BAKING: Place a pizza stone in the bottom rack of your oven and place a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil across the top rack. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees (F). It should take about 40 minutes to an hour to preheat your stone, so you may want to do this while your dough is rising. If you refrigerated your dough, take it out of the fridge while your oven is preheating.
• Using a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, drain any excess liquid from your tomatoes, if necessary.
• Lightly grease the bottom (not the sides) of your pan with oil or high-heat cooking spray.
• Press out the dough in the pan from center to the edge, as flat and even as possible. Pinch up the sides into a paper-thin lip about 1 to 1-1/2 inches high.
• Lightly press sliced mozzarella cheese into the dough, overlapping the slices until the entire bottom is covered (If making an all-cheese pizza, you can add extra cheese if you want, then skip to the part where you add the tomatoes).
• Add the Italian sausage: For traditional patty, add small bits of sausage on top of the cheese, connecting the bits together into a loose web, until the entire bottom is covered.
• Add any other ingredient that you want to protect from burning.
• THE PART WHERE YOU ADD THE TOMATOES: With a large spoon or ladle, top the pizza with the crushed tomatoes, spreading the sauce from the center out to the edge until the other ingredients are completely covered with sauce. You should need between 14 and 16 oz of tomatoes.
• Sprinkle grated Romano (and/or Parmesan) Cheese over the top of the sauce.
• Turn oven down to 450 and place the pizza pan directly on top of the pizza stone on the lower rack.
• Bake for approximately 35 minutes. If your crust or toppings start to char on top, place a loose sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pizza for the remaining baking time.
• Remove from oven, let pizza rest for 5 minutes, then cut & serve on a real plate with a knife & fork.

DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE AND TOMATO PIZZA

Steps:

• Make dough:
• In a large bowl dissolve sugar in water. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/4 cups flour, cornmeal, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• (Alternatively, dough may be made in a food processor. Proof yeast as described above. In the food processor process yeast mixture with 2 1/4 cups flour, cornmeal, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil until mixture forms a ball, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if too dry or some of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if too wet, and knead dough by processing it 15 seconds more.)
• Put dough, prepared by either method, in a deep oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
• While dough is rising, in a heavy skillet cook sausage over moderately high heat, breaking up lumps, until no longer pink and stir in tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer sausage mixture to paper towels to drain and cool.
• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Punch down dough and knead 4 times. In an oiled 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet, press dough with oiled finger until it comes 2 inches up the side and is an even thickness on bottom. Let dough rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in a warm place 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with half of mozzarella and top with sausage mixture and remaining cheese. Bake pizza in lower third of an electric oven or on floor of a gas oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. and bake 10 minutes more, or until crust is golden.