Directions
- 1Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack on the very top.
- 2Stretch the room temperature pizza dough to about a 10-inch round, leaving a thicker ring around the outside for the crust.
- 3Lightly cover the stretched dough with plastic wrap while preparing toppings.
- 4Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the cast-iron skillet and cook the Italian sausage (removed from casings) over medium to medium-low heat, breaking it into smaller pieces, until fully cooked and moisture is released.
- 5Remove the cooked sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat behind.
- 6Carefully place the stretched pizza dough into the hot cast-iron skillet with the rendered fat.
- 7Lightly season the entire surface of the dough with kosher salt.
- 8Spread a moderate amount of marinara sauce up to the edge of the dough.
- 9Add a nice even coating of low-moisture mozzarella, allowing some to fall onto the pan around the crust.
- 10Distribute the thinly sliced fresh fennel over the cheese.
- 11Scatter the very thinly sliced garlic over the fennel.
- 12Crumble the cooked sausage over the toppings.
- 13Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the entire pizza, including the crust ring.
- 14Place the skillet back on the stove over medium to medium-low heat to pre-crisp the bottom of the crust until it has a golden-brown color.
- 15Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the top has nice browning, great bubbling around the crust, and the toppings are cooked.
- 16Carefully remove the hot pizza from the oven.
- 17Loosen the pizza from the bottom of the pan, especially any baked-on cheese.
- 18Transfer the pizza to a cutting board to rest for a bit.
- 19Finish the pizza with red pepper flakes, fresh basil, a very light sprinkling of salt, and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.
- 20Cut and serve the pizza.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pizza dough
- 0.5 pound Italian sausage removed from casings
- fennel, thinly sliced
- low moisture mozzarella, grated
- marinara sauce
- kosher salt
- olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- red pepper flakes
- fresh basil
Equipment
large cast-iron skilletmandolin (optional)box graterplastic wrapslotted spooncutting board
Tips
- Let pizza dough sit at room temperature to make it easier to stretch.
- Cook raw toppings like sausage in the pan first to release moisture and ensure it's fully cooked.
- Do not clean the skillet after cooking sausage; the rendered fat helps crisp the crust.
- Let some cheese fall along the outside of the crust to create a crispy, caramelized edge.
- Drizzle olive oil over raw toppings like fennel and garlic before baking to prevent them from drying out.
- Pre-crisp the bottom of the crust on the stove before putting it in the oven to achieve a golden brown bottom.
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