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Deep-Dish Sausage and Tomato Pizza

Source of Recipe


From "The Gourmet Cookbook"






List of Ingredients



• -- For Dough --
  
• 1/4 tsp sugar
  
• 1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115° F)
  
• 1 (1/4-ounce) package (2-1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
  
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
  
• .
  
• -- For Topping --
  
• 1/2 pound fresh sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings discarded
  
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained and chopped
  
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 cups coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella (about 8 ounces)
  






Instructions



1. Make the dough: Stir together sugar, warm water, and yeast in a large bowl and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't appear creamy, discard and start over with new yeast.) Add flour, cornmeal, salt and oil, and stir until a dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface, dusting with additional flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put dough in a deep oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
   
   
2. While dough is rising, cook sausage in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, then transfer mixture to paper towels to drain and cool.
   
   
3. Preheat oven to 500° F. Grease a 10-1/2-inch cast-iron skillet.
   
   
4. Punch down dough and knead 4 times. Press dough into oiled skillet with oiled fingers until it comes 2 inches up sides and is an even thickness on bottom. Let dough rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 15 minutes.
   
   
5. Sprinkle dough with half of mozzarella, then top with sausage mixture and remaining mozzarella. Put skillet on floor of gas oven or in lower third of electric oven and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and bake until edges of crust are golden, about 8 minutes more.
   
   Makes one (10-1/2-inch) deep-dish pizza.