Thin Crust Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Chicken Sausage, Red Onion & Basil

Pizza is loved by everyone for a reason -- it’s so tasty! Try our recipe for an overnight pizza dough for the ultimate crispy, yet chewy thin-crust pizza experience. Practice patience as the dough rests, then enjoy how easily the final pizzas come together. Enjoy your handcrafted pizzas with our suggested toppings, or experiment with your own. It's a pizza party!

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Thin Crust Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella, Chicken Sausage, Red Onion & Basil
Makes three 10-12" pizzas

Dough Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups warm water - 110 degrees F
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3-1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 oz) whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Topping Ingredients:

Shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Spicy Italian chicken sausage, sliced
Red onion, thinly sliced
Basil, chiffonade cut as garnish

Directions:

1. Measure and heat the water to 110 degrees F. Add the water to the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top. . Allow the yeast to stand undisturbed for a few minutes. It's ready to use when when it looks slightly foamy on top.

2. While the yeast is dissolving and activating, measure out the olive oil, salt, and flour.

3. Add the olive oil and salt to the yeast and water. Add one cup of the flour and mix on low for two minutes. Slowly, add 3 cups of flour and mix until a dough ball forms. Remove the dough from the mixer and knead a few times on a flour-dusted work surface. Form the dough into a ball.

4. Place the dough in a bowl coated with olive oil, and cover the dough ball with a kitchen towel. Let it double in size -- about 30 minutes.

5. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and divide it into three even pieces. Knead each section of dough individually, adding a little bit of additional flour to the dough and the working surface, as needed, until each dough ball is smooth, and not too sticky. Dust the dough balls with more flour, and place on a large plate under plastic wrap. Let the dough balls rest overnight in the refrigerator.

6. After the dough rests overnight, remove the plate from the fridge, and let the dough come to room temperature -- about two hours.

7. Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the middle oven rack and preheat the oven to 475-500 degrees F. Preheating the oven will ensure that the stone will be hot and ready when it's time for the pizzas to bake. A hot, preheated pizza stone produces a crispy bottom crust.

8. Prepare the sauce. In a blender or food processor, or directly in the tomato can using an immersion hand blender, combine all of the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.

9. Prepare the pizza toppings. Slice the fresh mozzarella, the chicken sausage, red onions, and basil.

10. Once the oven is preheated, get ready to stretch and assemble the pizzas! Select one ball of dough. With floured hands begin to flatten the ball into a round disc, about 8”- 12" in diameter, starting from the center and working outward to form a round crust. The top of the dough ball will remain on top through this process. Try stretching the dough with the back of your hand, and avoid making holes.

11. Once the dough is formed, place it on a piece of parchment paper placed on top of the pizza peel for easy transferring to the pizza stone once assembled. Spread a thin layer of sauce to within about 1 inch from the edge. Add a layer of shredded parmesan cheese, then a layer of fresh mozzarella cheese. Finish the pizza with sliced chicken sausage and thinly sliced red onions. Avoid overloading the pizza with too many toppings.

12. After adding the toppings, transfer the pizza to the oven using a pizza peel.

13. Bake the pizza until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven. Remember to allow the pizza to cool a little before eating. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!

Grilled Flatbread

Meat and veggies aren't the only thing to make on the grill -- try something new with our grilled flatbread! Puffy, with a delightful crackle on the exterior, grilled flatbread is different from a traditional pizza crust, but no less delicious. For this recipe, we’ve topped our flatbread with melty mozzarella, spicy garlic, and piled it high with fresh-from-the-garden salad.

Grilled Flatbread - with an Arugula, Tomato, & Basil Salad
Serves 2

Flatbread Ingredients:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 packet instant yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing crust
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Salad Topping Ingredients:
4 cups arugula, washed
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan Reggiano
10 oz ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 leaves fresh basil, sliced chiffonade style

Salad Dressing Ingredients:
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare the dough. Add the yeast to warm water, and proof for 2 minutes (until a few bubbles begin to appear). Then add in the olive oil, honey, salt, and one cup of the flour. Mix together, and then slowly add in the remaining flour; mix until a rough dough ball is formed. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. With the heel of your hand, knead the dough, adding flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Knead until the dough turns into a smooth ball; place in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, prep the salad ingredients. Wash the arugula, shave the Parmesan, halve the tomatoes, and finely slice the red onion. Chiffonade the basil by stacking individual basil leaves, rolling them all together, then thinly slice them into ribbons.

3. whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

4. Once the dough has doubled in size, prepare a direct/indirect grill, with high heat on one side.

5. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. On a floured surface, pat each piece into a circle, about 12" in diameter. Prepare 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush the parchment with a little olive oil, then place the two crusts on the parchment. Brush the top of the crusts with a little more olive oil.

6.Once the grill is hot, work quickly to grill the dough. Use the parchment paper to lift the crust, turn it over onto the grill and remove the parchment from the top of the dough. Close the lid and grill the dough for 4-5 minutes until dough begins to flu and brown slightly. Then, carefully use long tongs or a large grill spatula, flip the dough and place over indirect heat.

7. Brush the grilled side of the crust with olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic and fresh mozzarella slices. Cover and grill for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Watch closely and check often to make sure the flatbread doesn't burn. Remove the cheesy flatbread from the grill and get ready to top it with the salad.

8. In a large bowl, use tongs to toss the salad in the dressing until coated. Top the grilled flatbread with the salad, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and enjoy immediately.

Deep Dish Pizza

Who doesn’t love pizza??? Tonight it’s deep dish pizza on the menu! This deep dish version of pizza is inspired by a few unique pizza places that feature a partial cheese crust. Inside, delicious layers of flavor are assembled into some sort of pizza heaven. Fresh dough is topped with a layer of cheese, red onions, a robust red sauce, and finally, a hearty serving of spicy sausage - one slice is nearly enough!

Deep Dish Pizza - Sausage & Red Onion with a Crispy, Caramelized, Cheesy Crust
Makes two 12-inch deep dish pizzas - Serves 8

Dough Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
2-1/4 teaspoons (or one packet) yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pizza Toppings:
1 lb low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced in 1/8"-thick slices
8 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded
1 pound sausage, roughly rolled into 1" bite-sized discs
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Sauce Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (14oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:
1. Prepare the pizza dough by hand or by using a stand mixer. Pour the warm water into a large bowl, and add the yeast. Stir slowly for about two minutes, then add the sugar, salt, olive oil, and melted butter and stir again until combined. Add 1 cup of flour, and stir until combined. Slowly add the remaining 1-1/2 cup of flour until a dough ball has formed. Knead the dough several times until a smooth ball has developed. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let the dough rise in a warm location for about 1-1/2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Sauté the garlic with the olive oil, stirring until fragrant. Be sure to watch this step carefully so that the garlic doesn't burn! Once the garlic is fragrant, add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, marjoram, pepper, salt, and sugar. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and cook stirring as needed for 40-45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened nicely.

3. Use two well-seasoned 12" cast iron pans or deep dish pizza pans. Cover the surface with a generous layer of canola oil on the bottom and sides. Press the dough into the cast iron as a single flat layer and let the dough rise for an additional 30 minutes in the pan. (You can freeze half the ingredients for later.)

4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

5. Once the dough has risen in the pan, it's time to assemble the pizza. Make a layer of folded mozzarella slices all along the edge of the pan creating a "cheese crust" and then continue to layer on top of the layer of dough. Add the shredded parmesan on top of the mozzarella.

6. Spread the sliced red onions around the pizza on top of the cheese layers.

7. Add a hefty layer of pizza sauce to the pizza covering the onions completely.

8. Finally, top with pizza with the sausage discs.

9. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil to place on the oven rack directly below the pizza to catch any drips as the pizza cooks. Turn on a ventilation fan, and perhaps even crack a window. Any cheese that spills over will make a bit of a smoke.

10. Tent a loose piece of aluminum foil over the pizza. Bake for 20 minutes.

11. Check to make sure that the drip pan is correctly aligned to catch any spillage and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the pizza crust is well set, the sausage is cooked, and the sauce and cheese below are bubbling hot. The sides of the crust that are made of cheese might look blackened, but they should not taste burnt, instead they will taste of delightful caramelized cheese and help to hold all of the ingredients in place.

12. Let the pizza cool slightly, enough to slide it from the pan onto a parchment paper-lined cutting board. Cut the pizza into slices with a sharp cook's knife working from the cheesy edge into the middle.

13. Pace yourself when enjoying - one pizza is hearty! One 12-inch pizza serves 4 hungry adults.

Enjoy Bagels and Cream Cheese at a New Level!

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IN THIS ISSUE, we share the how-to for making delicious bagels at home, plus homemade cream cheese along with a few flavor variations, one savory, one sweet.

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