Baked Chicago Style Sausage Pizza
This pizza is loaded with saucy flavor. Homemade dough, aromatic tomato sauce and cheesy layers of sausage all come together to create some deep-dish deliciousness in Baked Chicago Style Sausage Pizza!
Ingredients Pizza Dough:
4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
15 oz lukewarm water
Pizza Sauce:
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
1 TSP dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh basil with leaves attached
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and split in half
1 tsp sugar
Pizza Toppings:
8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
8 oz Italian style sausage, ground, cooked
8 oz Parmesan, grated
Direction: Pizza Dough
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in bowl of food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until incorporated. Add olive oil and water. Run food processor until mixture forms ball that ride around the bowl above the blade (about 15 seconds). Continue processing 15 seconds longer.
Transfer dough ball to lightly floured surface and knead once or twice by hand until smooth ball is formed. Divide dough into three even parts and place each into a 1 gallon zip top bag. Place in refrigerator and allow to rise at least one day, and up to 5.
At least two hours before baking, remove dough from refrigerator and shape into balls by gathering dough towards bottom and pinching shut. Flour well and place each one in a separate medium mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at warm room temperature until roughly doubled in volume.
Directions: Pizza Sauce
Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until puréed. Purée should not be completely smooth, and still have some chunks of tomato. Set aside.
Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (about 1 hour).
Discard onions and basil stems. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Directions: Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza
When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to High and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Oil a 12-inch round deep-dish pizza pan or a 12-inch cast iron pan with the extra-virgin olive oil. Press 1 piece of dough into each pan, pressing to the edge and stretching about 1-1/2 inches up the sides. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Layer the mozzarella cheese all over the bottom of the pie. Top with the sausage. Ladle the sauce evenly over the pizza and top with parmesan cheese.
Bake until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown (about 30 minutes). Remove from the grill, slice and serve hot. Enjoy!
