Want a non deep dish, crisp sausage transport unit (also known as pizza crust) you don't have to overbake your ingredients to get? How about one that also has the light, delicate crunch of cornmeal, and though much thinner than deep dish, will hold up to thick, juicy toppings without being tough.
Cast Iron is your friend. A simple crust infused with cornmeal. Add in easy homemade sausage with fennel, sage and nutmeg and a hint of sweetness, it's a perfect pizza for a light lunch and will feed 2 easily.
Makes one 11-12 inch pizza
Sausage (makes enough for a couple of pizzas or pizza and breakfast)
Mix and let set in fridge for a couple hours or overnight for flavors to blend, and fry, breaking up into chunks for pizza or breakfast sausage and gravy later.
Pizza Crust (for one crust)
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon warm water (about 120 degrees)
1 Tablespoon olive oil (I used Artisano's butter flavored oil)
1/3 cup cornmeal
Whisk active dry yeast in the warm water and let it sit until the yeast is active, which takes about 10 minutes
Turn out the board dusted with a little flour and knead until the dough is smooth and pliable, about 4 minutes. Place the dough in an lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let it sit, covered in a warm place for 1 and 1⁄2 hours (until double in size). Roll or pat out (this is a really easy dough to form) to be slightly larger than your seasoned and lightly oiled cast iron pan (mine is 12 inches) and transfer to the pan, building up the edge slightly.
Top with a cup of jarred or homemade red pasta sauce (just enough to lightly cover the crust, a big handful of sausage (use remaining sausage in a breakfast dish tomorrow), and a couple handfuls of Mozzarella. Place pan with crust on stove burner on medium/high for 3 minutes then transfer hot pan to 450 F. degree oven and bake until edges are lightly golden and cheese is melted 11-13 minutes (check it at 10 minutes though, some ovens bake hotter). This ensures a nice crisp crust on the bottom and the pan is the perfect temperature for quick, even heating in the oven.
The best part - the recipe is easy enough to make you can whip up another one that evening to freeze (just sticking it on the porch for 10 minutes right now would work) for another night at home. (For best results, place cooled pizza on pieces of paper towel (top and bottom) and freeze in air tight container. Thaw, and when pizza is room temperature, cook in a preheated 400 F. oven on a baking pan for 12-15 minutes.)
How about one with a spicy thick red sauce (substitute 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce with tomato paste and add 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper and a generous sprinkle of Italian seasoning)
