Pizza with Sausage, Smoked Mozzarella and Pesto

Ingredients:

How to Make Pizza

Dough
Dough:

3-4 cups of flour (split about 2:1 white to whole wheat)
1 packet of yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
Sauce:

3 large cans of whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 a white onion, diced
2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic
1 ts oregano
1 ts basil
2 bay leaves
Parmigiano Reggiano rind (if available)
salt and pepper to taste

Topping:
2 large sausages (Ours were Spicy Italian Pork from Whole Foods)
1 ball smoked mozzarella
3 TB pesto
1/2 cup marinara
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano

Step 1:

Strain the tomatoes over a sauce pan, reserve the strained tomatoes.

Step 2:

Sweat onions and garlic in 2 TB olive oil.

Add tomatoes and Parmigiano Reggiano rind to the onions and garlic, reserve.

Step 3:

Add oregano, basil and bay leaves to the tomato water.

Add wine to reserved tomato water and reduce by 1/2.

Step 4:

Add the tomato water to the reserved tomato mixture.

Simmer 20-30 minutes.

Step 5:

Remove the bay leaves and rind, and using a stick blender, blend until smooth.

Step 6:

Add your warm water and yeast to the mixer bowl to bloom for 1-2 minutes.

Step 7:

Add 2 cups of flour (one of each whole wheat and white four) and salt. It should be thicker than a batter but not really dough.

Step 8:

"Wet Knead" the dough for 10 minutes, it may not look like much is going on, but gluten is being developed without putting a lot of strain on your mixer or walking it off of your counter.

Step 9:

Add white flour 1/4 to 1/2 a cup at a time while kneading until its climbing out of the bowl but is still slightly tacky.

Coat the dough in oil and cover with a warm damn cloth to rise.

Step 10:

Divide into 2 rounds.

Step 11:

Roll each ball out on a floured bench.

Step 12:

De-case and brown your sausage.

Step 13:

The sausage we used was very lean so there wasn’t much to drain off, but if you use a fattier sausage make sure you drain it.

Step 14:

Spread a thin layer of pesto on your crust.

Step 15:

Top with a layer of your home made marinara.

Slice your apple wood smoked mozzarella and place strategically.

Step 16:

Spread your browned sausage over the pizza.

Top with a nice layer of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-17 minutes. Watch it though, I know my oven runs cold so it might take less time in yours.

Step 17:

Wide shot of the pizza:

Step 18:

Close up shot: