Name: The Pizza Place on Mains 10" Rosie’s Delight Recipe
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3.25 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cups warm water; 2.25 tsp active dry yeast; 1 tsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp fine salt; 1 tbs olive oil; 0.75 cups tomato pizza sauce (or marinara); 1 tsp garlic (minced); 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese; 0.5 cups cooked Italian sausage (crumbled); 20 to taste pepperoni slices; 0.25 cups yellow or white onion (thinly sliced); 0.5 cups fresh mushrooms (sliced); 0.5 cups green bell pepper (thinly sliced); 1 tsp olive oil (for veggies); 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 tbs fresh basil or parsley (optional, chopped)

Method

Dough

Activate yeast and mix dough

In a small bowl, combine warm water (about 100–110°F / 38–43°C), sugar and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let sit 5–8 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Make a well and add the foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead and proof

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic (or knead 4–5 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook). Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 45–60 minutes.

Shape dough

After rising, punch dough down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. For a 10-inch pizza, take about 10–12 ounces (roughly half to two-thirds of this batch; whole batch makes ~2 10-inch crusts) — shape into a ball, let rest 10 minutes covered to relax the gluten. Then press and stretch into a 10-inch circle about 1/4–1/3 inch thick, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust. Place on a parchment-lined pizza peel or baking sheet or preheated pizza stone.

Sauce & Cheese

Prepare sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the tomato pizza sauce, minced garlic and dried oregano. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt/pepper) if needed. This makes enough to evenly coat a 10-inch crust without sogginess.

Assemble base

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet inside for at least 30 minutes. Spread about 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture evenly over the stretched dough, leaving the outer 1/2 inch bare. Sprinkle 1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce, reserving a couple tablespoons for the edge, and then dust with the grated Parmesan.

Toppings

Prepare toppings

If not already cooked, crumble and brown the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain excess fat. In the same skillet, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and briefly sauté the sliced mushrooms, onion and green pepper over medium-high heat just until they soften and release moisture (about 2–3 minutes). This prevents excess moisture on the pizza. Season veggies with a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes while cooking.

Top the pizza

Distribute the cooked sausage evenly over the cheese. Arrange pepperoni slices in an even layer (about 18–22 slices for a 10" pizza depending on size). Scatter the sautéed mushrooms, onions and green pepper across the top. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella over any exposed areas if desired.

Bake

Carefully transfer the pizza (on parchment or a peel) to the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and slightly browned at the edges. Rotate halfway through baking for even browning if your oven has hot spots.

Finish

Remove pizza from oven and let rest 2–3 minutes. Brush the crust lightly with a little olive oil if desired and sprinkle chopped fresh basil or parsley over the top. Slice into 6–8 slices and serve hot.