Cast-Iron Vegetarian Sausage, Fennel, Garlic & Shallot Pizza
A few years ago, my pizza stone tragically met its maker.
The tile floor in my old apartment. It’s one of those things I’ve never bothered to re-purchase because I don’t make pizza too frequently. HOWEVER, this week I was craving pizza and was pouting over my pizza stone when I came across a video about making cast iron pizza… It had me hooked! I decided it was time to get back into pizza making, the right way (aka not just on a baking sheet while praying to the gods).
I like my pizzas crispy and overflowing with toppings. Some of my favorite of these toppings are vegetarian sausage and fennel. Something about fennel on a pizza is just absolutely delicious to me. I’m also really in a shallot phase right now and I’m always in a garlic phase. Thus, this beautiful pizza was born.
You may, of course add any toppings that you’re into. Either way, this pizza is sure to be a hit.
To make the dough, you start with active dry yeast, sugar and warm water and mix that into a flour, salt mixture. Let it rise, punch it down and stretch it. Pretty standard pizza dough! If you choose to use a store bought pizza dough, just be sure to let it rest on the counter so it comes to room temperature. This usually takes about an hour.
Cook your veggie sausage and shallot in the cast iron pan with olive oil. Remove the toppings into a bowl and place the dough in the hot skillet. Cook on the stove top until the bottom is crispy golden brown and then transfer to a pre-heated 450 Fahrenheit oven until it is cooked through and golden brown on top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and add basil… and voila!
This pizza can be customized a million different ways and is so filling and delicious!
Enjoy!
Cast-Iron Vegetarian Sausage, Fennel, Garlic & Shallot Pizza
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup warm water about 110 degree farenheit
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 package vegetarian sausage of choice
- 1 bulb fennel
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz low moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce of choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- red pepper flakes optional
- basil optional
Instructions:
- Add your yeast and sugar to 3/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Farenheit). Allow to dissolve completely.
- To your stand mixer (or do this step by hand), add flour and salt. Mix together.
- Add yeast mixture to the stand mixer and allow to come together into a wet dough. Change the attachment to your dough hook. Add flour and knead until it comes together into a dough. If you are using your hands, just turn out the wet dough onto a floured surface, adding flour as you go.
- Oil a bowl and add the dough, covered, to sit for about one hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch down dough, and roll out to the size of your cast iron. You will likely have to save about 1/3 of the dough, if you don't want a very thick pizza. If you find there is too much dough, save some for garlic knots or more pizza another day. This recipe freezes!
- In your cast iron skillet, add oil, sliced shallots and 1/2 package of vegetarian sausage. You can slice or crumble the sausage.
- While that cooks down, slice garlic and fennel into thin slices. Do not add this to the pan.
- Once sausage and shallots are cooked, transfer to a bowl. Preheat oven to 450 degreens farenheit.
- Add pizza dough to still hot skillet. Add sauce, cheese and toppings however you like them. Drizzle olive oil on top of the pizza.
- Put the skillet back on the stove top on medium heat. Cook just until the bottom of the dough is browned.
- Add skillet to oven to cook until the top is browned and bubbly. This should take between 9 and 13 minutes.
- Top with red pepper flakes and basil, if you choose.
- Allow pizza to rest 5 minutes before taking it from the cast iron, slicing and serving!
