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Roman Style Pizza
Description:
This Roman-style pizza has a long-fermented thicker crust, and is absolutely awesome. Topped with prepared sauce, sausage, sweet peppers, and three cheeses, or with whatever you like, you'll want to make this on repeat.
Ingredients:
Dough:
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4 1/4 cups bread flour (500 grams)
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1 rounded teaspoon dry yeast (3.5 grams)
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1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons water (400 ml)
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generous 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (20 ml), plus 2 teaspoons more to oil container
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rounded 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt (10 grams)
Pizza:
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6 ounces Italian sausage
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1 cup diced sweet peppers and onions
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1 1/2 cups prepared pizza sauce
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2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
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1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
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1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
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1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Steps:
- For dough, mix together flour, yeast, and water with a wooden spoon until almost all flour has disappeared and a rough dough is formed..
- Add salt and olive oil and continue mixing with a spoon for about 3 minutes until a smooth, very soft and sticky dough forms. Clean off spoon and scrape down bowl. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.
- Perform first set of rotating folds: leaving dough in the bowl, with a damp hand, reach under and grab the dough at the edge of the bowl, pull it and stretch it over the top. Rotate the bowl a few inches and repeat about 10 or 12 times, then gather the dough into a ball as best you can, turning the smoothest side up. Cover the bowl, and let dough rest for 15 minutes. Repeat this stretch, fold, and rest process 2 more times.
- Transfer dough into an oiled container with a lid, rub dough with a few drops of olive oil and cover. Refrigerate for 24 hours or until doubled in size.
- Transfer dough to the counter. With damp hands press and stretch dough into a square about 15 inches wide. Fold in half, and then in half again to create a rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, and turn over so the seam side is down.
- Shape back into a neat ball with damp hand. Transfer dough into an oiled container, rub with a few drops of olive oil, and cover. Refrigerate for an additional 24 hours or until doubled in size.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and let stand on the counter for 1 hour to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare toppings: Cook and stir sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, breaking up any clumps with a spatula, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan; set aside to cool. Add red peppers and onions to the same skillet, and cook and stir just until they begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes; remove and set aside
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (250 degrees C). Oil a sheet pan generously with olive oil. A sheet of parchment paper can be placed on the pan to prevent sticking.
- Transfer dough to the prepared sheet pan. Use oiled fingers to press dough into a rectangle that almost covers the pan. If dough is too elastic to stay in place, let it rest for a minute, and then continue stretching and pressing into place.
- Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over dough and brush to coat evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pizza crust to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment from pan if used, then return crust to the pan.
- Spread crust with sauce, scatter over sausage and vegetables, sprinkle with mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese, and finish with a dusting of Parmesan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are well browned, about 15 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack; let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then cut and serve.
Enjoy!