Sausage & Pepper Pizza

To avoid mishaps, use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza from your work surface to the pan. Made of metal or wood and equipped with a thin edge, this paddle slides under the crust so you can transport the pizza with ease.

Ingredients

1. Dough for one 12-inch pizza
2. Cornmeal for dusting
3. Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
4. 6 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced or 1/4 cup tomato sauce
5. 1/3 lb. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7. 1/4 lb. spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces
8. 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into
9. 1/4-inch-thick slices
10. 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano

Directions

1. Place a cast-iron pizza pan in an oven and preheat to 450°F.
2. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round. Lightly dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and lay the dough on top. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil and spread the tomatoes evenly on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Lay the cheese evenly over the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Distribute the sausage and bell pepper evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle with half of the oregano and season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza pan. Bake until the bottom of the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the pizza with the remaining oregano. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut the pizza into slices and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Notes

All-Purpose Pizza Dough