Hot Honey, Basil and Sausage Pizza with Goat Cheese

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#Dinner #Entertaining #Lunch #Pork #Sausage #Savories #Spring

This combination of Italian sausage links, creamy goat cheese and hot honey drizzled on fresh pizza dough will rock your world. We add a pinch of chili flakes from Peppered Earth for heat, and fresh basil leaves for a bright, herbaceous finish.

Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 13-15 min.
Allergens: wheat

Ingredients

  • ¾ lb. raw Italian sausage links
  • 1 lb. Market of Choice pizza dough ball
  • ¼ c semolina flour
  • 6 oz. (3/4 c) pizza sauce ( we use Rao’s)
  • 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
  • 1.5 oz. pepperoni, sliced
  • 4 oz. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced (or other mushroom)
  • 2 oz. red onion, sliced thinly
  • 6 oz. Market of Choice House Goat Cheese, chilled well
  • ½ oz. Parmesan, shredded
  • Pinch Peppered Earth chili flakes (to taste)
  • 1 T hot honey, to taste ( we use Bend Sauce’s Smokin’ Hot Honey)
  • 12 fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil

Steps

  1. Preheat conventional oven to 425F, or if using pizza oven according to manufacturer’s directions.
  2. Simmer sausage links covered in water to 165F internal. Drain water and lightly sear sausage in olive oil until golden. Remove from heat and cool to handle. Slice sausage ¼” thick. Reserve.
  3. Stretch pizza dough ball, gently tossing and twirling to 12” diameter. If using pizza oven, sprinkle semolina on work surface and lay shaped pizza dough over. Alternatively sprinkle semolina on parchment paper and lay dough over.
  4. Spread pizza sauce around dough evenly in thin layer. Top with shredded mozzarella, then pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and red onions.
  5. Break goat cheese (or spoon) over pizza with teaspoon. Sprinkle parmesan and chili flakes over.
  6. Carefully transfer pizza on paddle to oven, or gently slide parchment paper with pizza onto cutting board and slide parchment WITH pizza directly onto center oven rack or heated baking stone/pizza pan. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 4 min. for pizza oven, 12-14 min. for convection oven.
  7. Carefully remove pizza from oven to cutting board. Top with basil and hot honey drizzle all over. Brush edge of crust with extra virgin olive oil. Cut into 8 pieces and serve immediately.