Sausage and Porcini Pizza with a Homemade Pesto

Here’s the pizza I promised and let me tell ya… it was an amazing pizza! Everything was made from scratch (minus the cheese, but I’m working on changing that). I can’t tell you how much better homemade crust, sausage, and pesto is!!! If you haven’t made any of these by hand it’s time to start and here’s why:

Store bought pizza crust: Like Boboli for example are about $3-5 and contains all of these ingredients some of which are GMO: Unbleached enriched wheat flour [flour, malted barley flour, reduced iron, niacin, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin (vitamin b2), folic acid], water, palm oil, yeast, salt, milk casein, sugar, mozzarella cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt and enzymes), preservatives (calcium propionate, sorbic acid ), fumaric acid, modified food starch, sodium phosphate, whey, monoglycerides, lactic acid, natural flavor, garlic, artificial color.  Making your own consists of much less: Flour, yeast, water, oil, and salt… all for approximately 60 cents!

Store Bought Pesto 4oz: For about $4-7 Contains: Basil, Soybean Oil, Garlic, Romano Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Olive Oil, Spice, Salt, Lactic Acid, Torula Yeast, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors (Soy). Contains Soybeans, Milk. Making 8oz of your own: Basil, Olive Oil (good stuff), Pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Garlic, Salt and Pepper for about $5-6

Store Bought Sausage 1lb: For about $4-6 Contains: Pork (high fat content), Water, Salt, Corn Syrup, Monosodium Glutamate (AKA MSG), Dextrose, Spices, Natural Flavors, BHT, BHA, Citric Acid. Making your own: Pork, Turkey, Identifiable spices that I’m proud to disclose, Shallots, Garlic, Green Onion for about $ 2.50

Yes it’s work, it is much harder than picking up the phone and calling Domino’s! In the end- not only is better for your wallet and your body but it’s also fun to create meals you can feel good about eating that won’t come back to haunt you the next day… or even next couple of days for that matter, you know what I’m talking about…

Prep: 1 hr

Cook Time: 20-25 min

Makes: 8 Slices or serves 2-3

Ingredients:

Toppings

• Sausage balls
• Porcini mushrooms
• 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into medallions.
• 1/4 C. Pesto
• 1/4 C. Parmigiano reggiano, the GOOD stuff!

Sausage 

• 1/4 lb Ground pork
• 1/4 lb Ground turkey
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1 TBS scallion, chopped finely
• 2 TBS Shallots, chopped finely
• 1 tsp. Marjoram
• 1 tsp. Sage
• 1/8 tsp. Tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. Ground pink peppercorn
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. Black pepper
• 1 tsp. Salt

Mix well and roll into marble sized balls. Cook in large skillet until cook through. Reserve for pizza

Basil Pesto (this makes a cup) you can store or freeze what you don’t use.

• 2 C. Fresh Basil Packed, big stems removed
• 2/3 C. Olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1/4 C. Pine Nuts
• 1/2 C.- 3/4 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
• Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredient in processor, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crust/Dough

• 1 (1/4 ounce) Package active dry yeast
• 1 C. Warm water
• 1 TBS. Sea salt
• 2 tsp Olive oil
• 2 1/2-3 1/2 cups Bread flour

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl.
2. Add sea salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cup flour.
3. Attach bowl and dough hook, turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute.
4. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to dough hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 5 minutes. If making 2 pies split dough into 2 balls.
5. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
6. Cover, let rise in warmest place in house away from draft until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
7. Punch dough down each ball.
8. Roll out dough as you like and place on your cooking surface. (stone, tin, pan, etc.)
   I pre bake my crust for about 5 min on the stone to firm it up… this ensures that the meatballs don’t roll off when you slide it in the oven.
   To Top: Spread pesto evenly, then place mozzarella on top, then porcini’s and meat balls, Finally sprinkle with Parmigiano reggiano.
   Bake for 20-25 min until bubbly and golden  
   Enjoy and Cheers!
   DON’T FORGET there’s still time to enter my OXO Giveaway if you haven’t already!

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