Sausage and Vegetable Deep-Dish Pizza

Sausage and Vegetable Deep-Dish Pizza (Adapted from CL)

For the dough

2 teaspoons honey
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil - reserved for later use

For the sauce

8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage
2 cups raw chopped broccoli, steamed crisp tender
2 cups of your favorite pizza/pasta sauce (I used some of the Spicy Pizza Sauce)

To top the pizza

6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ounces fresh grated Parmesan cheese

To make the dough

In a large bowl, combine honey, water and yeast - stir to dissolve and let stand for 5 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups flour, cornmeal, rosemary, oregano and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking - you may need a little more or a little less flour depending. The dough should still be tacky.

Scoop dough into a bowl coated with nonstick spray, turning to coat. Cover and rise until doubled in size - about 45-60 minutes.

While the dough is rising, continue on to make the sauce

Use a knife to slit the casings on the sausage and remove the meat. Place sausage in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned, stirring often to crumble. Mix in the steamed broccoli and sauce - stir until warmed through, about 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat and use to fill the dough when ready.

Preheat oven to 475

In a 9x13" metal baking dish, brush the bottom and sides with 2 teaspoons oil. Scoop dough into pan. Gently press dough into and up the sides of the pan. Spray a light coating of nonstick spray on top and cover with saran wrap - set aside and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove wrap and evenly spread sauce mixture into the bottom of the crust. Place in the oven, on the bottom rack, and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove baking dish and evenly scatter cheeses on top of the sauce. Return to the oven and bake until the cheesy has melted and the crust is golden - about 10-15 minutes more. Remove pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

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