DEEP-DISH PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE, GARLIC, AND MOZZARELLA

Deep-Dish Pizza With Sausage, Garlic, and Mozzarella image

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Categories Pork

Time 1h15m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicago-style deep-dish pizza dough, at room temperature (Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza Dough)
1 lb mild Italian sausage or 1 lb hot Italian sausage, crumbled
1 lb mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 cups chicago-style pizza sauce (Tomato Sauce for Chicago Style Pizza)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Steps:

Position oven rack on the 2nd-lowest level in the oven and place a baking stone on the rack; preheat oven to 500°.
Brush a 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan with ½ tablespoon olive oil.
Press the dough evenly to cover the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a big skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoons olive oil; swirl to coat the pan.
Scatter the sausage in the pan; stir/saute until the sausage is cooked through and not pink, 5 minutes; drain sausage, then transfer to paper towel lined plate.
Assemble pizza: lightly press the dough up the sides of the pan if it has slid back down.
Lay half of the mozzarella slices over dough, overlapping them to cover the dough completely.
Scatter the cooked sausage over the top; sprinkle the garlic over the sausage.
Arrange the remaining cheese slices over the top.
Ladle tomato sauce evenly over the cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan over the sauce.
Place pizza in oven on the baking stone; decrease temperature to 450°.
Bake about 30 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown and the cheese is golden.
Remove pizza from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 5-7 minutes.
Cut pizza into large wedges and serve.