Loaded Supreme Pizza with a Crisp, Never-Soggy Crust

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A true kitchen-sink supreme — pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion and olives — engineered so a home oven can actually handle the load. The sausage gets browned and drained, the mushrooms and peppers get dry-sautéed to drive off water, and the sauce goes on thin. The result is a pizzeria-style pie with a crackling bottom crust instead of a soupy center.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup warm water (about 100°F)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey or sugar
• 2 tbsp semolina or cornmeal, for the peel

• 1 can (14 oz) whole peeled San Marzano-style tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

• 8 oz bulk Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
• 6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
• 3 oz sliced pepperoni (about 30 slices)
• 3 oz thick-cut deli ham, diced
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives, drained and patted dry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper

• 12 oz low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley

Instructions

1. Make the dough: whisk the bread flour, instant yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir the honey and olive oil into the warm water, pour it over the flour, and mix with a spoon until no dry flour remains. Knead in the bowl or on the counter for 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky. Divide into two balls, place each in a lightly oiled bowl or container, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until nearly doubled (or refrigerate up to 48 hours for better flavor, then let sit out 1 hour before shaping). If using store-bought dough, divide it into two 8-ounce balls and let it come to room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Make the sauce: pour off and discard the watery juice from the can of tomatoes, then crush the tomatoes by hand into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, grated garlic, oregano, salt and pepper flakes. Do not cook it — you want a thick, raw sauce with no free liquid. If it still looks loose, spoon it into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl for 10 minutes.
3. Cook the sausage: heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the bulk sausage and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until browned and fully cooked through (165°F). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and blot well; pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the pan.
4. Dry-cook the vegetables: return the skillet to high heat and add the mushrooms in a single layer with a pinch of salt. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then toss and cook 4 to 5 minutes more until they release their liquid and it evaporates completely and the edges brown. Scrape onto the paper towels with the sausage.
5. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and cook the bell peppers and red onion over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender with a little char and no visible moisture. Season with salt and pepper and spread on the paper towels to cool. All toppings must be cool and dry before they touch the dough.
6. Position a pizza steel or stone on an upper-middle rack and heat the oven to 550°F (or its maximum) for a full 45 minutes. If you have no steel or stone, preheat an overturned heavy baking sheet the same way.
7. Crisp the pepperoni: arrange the slices on a paper-towel-lined plate, cover with another paper towel, and microwave 45 to 60 seconds until they cup slightly and release their orange fat. Blot and set aside — this keeps grease from pooling on the finished pizza.
8. Shape the first pizza: on a lightly floured counter, press one dough ball from the center outward, leaving a 1/2-inch rim, then stretch it over your knuckles to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a peel or a piece of parchment dusted with semolina.
9. Top it in this order: spread a scant 1/3 cup sauce in a thin layer to within 1/2 inch of the edge, scatter half the mozzarella, then half of the sausage, mushrooms, peppers and onion, ham, olives and pepperoni. Finish with half the Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Work quickly so the dough doesn't stick or absorb moisture.
10. Slide the pizza (parchment and all, if using) onto the hot steel and bake 7 to 10 minutes, until the crust is deeply spotted and the cheese is bubbling with browned edges. Pull the parchment out after 4 minutes if you used it. Shape, top and bake the second pizza the same way while the first rests.
11. Let each pizza rest on a wire rack — not a cutting board — for 3 minutes so steam escapes and the bottom stays crisp. Scatter with fresh basil, cut into 6 slices and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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