How to Make a Delicious Thin-Crust Sausage Pizza at Home

There’s nothing like a homemade pizza with a crispy, thin crust reminiscent of Chicago’s finest pizzerias. By using cornmeal, you can achieve that perfect crunch without needing a pizza stone or special oven. Here’s how you can make your own delicious thin-crust pizza at home with homemade Italian sausage and pepperoni.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup warm water (110°F)

2 tbsp olive oil

Cornmeal (for dusting)

For the Homemade Italian Sausage:

1 lb ground pork

2 tsp fennel seeds2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)

For the Pizza:

1 cup pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni slices (as desired)

Additional toppings (optional)

Instructions

To prepare the homemade Italian sausage, start by toasting the fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer them to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind them coarsely. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, minced garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley, and ground fennel seeds. Mix well with your hands.

Shape the mixture into small balls, about the size of marbles. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage balls, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, approximately 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil and set aside.

“Thin crust pizza with bacon, pepperoni, and sausage on a plate. Cocktail in the top right corner of the picture.” by Topher is licensed under CC CC0 1.0

For the dough, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and olive oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Sprinkle cornmeal over two baking sheets to prevent sticking and add texture to the crust. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a thin circle, about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer each dough circle onto the prepared baking sheets.

Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over each dough circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce. Top with cooked sausage balls and pepperoni slices (or any other toppings of your choice).

Bake each pizza in the preheated oven, one at a time, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer the baked pizza to a large cutting board. Cut into slices with a pizza cutter.

Enjoy your homemade thin-crust sausage pizza fresh out of the oven! Experiment with different toppings, sauces, and cheeses to create your own variations. The possibilities are endless, and the satisfaction of a perfect homemade pizza is unmatched.