Summer Sausage Pizza

We love pizza here at Ishawooa Mesa Ranch! Our main lodge has a wood-fire stone oven that allows for that high heat you just can’t get in your standard oven. Let the sky be the limit when it comes to toppings! We try new stuff every time. But we sure do love using our beef summer sausage — treating it just like pepperoni. Another great meat to throw on is our fresh ground pork. I’ll share the sourdough dough recipe we love to make along with a sample topping using the summer sausage. This can be altered many different ways. Enjoy!

DOUGH (this recipe we got from Little Spoon Farm check them out!) This makes 4 small pizzas

Throw this together the night before you want to make pizza or even better a couple days prior. Letting the dough ferment in the fridge gives it a super yummy sour flavor.

1/3 cup (100g) sourdough discard

2 tsp (10g) fine sea salt

2 TBSP (30g) olive oil

1/3 cup + 1 TBSP (50g) whole wheat flour

3 3/4 cups (450g) AP flour or bread flour

1 1/3 + 1 tsp (325g) water

add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Cover and let the dough ferment at room temp overnight. The next morning, wet your hands to prevent sticking and do a couple stretch and folds with it. This strengthens the dough. Then throw it back in the container, cover, and let it ferment in the fridge for 8-36 hours.

When going to make your pizza, let the dough sit out for 30 min on the counter to come to room-temp. Divide it into 4 pieces then roll into balls and let them rest on a floured surface covered by a towel for another 30 min. Turn your oven on as high as it will go — with your pans in there to heat up. Best to use a pizza stone but if you don’t have that any ol’ sheet pan will work. Once the oven is heated and you’ve got your toppings ready — it’s go time. Stretch your dough out and toss some cornmeal if you’ve got it onto the pan before throwing your dough on it. If no cornmeal — use olive oil. Throw your dough into the oven for 5 min. This helps you fight the dreaded soggy middle! Take it out and then throw your toppings on. Drizzle some olive oil on the crust. Throw the pizza back in for another 10-15 min. Just keep an eye on it till it reaches your desired done-ness. Grate some cheese on top and sprinkle fresh basil if you’re really feelin it. Buon Appetite!

SAUCE

1 can crushed tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

sauté the garlic and onion with some olive oil or butter in a saucepan. Throw some salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, Italian herbs and a splash of balsamic in there. Then add the can of tomatoes. Let this simmer for 10-15 min. Then wallah! You have your tomato sauce. This is an easy and healthy way to make a red sauce. The pre-made stuff you get at the store usually has a bunch of sneaky sugar in it.

TOPPINGS

Ishawooa Mesa Summer Sausage, sliced

thinly sliced red onion

mozzarella cheese

and whatever the heck else you like to throw on there!

Enjoy!