Ingredients for Dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp. instant dry yeast
- 2 tsp. semolina
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 tsp. olive oil
- 1 oz. butter, melted
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients for Sauce and Toppings
- 1 quart pizza sauce
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup water
- ½ pound fennel sausage
- 1 ½ cups shredded whole milk mozzarella
- ½ cup giardiniera
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
For the Pizza Dough:
1. Stir the warm water and yeast together in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast is dissolved. Stir in the semolina, salt, olive oil and butter.
2. Add the flour and knead until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading until the dough is elastic and smooth.
3. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise for 2-3 hours.
For the Sauce:
1. Add the pizza sauce, sugar, dried basil, parmesan cheese, black pepper and water to a pot and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before assembling the pizza.
Assemble the Pizza:
1. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 500-degrees F.
2. Stretch the dough into a 14” round.
3. Spread 1 cup of the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼” – ½ “of bare edge.
4. Top the sauce with fennel sausage; pinching off quarter-sized pieces, giardiniera, mozzarella (in this order) and sprinkle with dried oregano.
5. Bake the pizza for 20 – 25 minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned.