Sausage Pizza with Vodka Sauce
2 servings
20 minutes
Recipe from Ken Forkish's book "Elements of Pizza.
1
First, prepare the dough. Using electronic scales, measure 116 ml of water (32–35 degrees) and pour it into a mixing bowl. A small bowl will suffice for this recipe. Weigh 5 grams of fine sea salt and add it to the water, stirring until fully dissolved. Measure out 0.1 grams of instant yeast. Dissolve the yeast in the water and let it sit for a minute for hydration, then shake the container in circular motions until the yeast is fully dissolved. Add 166 grams of flour (preferably '00') to the liquid obtained.
- Water: 116 ml
- Sea salt: 7 g
- Dry yeast: 0 g
- Wheat flour: 166 g
2
Knead by hand: first mix the ingredients in a bowl with circular motions until a uniform mass is obtained, then alternate between pinching and folding to knead the dough for 30-60 seconds until a homogeneous consistency is achieved. The dough temperature at the end of kneading should be 27 degrees; measure it with a thermometer.
3
Leave the dough for 20 minutes, then knead it for 30–60 seconds on a lightly floured surface. The surface of the dough should become very smooth. Place the dough ball seam side down in a lightly oiled container where the dough was mixed. Cover tightly with a lid and leave for 2 hours at room temperature (21–24 degrees).
- Wheat flour: 166 g
- Extra virgin olive oil: 4 ml
4
Form the dough into a medium elasticity ball, working gently and carefully to avoid tearing the dough.
5
Place the dough ball on a floured plate, lightly dust it with flour, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap, and leave it at room temperature for 6 hours. Alternatively, you can leave the ball at room temperature for 4 hours and then refrigerate it to use the next evening. Without refrigeration, the dough can be used within 4 hours after the second fermentation phase is complete. If it has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for an hour while the oven heats up and the filling is prepared.
6
Prepare a sauce with tomatoes. Place olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and chili flakes in a blender. Add a tablespoon of tomatoes and quickly blend into a uniform emulsion. Add the remaining tomatoes and very briefly pulse to combine all ingredients. Over-blending will release excess moisture from the flesh, making the sauce too watery.
- Extra virgin olive oil: 4 ml
- Garlic: 0.3 clove
- Oregano: to taste
- Chili pepper flakes: to taste
- Tomatoes in their own juice: 0.3 jar
7
Prepare vodka sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, reduce the vodka until about 0.5 tablespoons remain. This will take about 4 minutes. Pour in the cream and continue to cook the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes.
- Vodka: 20 ml
- Heavy cream: 13 g
8
Add tomato and cheese sauce, increase the heat to high for a few minutes. Once the sauce boils, reduce the heat and continue cooking the sauce on low.
- Grana Padano cheese: 1 g
9
Remove the sauce from heat and let it cool.
10
Prepare the pizza. One to one and a half hours before baking, take the dough out of the fridge. Place a baking sheet or stone on the rack in the upper part of the oven no lower than 20 cm from the grill. Preheat the oven to 290 degrees for 45 minutes.
11
Cut the sausages at an angle into pieces 0.6 cm wide, place them in a heatproof pan, and put in the oven for 2-3 minutes while it heats up.
- Italian sausages: 150 g
12
Prepare the workspace. For this, sprinkle flour around 60 cm of the countertop. Place a wooden spatula nearby, lightly dusted with flour. Keep sauce, cheese, and sausages at hand, as well as a large spoon or ladle for the sauce. Before placing the pizza in the oven, turn on the grill for 10 minutes.
13
Place the dough ball on a floured work surface and turn it several times to coat it with flour. Form a disk using New York or Neapolitan technique. Transfer the disk to a floured peel. Gently press on its surface with your hands to slightly adjust and smooth out any irregularities.
14
Using a tablespoon or ladle, spread the tomato sauce in circular motions over the disk's surface, leaving 0.6 cm from the edge. Place pieces of sausages cut side down on the disk. Arrange slices of mozzarella, covering part of the sausages.
- Tomatoes in their own juice: 0.3 jar
- Italian sausages: 150 g
- Mozzarella cheese: 110 g
15
Turn off the grill. Carefully transfer the pizza from the peel to the baking stone or sheet. Close the oven door and set it to bake at 290 degrees. Bake the pizza for about 5 minutes until the crust turns golden. Switch the oven to grill mode and bake for 2 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the base is golden with slight charring (check after a minute). Use tongs or a fork to transfer the pizza to a large plate. Cut basil leaves with scissors and sprinkle them on the pizza. Serve immediately.
- Basil leaves: 4 pieces