Description

Fennel sausage pizza is a savory white pizza topped with garlic-chili oil, creamy ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, fennel sausage, and thinly shaved fresh fennel. Fresh basil and optional lemon juice add a bright finish to the crisp, blistered pizza.

Ingredients

1 batch Artisan Pizza Dough, divided into two dough balls (about 437g each)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

1 bulb fresh fennel, halved, cored, and thinly shaved (about 1 cup)

6–8 ounces fennel sausage, cooked and crumbled

½ cup whole milk ricotta

½ cup low-moisture mozzarella, shredded

2–3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated or shaved

Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

Fine sea salt or flaky salt, to taste

Fresh lemon juice, for finishing (optional)

All-purpose or 00 flour, for dusting

Semolina or cornmeal, for dusting the peel

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Instructions

Place a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 550°F, or as hot as the oven will go. Once the oven reaches temperature, continue heating the stone or steel for at least 45 minutes.
Dust a pizza peel with flour and semolina or cornmeal and set aside.
Combine the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Let the garlic-chili oil infuse while preparing the remaining toppings.
Halve and core the fennel bulb, then shave it very thinly with a sharp knife or mandoline. Toss with a small pinch of salt and set aside.
If necessary, cook the fennel sausage in a skillet until fully cooked, then crumble it into bite-sized pieces.
Season the ricotta with a small pinch of salt and stir briefly if needed to make it easy to dollop.
On a floured work surface, gently stretch one dough ball into a 12–13 inch round. Transfer it to the prepared pizza peel and gently jiggle the peel to ensure the dough moves freely.
Brush or drizzle half of the garlic-chili oil over the dough, leaving approximately a 1-inch border around the edge.
Scatter half of the shaved fennel over the dough, followed by half of the mozzarella and half of the cooked fennel sausage.
Dollop half of the ricotta evenly over the pizza and finish with half of the Parmesan.
Carefully slide the pizza onto the fully heated pizza stone or steel. Bake for 5–7 minutes, until the crust is puffed and the bottom is golden.
Switch the oven to broil and cook for another 1–2 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is bubbling and the top is lightly blistered.
Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately top with torn fresh basil. Finish with a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.
Slice and serve hot. Repeat the shaping, topping, baking, and finishing process with the second dough ball and remaining toppings.

Notes

Cook the fennel sausage completely before adding it to the pizza.

Shave the fresh fennel as thinly as possible so it softens during the short, high-temperature bake.

Reduce the crushed red pepper flakes for a milder pizza or increase them for additional heat.

For stronger fennel flavor, reserve a small amount of finely shaved fennel and scatter it over the pizza after baking.

Use extra mozzarella for a cheesier pizza or additional Parmesan for a sharper, saltier finish.

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps balance the richness of the sausage, cheese, and olive oil.

Preheating the pizza stone or steel for at least 45 minutes helps produce a crisp, deeply browned crust.

Refrigerate cooled leftover slices in an airtight container. Reheat in a hot oven or skillet for the crispiest crust.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 pizza
Calories: 520 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 920 mg
Fat: 25 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 52 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 22 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg