Chicago Thin Crust Sausage Pizza
Crispy thin crust pizza with savory Italian sausage, sweet onions, and melted mozzarella. A classic Chicago tavern-style favorite with a flavorful homemade tomato sauce.
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- 1 baking sheet dust with cornmeal
- 1 oven
- 1 Rolling Pin for thin crust
- 1 small bowl for sauce preparation
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- cornmeal for dusting
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 ounces Italian sausage raw and crumbled
- 1/2 small onion thinly sliced
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- optional crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- Add cold water and olive oil, then mix to form a dough.
- Knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth.
- Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, mix tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and garlic powder to make the sauce.
- Soak the sliced onions in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Break the Italian sausage into small pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).
- Divide dough if making two pizzas, then roll very thin on a floured surface.
- Transfer dough to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce over the dough.
- Add shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.
- Top with crumbled sausage and sliced onions.
- Sprinkle dried oregano and optional crushed red pepper flakes.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the crust is crispy and golden.
- Slice into squares and serve hot.
Notes
- Roll dough very thin for authentic crispy crust.
- Preheat a baking stone or pan for extra crispiness.
- Avoid overloading toppings to keep crust crisp.