Farmers’ Market Pizza

Thin crust, deep dish, hand tossed or artisan. When it comes to pizza, it doesn’t matter how it’s served, I’d eat it all. Just my luck, this was a weekend full of amazing pizza.

On Saturday, I went a bit overboard at the farmers’ market. (Next time, I’ll be sure to eat breakfast before leaving the house.) So, I whipped up this tasty pizza topped with lots of onions, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper and basil to use up some of my bounty.

On Sunday, I went to a pizza party! A coworker and her pizza loving husband run a delicious brick oven pizza company named Red Rover Pizza. They invited a bunch of us over for a pizza making party. The oven is on a trailer so they drive it around to farmers’ markets, grad parties and all sorts of fun events. We all got to make and bake our own cheesy creations. So. Much. Fun!

Serve this pizza as a main dish or cut it into small pieces and serve as an appetizer for a crowd.

Farmers’ Market Pizza

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish: 1 hour

Pizza Crust
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt

Toppings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 fully cooked roasted garlic and Gruyère cheese chicken sausage link (from a 12 oz package), thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 medium ear of corn)
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 oz grated fresh Gruyère cheese
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves, if desired

In a large bowl, mix yeast, water and sugar together; let stand about 5 minutes or until foamy. Add in the flour, salt and olive oil. Mix well until a dough forms; let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, place tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt. Cover; pulse mixture until tomatoes are in small pieces but still slightly chunky. Divide sauce in half. Save half the sauce in a storage container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Set aside.

Heat oven to 450°F. On a floured surface, knead the tough for about 6 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Line a pan with parchment paper, sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough out onto parchment lined pan into a 15×10-inch rectangle.

Brush crust with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Spread evenly with tomato sauce mixture; top with sausage, veggies and cheeses. Bake an additional 8 to 12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust edges are golden brown. Broil pizza 1 minute to get the cheese lightly browned. Cut pizza into 6 rows by 4 rows. Top with green onions and basil.

Makes: 6 Servings

More pizza recipes to enjoy!
Rustic Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza from Sprouted Kitchen
Philly Cheesesteak Pizza from My Recipes
Tandoori Chicken Pizza from Taste