Recipe: Smoked sausage, mushroom and pesto deep dish pizza

Olivia Moore conjures up a smoked sausage, mushroom and pesto deep dish pizza - perfect for a long winter weekend. Photo / Olivia Moore - That Green Olive

Long weekends and pizza are destined for each other. If you’re cooking for a gathering this King’s Birthday weekend, this deep dish pizza will be sure to impress!

Because of this pizza’s rectangular shape, it’s easy to cut into small squares to feed a crowd (no need to manoeuvre around the toppings to cut skinny little triangles). If you prefer a thinner crust, simply bake in a larger dish and increase the toppings.

What I love most about this pizza is the way the Rookworst sausage “cups” with the heat - it’s just so satisfying to watch. Use any smoked sausage or salami here!

Make sure you enjoy this pizza piping hot, while the toppings are nice and juicy and the cheese is oozing. Plan ahead to allow time for kneading and proving; start the dough first thing in the morning and it’ll be ready for lunch!

Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com

Dough

• 250g flour
• 1/2 tsp dry instant yeast
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Toppings

• ¼ cup basil pesto
• 75g mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 50g cheddar, grated
• 100g smoked sausage, sliced into 5mm rounds (I used Rookworst)
• 3 sundried tomato halves, sliced
• 3-4 smoked olives, torn

Method

1. First, make the pizza dough. Stir yeast with sugar and 150ml warm water in a bowl to dissolve.

2. Place flour into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Turn the speed to medium-low and, with the mixer running, slowly pour in the water. Continue mixing for 15 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add salt and knead to combine.

3. Lightly oil a large bowl and add the dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm spot for 4 hours.

4. Once risen, transfer to a clean work surface and briefly knead. Lightly grease a medium rectangular tray and add the dough. Gently stretch outwards to evenly cover the base.

Cover with your damp tea towel and leave in a warm spot to rise for an additional 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 220C.

6. When the base has risen, spread pesto evenly over. Top with the sliced mushrooms, cheddar, sausage slices, sundried tomatoes and olives.

7. Bake for 15 minutes, until nicely browned and the sausage is well cooked. Serve piping hot!

Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography - in studio or on-location - for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation.

Olivia Moore - That Green Olive