Cast Iron Skillet Pizza with Spicy Sausage and Pickled Onions

Ingredients

Pickled onions

½ red onion

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Pizza

3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided

12 ounces (340g) store-bought pizza dough at room temperature

½ pound (0.226 kg) sweet or spicy Italian sausage, removed from its casing

½ cup marinara sauce

¾ cup low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup pickled onions

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Preparation

Pickled Onions

Add onion, vinegar, oregano and salt to a small bowl. Mix to coat all of the onions. Cover and set aside.

Pizza

Place a rack on the highest shelf of the oven, and preheat to 475℉ (245℃) or preheat your BBQ to 475℉ (245℃).

Place dough on a large cutting board or work surface and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stretch out to form a 10 to 12 inch circle (depending on the size of your skillet) and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet. Add sausage, breaking it up into bite sized pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until fully browned (approximately 5 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Turn off the heat of your element and carefully add your pizza dough to the hot skillet using tongs or a spoon to spread it evenly to the edges. Spread marinara sauce on top of the dough and season with salt. Sprinkle with cheese and top with sausage, garlic, and onion. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Turn up the heat to medium-low and cook the pizza until the bottom of the crust is golden brown.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 10 to 15 more minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Once cooked, let the pizza rest for 5 minutes and garnish with parmesan cheese, chilli flakes and dried oregano.

Looking to demystify the secrets around Pizza Dough, we love these tips from The Practical Kitchen.