I used to think it was too hard to make homemade pizza at home. But trust me, if you prepare your crust using the tips I’ve shared below – it’s a cinch!
Our favorite store-bought pizza dough is Trader Joe’s. The dough is made with enriched flour and I find it bakes to a chewy crust that puffs up nicely in the oven. It’s found in the refrigerated section of the store.
However, most grocery stores carry a comparable prepared dough – grab a bag next time you are shopping, and give it a try!
Sausage, Mushroom, & Mozzarella with red sauce is our favorite homemade pizza combo. In addition to the dough, here is what you need to make this beaut!
Italian Sausage, Mushroom & Mozzarella Pizza
Make your pizza exactly how you like it at home using Trader Joe’s refrigerated pizza dough. Super easy to roll out and bake!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
- 1 (8 oz.) package mozzarella or pizza blend shredded cheese
- 1 cup pasta sauce
- 1 (5 oz.) package sliced Shiitake mushrooms
- Sliced black olives & grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven (& pizza stone -if using) to 450 degrees.
- Step 2 Cook Italian sausage in a skillet over Medium heat, and brown for 4-5 minutes.
- Step 3 Remove the meat from the skillet & set aside. Add fresh mushrooms to the skillet to soak up some of the Tasty juices left from the sausage, and brown them for 2-3 minutes also.
- Step 4 Next roll out pizza dough on liberally floured surface to shape of choice (round if using a pizza stone, or rectangular if using a sheet pan)
- Step 5 Transfer dough to preheated pizza stone or sheet pan, and add sauce, then toppings.
- Step 6 Bake on center rack for 20 minutes, then remove from oven & add garnishes of choice!
Tips for rolling out your pizza dough:
- Allow dough to come to room temperature before you roll it out. (15-20 mins)
- Put down some parchment on your counter and flour the surface WELL. SO IMPORTANT! Then you can plop that hunk of dough out on the counter.
- Flour your Rolling Pin BEFORE you touch that dough with it! SUPER IMPORTANT! Roll the dough out to fit the pan you are using. (Round if you using a pizza stone, or rectangular if you are using a sheet pan.) If it looks wonky, after rolling it out, don’t sweat it – it will look “rustic”! 🙂
- Add toppings of choice – We use pasta sauce for the base of our pizza – but, you can use whatever you like. But to avoid a messy pizza, spread sauce sparingly.
- Leave a 1 inch border around the outside, and add some extra flavor by brushing the border with melted butter (or spray butter) and dusting with dry Italian Seasoning.
- Cook pizza in a very hot oven on center rack – follow package directions – but usually around 450 degrees
- Use a pizza stone if you like really crispy pizza (preheat it along with the oven).
- To reduce cleanup, simply slide your pizza, along with the parchment paper, on to the preheated pizza stone!
- If not using parchment, loosely roll your rolled crust up around the Rolling Pin, to transfer it to the pizza stone or sheet pan.
Whatever toppings you choose, I’m sure you will get rave reviews from your ‘homemade’ pizza! Enjoy!
