Ooni Pizza with Portuguese Sausage and Cheese
If you want smoky wood-fired flavor, try this Ooni Portuguese pizza. Not only does the oven lend a smokiness, so does the chouriço (or linguiça). And the cheese here is no plain-jane--it's a dreamy sheep's cheese, so popular in Portugal. On top is a shower of lemon zest for a pop of brightness.
Equipment
- Ooni pizza oven (optional)
Ingredients
For the pizza dough
- 1 3/4 cup water (about 100°F or 38°C)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 5 cups Tipo "00" flour
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- Olive oil, for the bowl
- Cornmeal, for dusting
For the pizza
- 1 cup store-bought or homemade pizza sauce (I prefer Rao's)
- 12 to 16 ounces firm sheep cheese, such as Portuguese Saloio Regional or Spanish Manchego, shredded
- 12 ounces Portuguese chouriço or linguiça (pork sausage) or Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced or ground
- 1 lemon, preferably organic
Instructions
Make the pizza dough
- Stir the water and yeast together in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until frothy.
- Meanwhile, whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Pour the water-yeast mixture into the flour and stir until a loose, shaggy dough forms. It’ll look ugly. It’s ok.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead using the slap-and-fold technique for 1 to 2 minutes or until the dough starts to turn smooth.
- Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead the dough by slapping and folding for 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a taut ball by cupping it and dragging it across the surface.
- Lightly grease the bowl with olive oil, nestle the dough inside, turning the dough ball over, so it’s coated in oil. Cover with plastic again. Slide the bowl into the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours.
- The next day, punch down the dough. Divide it into 4 pieces (260 g each). Flatten each piece into a circle, and fold all 4 sides–top, bottom, left, right–into the middle. Turn the dough ball over so the seam side is down. Cup the ball in your hand, and roll it on the work surface until taut. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal, place the dough balls on top, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise for 2 to 3 hours, depending on how hot your kitchen is.
Make the pizza in a pizza oven
- Prepare the wood-burning oven for 600°F to 650°F (315°C to 345°C) cooking.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you're a pro at cooking pizzas in a wood-burning, go ahead and heat the oven to 750°F (400°C). The pizza will cook between 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
- Sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal and transfer a dough ball to the peel.
- Press down from the center to the edges, making a 12-inch dough circle. Occasionally, pull up the dough to ensure it isn’t sticking.
- If you like a puffed, thicker crust, stop pressing 1 inch from the edge. If you like a thinner, flatter crust, press all the way to the edge.
- Spread 3 or 4 tablespoons of sauce over the dough. Top with 4 ounces of cheese and dot with 1/4 of the sausage.
- Slip the pizza into the oven. Watch it CAREFULLY. As the end nearest the fire starts to blister and char, slip the peel under the pie, pull it out, turn it so the near end is at the fire, and finish cooking.
- Using the pizza peel, move the pie to a large cutting board or pizza pan. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut. Zest some lemon over the pizza and serve
- Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce, and cheese to make the remaining three pizzas.
Make the pizza in a traditional oven
- While the dough balls are resting (step 10), position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and slide a pizza stone on it. Crank the heat to 550°F (288°C) for 1 hour.
- Continue with steps 12 to 15.
- Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone and bake until the crust is well browned and the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Using the pizza peel, move the pie to a large cutting board or pizza pan. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut. Zest some lemon over the pizza and serve.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce, and cheese to make the remaining three pizzas.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5pizza | Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1789mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g