Pizza topping question

[Sjhill]

My in laws are coming in for a few days. I’m going to be making a few Detroit style pizzas one night. I’ve made a handful so far and they all turned out great. Up to this point I’ve only used pepperoni. I’d like to make a sausage, peppers, and onions pizza for them.

Would it be better to cook the Italian sausage before putting it on the pizza to cook, or would it be ok to just pinch off pieces of raw ground sausage and place them through the pie. My worry there is the fat from the sausage cooking.

Any advice is appreciated and I hope everyone’s ready for a great holiday weekend!

 

[Harmony BBQ]

I usually just put small pieces of raw Italian sausage on the pizza, it cooks just fine and doesn’t seem greasy. Maybe do one of each and see what you prefer. I like to sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil before putting on the pizza as well.

 

[Smoke Dawg]

Moose is the resident pizza expert.

For me if the sausage is very lean, direct on the pie is fine but if not, pre-cook to render the fat out. Bacon needs pre-cooked also.

 

[frognot]

I always brown the sausage first.

 

[Moose]

I add raw sausage as it is much juicier than cooked, which can be very dry. I've never had a problem using raw sausage on a pie and many pizzerias have been doing it with no ill effect, provided the sausage is in small pieces, which will cook very quickly.


But, I also like the texture and taste of cooked, crumbly sausage, which gets an additional level of browning when the pizza cooks, with nice little crispy bits.


For illustrative purposes, a cooked pie that was topped with raw sausage:

And one with cooked crumbly sausage:

Try both I say!

 

[food4thot]

Raw Italian works fine. I like hot for the extra zip. Mushrooms, onions, green pepper, etc also go on raw. Sauteing first takes a bit of texture/crunch out of them.

 

[bschoen]

Use a fatty.

 

[thirdeye]

We blind bake crusts to get thin and crispy bar-style pies. And will pre cook sausage and freeze it in small snack bags. So now, I can grab a crust and in about 5 minutes it's ready to cook.

 

[Fooball]

We blind bake crusts to get thin and crispy bar-style pies. And will pre cook sausage and freeze it in small snack bags. So now, I can grab a crust and in about 5 minutes it's ready to cook.

Is blind bake the same as prebake? Or bake half way?

 

[thirdeye]

Is blind bake the same as prebake? Or bake half way?

Yes. Bake a naked pizza crust on a pizza pan (without toppings) for 5 or 6 minutes to set the dough. Now the dough is ready to freeze or add toppings and continue baking to your liking, or add toppings and hold in the fridge until baking.

 

[pmad]

Raw Italian works fine. I like hot for the extra zip. Mushrooms, onions, green pepper, etc also go on raw. Sauteing first takes a bit of texture/crunch out of them.

I agree with most of this.
But sautéing onions before the pizza cook makes them much sweeter and flavorful.

Green peppers - personal preference, but I dislike them on pizza.

 

[food4thot]

I agree with most of this.
But sautéing onions before the pizza cook makes them much sweeter and flavorful.

Green peppers - personal preference, but I dislike them on pizza.

Get what you're saying but except for pineapple (with bacon to saltily counteract it), don't care for sweet on a pizza. Ever try raw Vidalia onion on pizza? You'd get the sweetness along with the texture/crunch.

Old coworker disliked green pepper on pizza or otherwise. He was fine with yellow, orange, red peppers but didn't like green. Think it was because they are not as sweet as the more ripened versions. Like raw white/red/yellow/green onion, I like green pepper for its little bit of bitterness.

Everyones taste buds/texture/visual acceptance are different. Daughter's Godmother doesn't like black pepper. She has no problem eating foods with BP in them, but won't cook with it and doesn't like seeing it on food. Guy Fieri is a Food Network superstar but refuses to eat eggs he can see.

Been fascinated with the topic for years.

What foods do you dislike and why?

 

[Sjhill]

Well someone forgot to grab sausage when they went to the store, so we will try that next time haha. Here’s the regular pepperoni and the pepperoni supreme. I was afraid of cutting the veggies too thick and them not cooking enough, but I definitely could have cut them thicker. Detroit pizza may well be my favorite style.

 

[Bury Me In Smoke]

Love Detroit style pizza! We always brown the sausage before putting it on the pizza

 

[Bury Me In Smoke]

Well someone forgot to grab sausage when they went to the store, so we will try that next time haha. Here’s the regular pepperoni and the pepperoni supreme. I was afraid of cutting the veggies too thick and them not cooking enough, but I definitely could have cut them thicker. Detroit pizza may well be my favorite style.

Looks fantastic!