Fennel sausage pizza starts with a crispy artisan pizza dough and it’s layered with garlic oil, caramelized fennel and spicy crumbled Italian sausage.
This fennel sausage pizza is a revelation. It’s not like any fennel pizza I've had-- there’s no distracting tomato sauce and the toppings are kept extra simple. The focus is on the gorgeous caramelized slabs of fennel. Their sweet anise notes, crunchy caramelized edges and elegant shape are the main attraction. Spicy crumbles of hot Italian sausage echo the anise and balance the sweetness. And a big handful of creamy, cheesy full-fat mozzarella ties it all together.
I’ve found I prefer low-moisture mozzarella over fresh-- it melts beautifully and doesn’t make the pizza soggy. Finally, the crust is arguably the most important part of a pizza. I have the absolute best recipe for artisan pizza dough here-- it’s chewy, crispy and full of big bubbles and flavor. I can’t recommend it enough!
ingredients for the fennel pizza:
- your favorite pizza dough
- fennel bulbs
- olive oil
- butter
- sugar
- salt
- hot Italian sausage
- garlic
- full-fat low-moisture mozzarella
how to prepare this fennel sausage pizza ahead of time
the day before:
- Make the dough balls
- Slice and caramelize the fennel
- Brown the sausage
- Shred the cheese
- Infuse garlic oil
Store everything in the refrigerator, even the garlic oil.
when ready to eat:
- Preheat oven and pizza steel/ stone for at least 45 minutes
- Shape pizza dough
- Assemble pizza-- no need to reheat ingredients first (other than the garlic oil, which you can gently microwave to liquefy)
- Bake and serve!
how to slice fennel into slabs:
- Cut off the top stalk and trim the bottom root.
- Peel off and discard the tough or bruised outer layers.
- Set the bulb down on its base, then cut it in half vertically (through the stem and root). Place it cut side down and slice the bulb lengthwise (through the stem and root) into thick quarter slabs.
- If the bulb is small, simply set the bulb down on its base and slice vertically into thick slabs. This will give you the prettiest slices!
how to caramelize fennel
There are a ton of different ways to caramelize fennel, such as roasting in the oven or slowly cooking on the stove, but this way is my absolute favorite. The fennel slabs become golden brown and develop a toasty, nutty, buttery complexity.
- Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat
- Add olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper and stir to combine
- Arrange fennel slabs in an even layer
- Cook over medium low heat until edges are golden, 10 minutes
- Flip and cook another 10 minutes
- Set aside for the pizza!
Note: depending on the heat of your stove, the sugar may start to burn after the first batch. If this is the case, it's best to wash your pan and remove any bits of burnt sugar before repeating the process for the second half of fennel.
what type of sausage is good for pizza?
You can use any sausage that you love on this pizza. I prefer hot Italian sausage because it has extra flavor from fennel seeds, garlic and red pepper flakes. The spice is a delicious contrast to the sweet fennel and salty cheese. I also prefer bulk sausage, purely for the sake of convenience. Raw sausage links work, but you do need to remove them from the casing before browning and crumbling the meat.
do I have to cook sausage before putting it on pizza?
Yes, it is important to cook sausage before you put it on pizza-- especially for this artisan pizza dough. The pizza cooks very quickly, and there is not enough time in the oven to fully cook the sausage. The same is true for any topping you would cook before eating, such as raw mushrooms and onions.
more pizza recipes to try!
artichoke pizza with spinach parmesan cream sauce
morel pizza with fontina and crispy shallots
hawaiian pizza with caramelized pineapple and prosciutto
spicy calabrese pizza with salami and rosemary
white sauce pizza with mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta
buttery garlic pizza with fresh herbs
Printfennel sausage pizza
Fennel sausage pizza starts with a crispy artisan pizza dough and it’s layered with garlic oil, caramelized fennel and spicy crumbled Italian sausage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
garlic oil
-
¼ cup olive oil
-
1 garlic clove, peeled
caramelized fennel and sausage topping
-
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
-
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
-
2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
-
kosher salt
-
freshly ground black pepper
-
2 small fennel bulbs
-
4 oz hot Italian sausage
fennel sausage pizza
- 1 recipe artisan pizza dough (about two 15 oz dough balls)
-
8 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (whole milk, if possible)
Instructions
garlic oil
-
In a small saucepan, heat the oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. Remove the garlic clove and discard. Use oil right away, or refrigerate until ready.
caramelized fennel and sausage topping
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Using a sharp knife, cut the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, then remove tough or bruised outer layers. Cut the fennel bulbs in half vertically. Place the cut side down and slice lengthwise into ¼-inch thick slabs. If the bulb is small, simply set the bulb down on its base and slice vertically into slabs.
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Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Arrange half of the fennel slabs in an even layer in the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until edges are golden and slices are transparent, about 10 minutes. Flip and cook another 5- 10 minutes, until soft and caramelized. Carefully transfer to a plate and repeat the caramelizing process with remaining butter, olive oil, sugar and fennel.
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Wipe out pan, then heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, breaking up, until browned, cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
fennel sausage pizza
- Place pizza steel or stone, if using, in the oven and preheat to 500°F. Let stone heat up for a full 45 minutes. Generously flour a pizza peel and set aside. Alternatively, lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
-
On a floured surface, flatten the middle of the dough ball into a large disk, leaving a thick 1-inch lip. Pick up the disk, and holding the thick edge, use gravity to shape the dough into a 12-inch circle. Lay on prepared pizza peel and adjust shape into a circle. Jiggle the peel to make sure the dough isn’t sticking (add more flour if it is). Alternatively, transfer dough to prepared sheet pan. Brush pizza dough surface with garlic oil, then sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Top with half the sausage and half of the caramelized fennel.
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Slide pizza onto steel and bake for 8- 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned. Bake for 15- 20 minutes if using a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pizza dough and toppings. Let pizza cool slightly, then cut and enjoy. Serve with extra garlic oil, for drizzling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of a 12" pizza
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 3.4g
- Sodium: 338mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 7.9g
- Cholesterol: 19mg
Keywords: fennel sausage pizza
Ezz says
I made this yesterday with your amazing dough recipe, and it was DELICIOUS. I’d never thought to caramelize fennel, but it was fantastic! Thank you!
★★★★★
Indi Hampton says
Thank you so much!! Isn't the caramelized fennel so fun and delicious?!