Friday is my favorite day of the week. After work I have all the wonderful thoughts about what fun shenanigans me and my fam will get up to that weekend. I especially love Friday nights because it usually means I get to spend time with my husband and kids without rushing around getting everything ready for work and daycare the next day. Instead I can kick back with a brewski or two…or three and also because it’s Pizza Friday. What is Pizza Friday? It’s exactly what it sounds like. Me and Kyle eating homemade healthy(ish) pizza…on Friday.
I really love making my own pizza. When I’m in charge of the recipe I can usually sneak in a couple extra servings of veggies, which is great for Kyle…he would live off Jack’s Pizza if I let him. Also, I think my homemade pizza just tastes sooooo much better. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and it is so good coming hot out of the oven. I like my food super hot and it just wouldn’t be Pizza Friday without burning the roof of my mouth.
So below is my homemade healthy (ish) pizza recipe. I broke the recipe down into each of it components. It seems like a lot of work but I promise it’s not. And you can always make each element in bulk and freeze the pizza dough or the sauce. But to be honest I can’t vouch for the taste or texture after freezing, because truly it’s all so easy I just do it all at once when it’s pizza night. The only planning ahead piece is the dough needs about 10-12 hours to rise so just whip that up either the night before or first thing in A.M.
Kale and sausage is one of my go-to pizza toppings because I usually have some kale left at the end of the week that is on the brink of going bad. But you can feel free to add whatever toppings float your boat. Maybe you’re a pepperoni fan. Sausage, green peppers and onions would also be great. Or maybe you’re a plain Jane cheese kinda gal…nothing wrong with that. Whatever’s your flavor you can rest easy knowing exactly what all went into your healthy (ish) pizza. Enjoy and bon appétit!
–Monica
| Prep Time | 40 min |
| Cook Time | 40 min |
| Passive Time | 10 hours |
| Servings |
Giant pizza
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- batch pizza dough See below
- 1 cup spinach sauce See below
- 1 cup Italian sausage Browned and crumbled
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese Shredded
- 1 bunch kale Stemmed and loosely chopped
- .5 cup Parmesan cheese Shaved, shredded, or grated
- .25 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1 squeeze lemon
- 3.25 cups flour
- .25 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1.5 cups water
- 5 roma tomatoes
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- .5 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
Ingredients
Homemade Sausage Kale Pizza with Spinach Sauce
Pizza Dough
Spinach Pizza Sauce
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- In a large bowl mix flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in water.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 10-12 hours until it has doubled in size.
- Combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, minced basil, tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add in 1 bunch of spinach.
- Return the sauce to the pan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees. If using a pizza stone place stone on bottom rack during preheating. If using a sheet pan line sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Turn risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (Divide in 2 if using pizza stones). Roll out into circle for pizza stone or roll out into one large rectangle if using a sheet pan. If using sheet pan transfer dough to sheet pan and gentle press dough up on all sides.
- Spread spinach sauce over the top of dough. Top with Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, and kale (don't worry the kale will cook down a lot) Sprinkle parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper over the top.
- Put into oven. Begin checking for done-ness at 12 minutes. Remove from oven when cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
- Add a squeeze of lemon over the top. Let cool slightly, slice into 8 equal pieces and enjoy
Homemade pizzas are the best! We like to grill ours in the summer. Try it out when you get a chance!
That sounds so yummy! Definitely going to try and grill one this summer.