Wisconsibly Pizza | Seasoned Cooking

For the whole wheat pizza crust:

2 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. vital wheat gluten*
1 T. olive oil
1 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. crushed rosemary
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ c. water @ 105-110° F

For the pickle cheddar beer sauce:

6 oz. light-colored beer
2 T. pickle juice
2 tsp. cornstarch
¾ c. shredded cheddar cheese
Pinch salt and cracked black pepper

To top the pizza:

3 raw bratwurst sausages, casings removed
½ c. thinly sliced onion
2 c. shredded colby jack cheese blend
12-15 fresh basil leaves, chopped or arranged artfully on top of the pizza

Add the crust ingredients (in the order listed) to the bread pan of your bread machine. Process according the manufacturer’s instructions for the dough setting. When the dough is done, remove it from the bread machine and press into a well-oiled cast iron skillet. *Vital wheat gluten can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores and will help traditionally tough whole wheat dough take on more tenderness and a good chewy texture.

While the bread machine runs, make the pickle cheddar beer sauce. Add the beer and pickle juice to a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil. Toss the cornstarch with the cheese. Once the beer mixture is boiling, add the cheese mixture, turn down the heat, and stir constantly. Toss in the salt and pepper. Stir, remove from the heat, and cool considerably before adding to the crust in the cast iron pan. If you make the sauce right away when the bread machine cycle begins, it will be cool enough to use when the cycle completes.

While the bread machine runs, fry the bratwurst sausage filling and crumble it like Italian sausages for pizza. Near the end of the cooking cycle, add the onions and fry lightly to give them some color.

To assemble the pizza, add the sausage and onion to the top of the crust that's been spread with the pickle cheddar beer sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese and basil. I like to make patterns with the basil leaves, but you can also chop the leaves and sprinkle them evenly either on top or beneath the layer of cheese.

Grill the pizza over 400°F heat for 15-18 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is puffed and tender. Cool slightly before slicing and digging in.

Yields: 3-5 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes, plus dough cycle time (which is usually about 1.5 hours)

Wisconsibly Pizza