Smoked Chicken Sausage Pizza

Pizza has always been one of my favorite dishes but ironically, I hardly get to eat it. The reason being my husband who just hates it. So this week, while he is away, I am giving some priority to my likes and making myself feel good. I had some smoked chicken sausages lying in the fridge which will serve as the main topping for the pizza. You can use any topping that you have at hand. 

Ingredients (makes 1 large pizza)

For the pizza base

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/8 tsp dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3 tbsp warm milk

1/8 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil (or any oil)

For the topping

6 tbsp medium spicy tomato salsa (you can use any tomato based sauce for this; i had this lying in the fridge)

1 pkt reduced fat cheese slices (you can use grated cheese as well; the quantity depends on your liking)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 smoked chicken sausages cut into small roundels

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup bell peppers (preferably, in all three colors)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

Salt to sprinkle on top

Directions

Take warm water and milk in a small bowl and add sugar and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir the mixture until yeast is dissolved and water has turned a tan color. Let it stand until foamy. This will take about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt. Then add the yeast mixture and oil. Knead the dough till it is smooth, not sticky, when squeezed. Transfer to a clean surface and knead for another 5 to 10 minutes. You might need to add a little more flour if it is still quite sticky.

Grease a medium bowl with oil and place the dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Cover tightly with a plastic wrap or aluminium foil and place in a warm spot (I kept in the microwave) until doubled in size, about 1hour. Remove the wrap and press your fist into the center of the dough to punch it down. Fold the dough back onto itself four or five times. Turn dough over, folded-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the warm spot to rise again until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Punch down the dough, and transfer to a clean surface. Knead the dough four or five turns into a ball. Lightly flour a clean surface, place the dough, and pat into a flattened circle. Using your fingers, begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center until it measures about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Do not press the dough all the way to the edges. Leave a slightly raised border, about a half-inch wide, around entire circumference of pizza dough.

Preheat the oven for 20 minutes at 230 degree celsius. 

Arrange the pizza dough into a circle on top of a greased baking flat tray. Leaving the raised edge uncovered, pour the pizza sauce onto the dough. Using the back of a tablespoon, evenly spread the sauce leaving a half-inch border of dough uncovered. Arrange half of the cheese slices on top of the sauce and arrange all the other toppings. Cover with left over cheese slices.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp on the edges and the bottom, 10-12 minutes. Using a pizza wheel, slice the pizza and serve immediately.