Ingredients

• 1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough, recipe follows, or storebought refrigerated pizza dough from a can or tube
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 pound mild Italian sausage, remove from the casings
• 1 cup diced yellow onions
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 egg plus 2 teaspoons water, beaten together

Directions

Basic Pizza Dough:

1 cup warm (110 degrees F) water

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Use as directed.