Soppressata Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and put an inverted baking sheet or pizza stone on the middle rack; preheat to 475 degrees F. Toss the squash, olive oil, honey, vinegar, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt on another baking sheet; spread in a single layer. Bake on the lower rack until lightly browned and tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stretch the dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface; transfer to a piece of parchment paper. Top with the roasted squash, sage, cheese and soppressata. Slide the pizza (on the parchment) onto the hot baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; top with the parsley, drizzle with olive oil and cut into pieces.

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix Romano and fontina. Make pizza crust. While second side of each crust is grilling, spread 1/8 cheese mixture over cooked side of each crust. Top with 1/8 peppers. Dollop 1/8 cup ricotta over each crust. Arrange 5 slices soppressata on each pizza. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tsp parsley. Rotate 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is evenly golden brown.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put 2 1/4 cups warm (100 degrees F) water in a large measuring cup; stir in the yeast to dissolve, then stir in the sugar and olive oil. Let stand until bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Combine 5 cups flour and 2 teaspoons salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the yeast mixture and mix on medium-low speed, adding a little more flour or water, if needed, until a rough, sticky ball of dough forms, about 1 minute. Let rest 5 minutes, then mix on medium low until no longer sticky, about 1 more minute. Transfer the dough to an oiled surface and knead with oiled hands until smooth, about 10 times. Let rest 5 minutes, then knead briefly again and transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Divide the dough into 4 balls, dust with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before making the pizzas.
• Make the sauce: Crush the tomatoes in a bowl using your hands. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the oregano. Cover and let stand 2 hours. Position a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack; preheat to 500 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. Stretch each ball of dough into a 12-to-14-inch round on individual sheets of parchment paper. Let rest 15 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic from the sauce. Spread a thin layer of sauce on each pizza, leaving a border. Top with one-quarter each of the mozzarella, parmesan, cherry peppers, soppressata and radicchio; drizzle with olive oil. Slide 1 pizza (on the parchment) onto a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet, then slide onto the hot stone in the oven. Bake until the crust browns, 12 to 15 minutes. Top with oregano. Repeat to make 3 more pizzas. Photograph by Con Poulos