Chicago Thin Crust Pizza

Instructions

1. Make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer (see Tips). Whisk together to combine, then add the water and oil. Mix at low speed with the dough hook attachment, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Mix on medium-low speed until the dough is silky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
2. Divide the dough: Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into two even pieces, about 250 grams each. Using lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a smooth ball, then lightly coat each with oil, using your hands to cover every surface. Transfer each ball to a quart-size zipper-lock bag or other sealable container at least three times its volume. (Quart-size plastic deli containers also work for this.)
3. Ferment the dough: For good results, let the dough rest at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 3 hours. For better results, refrigerate the dough overnight. For best results, refrigerate the dough for at least 3 and up to 5 days.
4. The day before baking, roll the dough: Transfer one dough ball to a work surface generously dusted with semolina or cornmeal. (Refrigerated dough can be rolled straight out of the fridge, though allowing it to rest covered for 1 hour at room temperature will make rolling easier.) Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin circle 14 inches in diameter, lifting and rotating it occasionally (use a ruler or measuring tape to ensure the right size). Repeat with the second ball. If the dough feels like it keeps bouncing back as you try and stretch it, cover it with an inverted bowl or a clean kitchen towel, let it rest for half an hour, then try rolling again.

5. Cure the dough: Transfer the doughs to a flat surface lined with parchment paper or butcher paper. Allow to rest uncovered at room temperature overnight. The top surface of the dough should end up dry to the touch with a leathery feel. If they puff at all during curing, you can push any bubbles with a fork and push them down to flatten them.

6. Make the Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and pulse until mostly smooth but a few small bits of tomato remain. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

7. At least 45 minutes before baking, set a baking steel or stone (larger than 14 inches, see Tips) on an oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drain excess oil from the giardiniera in a fine-mesh strainer, tossing to get as much off as possible. Discard the oil and set aside the giardiniera.

8. When the oven is heated and you’re ready to bake, dust a pizza peel with semolina or cornmeal. Lift cured pizza skin with the parchment or butcher paper still attached. The top (exposed) side will be drier than the underside. Place the pizza skin on the peel with the drier side facing down (so the papered side faces up). Peel off the parchment paper or butcher paper and discard. Using a fork, poke the crust all over to prevent large bubbles from forming.

9. Spread the sauce evenly over the entire surface of the pizza, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with half the Romano or Parmesan. Spread the mozzarella evenly over the entire surface, spreading it all the way to the edges. Use your fingertips to dollop marble-size pieces of the raw sausage all over the pizza. Sprinkle with the giardiniera.

10. Give the pizza peel a few shakes to make sure the pizza is still loose (if it sticks at all, using a metal spatula or pizza peel to loosen it), then transfer the pizza to the heated baking steel or stone. Bake until the pizza is as done as you like it. (If you like yours browned and bubbly in the center and lightly charred at the edges, that’ll be about 10 minutes, depending on your oven.) You can use a metal pizza peel to lift the edges of the pizza and peek underneath as it bakes to ensure the bottom is done to your liking.

11. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and sprinkle immediately with the remaining Romano or Parmesan. Allow to rest for 3 minutes, cut into 1½- to 2-inch squares, and serve immediately. Let the oven reheat for at least 10 minutes before baking subsequent pizzas.