Il Circolo del Forno
A simple and bold winter pizza, ready in two or three hours. The roasted cauliflower with cumin — prepared separately in the oven at 400 °F (200 °C) — concentrates the flavor and loses excess moisture before topping the pizza. The crumbled fresh sausage cooks directly on the base during the first phase of cooking.
In short
- Total time: 2–3 hours (10 min dough · 1–2 h rising · 8–10 min cooking)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Hydration: 60%
- Rising: 1–2 hours at room temperature, dry yeast
- Result: melted smoked provola, crumbled sausage, roasted cauliflower with cumin
- Equipment: baking sheet, oven at 480 °F (250 °C)
Ingredients
Dough (for 2 pizzas)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flour 0 or 00 | 17½ oz (500 g) | |
| Warm water | 1¼ cups (300 ml / 300 g) | |
| Dry yeast | 2¼ tsp (7 g) | Or 15 g of fresh yeast |
| Salt | approximately 1¾ tsp (10 g) | |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 1 tablespoon |
Condiment
Main topping
- 7 oz (200 g) of fresh pork sausage (not spiced)
- Half a small cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 5¼ oz (150 g) of smoked provola or fior di latte
- Extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper
Finishing
- Coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- Spicy honey to taste (optional)
Procedure
- 1Dough
Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Gradually add the flour, then the salt and oil. Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rise for at least 2 hours at room temperature. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, wrapped in plastic wrap.
- 2Cumin roasted cauliflower
Break the cauliflower into small florets, season with oil, salt, pepper, and cumin seeds. Spread everything on a baking tray and bake at 390°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, until the edges of the florets are dark and slightly crispy. The toasted cumin releases a warm, enveloping aroma.
- 3Sausage
Remove the sausage from its casing and break it into small, almost crumbly pieces. Do not cook it in advance: it will go into the oven raw directly on the pizza, where it browns perfectly during cooking and releases its juices onto the dough.
- 4Preheat the oven
Set the oven to the highest temperature for at least 30 minutes. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven during preheating.
- 5Stretching and Topping
Roll out the dough with your hands on a floured surface. Drizzle a bit of oil over the base without tomato, add thin slices of smoked provola, then the already roasted cauliflower with cumin, and finally the crumbled sausage distributed evenly. A last drizzle of oil over everything before baking.
- 6Baking
Bake for 8–10 minutes, checking that the sausage is well browned and the edges of the dough are puffed and golden.
- 7Finishing
As soon as it comes out of the oven, add a few leaves of coarsely chopped fresh parsley. The parsley, when in contact with the hot pizza, wilts slightly and adds a green aroma that balances the richness of the sausage and the character of the cumin. If you like, drizzle some spicy honey over the sausage.
Technical notes
- The sausage goes into the oven raw: directly rolling on the pizza releases its juices into the dough. Cooking it first in a pan is one of the most common mistakes and loses all the juice.
- toasted cumin seeds in the oven is completely different from raw ground cumin: the heat opens it up and transforms it. Do not substitute it with pre-ground cumin.
- smoked provolone: holds up better during cooking compared to fresh mozzarella and adds a smoky note that pairs perfectly with sausage. Alternatively, use well-drained fior di latte.
Recipe by Il Circolo del Forno — April 2026