chef john's sausage and egg pizza

ingredients

• servings: 1
• 6 ounces hot italian sausage, sliced
• 12 ounces unbaked pizza dough, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal, or as needed
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
• 6 ounces shredded fontina cheese, divided
• 4 eggs
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup freshly shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves, washed and dried
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

recipe

preparation time: 20 mins cook time: 20 mins ready time: 40 mins


• preheat oven to 475 degrees f (245 degrees c).
• cook and stir sliced italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat until some of the fat has rendered out and sausage is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. transfer sausage slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• roll pizza dough out to about 12 inches in diameter and about 3/8-inch thick; sprinkle with cornmeal. flip dough so the cornmeal side is down and transfer to a perforated 14-inch pizza pan.
• spread pizza sauce in a thin layer on top of the dough. sprinkle with red pepper flakes and about 3/4 the fontina cheese. spread sausage slices the pizza, leaving 4 spaces about 3 inches across on the pizza for eggs. sprinkle remaining fontina cheese sausage slices.
• bake in the preheated oven until dough is hot, edges are starting to brown, and cheese has started to melt, 10 to 12 minutes.
• crack each egg into a separate ramekin or small bowl. remove pizza from oven and use a spatula to press the spaces between sausage slices flat. gently pour an egg each space. grind a little black pepper each egg yolk. lightly sprinkle parmigiano-reggiano cheese over entire pizza.
• return to oven and bake until eggs are set but yolks are still liquid, about 5 minutes, checking frequently to avoid overcooking eggs. toss arugula leaves with olive oil in a bowl until coated. remove pizza from oven, poke egg yolks with a fork, spread them around a little, and sprinkle arugula over the top of the pizza. cut into 4 quarters, each with an egg, to serve.