You Need to Try This Whole-Wheat Turkey Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Pizza Recipe

Updated: January 18, 2024 by Olivia Mittak | Leave a comment

When it comes to pizza, we often think of it as a junk food. Something loaded with calories and fat, to only be had on special nights. We don't think of it as something that can actually be healthy. With this recipe, your understanding of pizza just might be challenged!

By using whole-wheat flour to make our own pizza dough, we automatically make this recipe a bit healthier. This pizza crust will have lots of fiber in it, helping your digestive system function correctly. Peppers and onions feature prominently in this recipe, providing both flavor and nutrition.

Turkey sausage is healthier than pork sausage. It has fewer calories and less fat. Turkey sausage can be blander in flavor, but we've taken that into account here. By making the turkey sausage just one of many ingredients, the neutral flavor won't be noticeable or a problem.

Turkey sausage can also be crumbly, so keep that in mind when handling it. It can dry out faster than pork sausage, so do your best not to overcook it. If you've been wanting to make your own pizza from scratch, this is a great way to do it!

Whole-Wheat Turkey Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Pizza

Ingredients:

Dough:
2-2¼ cups (11 to 12⅔ ounces) bread flour
2 cups (11 ounces) whole-wheat flour
1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups warm water (110 degrees)

Sauce:
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt

Toppings:
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch thick strips
4 ounces hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from its casing
Salt and pepper
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Pulse 2 cups of the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor to combine. With the processor running, pour the oil, then the water, through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds.

2. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer. If the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add the remaining ¼ cup bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to incorporate.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it into a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size, 1 to 1½ hours, before using.

4. Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Pulse the drained tomatoes, oil, garlic, and salt together in a food processer until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a liquid measuring cup and add the reserved canned tomato juice until the sauce measures 2 cups.

5. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a baking stone on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Let the baking stone heat for at least 30 minutes (but no longer than 1 hour).

6. Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a bowl.

7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide it into 2 equal pieces, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, press and roll the dough into a 14-inch round flouring the surface as necessary. Transfer the dough to a rimless (or inverted) baking sheet lined with parchment paper and reshape as needed.

8. Lightly brush the outer ½-inch edge of the dough with 1 teaspoon more oil. Spread 1 cup of the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border at the edge. Sprinkle with 1½ cups of the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, and half of the sausage mixture.

9. Slide the parchment paper and pizza onto the hot baking stone. Bake the pizza until the edges are brown and the cheese is golden in spots, 8 to 13 minutes. (Assemble the second pizza while the first bakes.)

10. Remove the pizza from the oven by sliding the parchment paper back onto the baking sheet. Discard the parchment paper and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Slice the pizza into 8 slices and serve hot. Let the stone reheat for 5 minutes before baking the second pizza.