Sausage and Chanterelle Mushroom Pizza

Chanterelle mushrooms are typically harvested in the fall in the Northern Hemisphere and a common wild mushroom. The flavor is rich, moist, and when browned on pizza an amazing flavor combination.

Whether you’re firing up a pizza oven or baking it in your home kitchen, each slice of this irresistible pizza is a delicious adventure waiting to be savored.

Ingredients + Substitutions for Sausage and Chanterelle Mushroom Pizza

The ingredients are intended for an 11 to 12-inch pizza. The exact portions are in the recipe card.

• Chanterelle Mushrooms – You can also use any other wild mushrooms from shiitake to cremini. But chanterelles are not only gorgeous making for a great presentation, they’re also savory and delicious. 4-ounces of mushrooms will fill one 12-inch pizza.
• Ground Italian Sausage – We love the juiciness and flavor of cooked Italian sausage. You can use any flavor you like (spicy or mild). Plan 1/2 pound of sausage per pizza (pre-cooked weight).
• Pizza Dough – We recommend a good homemade Pizza Dough or a trusted store-bought favorite. Alternatively, you can also use a Sourdough Pizza Dough or a Gluten-Free Pizza Dough. Be sure it’s room temperature before trying to form into a pizza round.
• Garlic Oil – Instead of a Red Pizza Sauce we use homemade garlic oil to allow the flavor of the mushrooms to shine. This is as simple as mixing some minced garlic with extra virgin olive oil. That’s it. You can also use a white sauce if you prefer a richer flavor.
• Mozzarella Cheese – We recommend using the fresh cheese that comes in water versus low moisture shredded, especially if using in a pizza oven (with its very high temps). It melts more consistently.
• Red Chili Flakes – Add a touch of heat with the mild red chili pepper flake.
• Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – Adding this after the pizza is done adds a nice salty flavor and additional creaminess.

As an optional finish consider adding Maldon finishing salt or micro greens for garnish.

Preparation

It’s best to prepare the ingredients while the pizza oven or grill is warming up. Since we are cooking on a quick-cooking pizza oven, we want to cook (brown up) the mushrooms and sausage before assembling and baking the pizza.

Brown Mushrooms

Roughly chop them vertically along the stem. Then in a large skillet set to medium heat, add olive oil or butter. Add the mushrooms for five to six minutes until browned and then flip them and continue browning the other side. Add a touch of kosher salt when finished. The mushrooms will reduce in size.

Brown Sausage

In a skillet set to medium heat, add some olive oil and the ground sausage. Continue to stir until it’s all browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat.

Make Garlic Oil

In a small bowl, add olive oil and the minced garlic and stir to combine. We find it easiest to mince the garlic using a micro plane.

We are using garlic oil in place of a classic red sauce or white sauce. The flavor compliments the earthy mushrooms without overpowering their delicate flavor the way a red sauce would.

Tools Used

Here are some of our must-have tools. You can also explore all of the pizza tools we recommend if you are really into making pizza at home.

• Pizza Stone – If using a grill or indoor home oven use a good pizza stone.
• IR Thermometer – Important if you are measuring an accurate temperature of your pizza stone.
• Pizza Peel – We prefer a wooden pizza peel. If using metal consider one with perforated holes in it to allow excess flour to fall off as you launch your pizza.
• Extra Flour – Be sure to have a small amount of flour to dust your pizza peel and cutting board for an easy launch of the pizza.

How to Make Sausage and Chanterelle Mushroom Pizza

We cooked this pizza on our Alfa Forni “Pizze” oven with oak wood. It can also be modified to cook on your grill or in your oven using a pizza stone.

• Dedicated Pizza Oven – pizza stone temp: 700 – 725 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven should be running between 800 and 950 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Home Oven or Grill – pizza stone temp: 500 – 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven or grill should be at 550 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Preheat your oven until the pizza stone is at the target temperature based on your cooker.
2. Sprinkle flour onto a cutting board (we prefer semolina flour for this). Form the pizza dough into a round.
3. Use a brush or large spoon to layer the garlic oil within 1″ of the rim. Then layer the mozzarella cheese, sausage, and browned chanterelle mushrooms.
4. Slide your pizza peel under the pizza and slide it onto the pre-warmed pizza stone. Rotate according to your pizza oven directions and cook until the dough is browned and the cheese is melted (about 2 minutes for a dedicated pizza oven and 10 minutes for a grill or traditional indoor kitchen oven).
5. Remove with a pizza peel onto the cutting board and add any optional toppings like Maldon salt or red chili flakes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)