Crazy Crust Pizza With Sausage

By Cybelle Tondu

Published February 3, 2025

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Rating
4(497)
Comments
Read comments

Homemade pizza from scratch in just one hour? Crazy! The no-yeast, no-knead recipe for Crazy Crust Pizza was first popularized decades ago when it was published by Pillsbury. The easy-enough-for-a-school-night pizza relies on a simple batter of flour, milk and eggs for a light, tender crust that’s reminiscent of a Dutch baby. Toppings like sausage, onion and bell pepper are scattered over the batter and the pizza is baked halfway before it gets blanketed in crushed tomato and mozzarella and baked again. As with any pizza, the particular toppings are customizable, but try to keep the total volume to around three cups for a well proportioned slice.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

FOR THE TOPPINGS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage or 3 ounces/about 1 ½ cups sliced pepperoni

  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

  • ½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

  • 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella

  • Grated Parmesan

FOR THE CRUST

  • 1 cup/128 grams all-purpose flour 

  • ⅔ cup whole milk

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • Black pepper

  • Medium-grind cornmeal, for dusting the skillet

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Start the toppings: In a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a medium bowl. Add the onion and bell pepper to the bowl and toss to combine. Discard the excess fat from the pan and set the pan aside to cool slightly. (If using pepperoni instead of sausage, simply toss pepperoni, onions and peppers together in a bowl and coat the bottom of the skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.)

  3. Step 3

    Make the batter for the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and a few cranks of black pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal into the pan, coating the bottom and sides as evenly as possible. Pour batter into the prepared skillet. Spread the sausage mixture over the batter and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the crust is set and deep golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Add crushed tomato and salt to a small bowl and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the oven and spread crushed tomato evenly over the toppings. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
497 user ratings
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Comments

Stuart

is there any way to print this without the double printover on top of the second page? Always one sentence is left half out and being a novice cook and imperfect follower of instructions, it leads to some confusion

sharon

@JevitchkaI I make pizza all the time, you don’t need to use the cornmeal if you don’t want to buy it. I personally like the little crunchiness it gives It lasts in the fridge for a very long time, however

DnR Mom

oh, the memories!!! you know it was gonna be a good supper when mom was making this as you got home from school! thanks for reviving an old favorite!

Ellen

I was surprised the crust was so good. This was easy to make and tasted very good. Definitely on the make again list. Substituted jarred hot cherry peppers for the bell peppers worked out great.

Rich

You can also use cornmeal to make wonderful pancakes (I use them in a recipe for Kentucky Griddle Cakes). Delicious.

A NYC Suburban Reader

Okay, so this is in no way a one skillet meal. I knew better but untried it anyway with the heavy greased sausage skillet. Nope. Don’t do it. Irbid a two skillet meal.

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