The Alabama

The Alabama earned its name for two reasons. Conecuh sausage, a longtime Alabama favorite, is the star of this pizza, and it’s also a nod to my dad’s family roots. Since Conecuh sausage has always been one of his favorites, we decided to experiment with adding it to a pizza one night, and it was an instant success. Paired with mozzarella, creamy ricotta, and an optional drizzle of hot honey, it’s become one of our favorite combinations and a recipe that always reminds us of family.

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

Prepare one portion of the Homemade Pizza Dough according to the recipe. Once the dough has completed its rise, roll it out to your desired thickness and transfer it to a lightly oiled pizza pan. Using your fingertips, gently press around the outer edge of the dough to create the crust. Lightly spray or drizzle the dough with olive oil, then season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper before adding the remaining toppings.

Build the Pizza

Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the dough, then arrange the sliced (cooked) Conecuh sausage across the top.

Bake

Bake in a preheated 500°F oven until the crust is nearly done and the cheese is melted and bubbling. We bake ours at 500°F on the convection setting because we love a crispier crust, but bake it however your oven works best.

Add the Ricotta

Remove the pizza from the oven and add generous dollops of whipped ricotta across the top. Return it to the oven, switch to Broil, and cook for about 1 minute, watching it closely. The ricotta should just begin to warm and soften without burning the crust.

Finish & Serve

Remove the pizza from the oven and, if desired, drizzle with hot honey. Finish with a light sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan and a light spritz of olive oil around the crust before slicing and serving.