Meat Lovers Pizza with Ale Infused Dough

Brigid's Ale Infused Range Pizza

SUPER EASY PIZZA SAUCE

2 (10.75 ounce) cans of tomato puree
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool.

Store in the refrigerator or use immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce. Enough for 3 pizzas (or two if you like generous sauce).

BREAD MACHINE PIZZA DOUGH (recipe from "allrecipes.com)

1 cup flat beer (or simply whip a fresh beer for a moment to get rid of carbonation). I used Sam Adams White Ale
2 tablespoons butter (NOT margarine)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 tsp garlic powder (I like Penzey's)

DIRECTIONS

1. Put beer, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and yeast in a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting, and press Start.
2. Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Roll or press dough to cover a prepared pizza pan or stone. (to prepare, spread a layer of cornmeal or semolina flour on the pan to act as a separator between the dough and the pan or brush the pan with a thin layer of olive oil).

Brush dough lightly with olive oil. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Spread sauce and toppings on top of dough. Bake until crust is lightly brown on the outside, about 22 minutes. If you want your crust a little crisper,but still tender in the middle, bake it alone for 5 minutes, then add sauce and toppings and bake another 15-18 minutes, just until cheese is melted.

Makes one large pizza, medium thickness or 2 12 inch very thin crusts.

TOPPINGS (for one large pizza)
2 cups cheese, about 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella and sharp cheddar

Cooked sausage (drained). Amount to taste, I cooked up a couple pounds of ground sausage, used a couple generous hand fulls for the pizza and froze the rest for breakfast casseroles or calzones.

Pepperoni - enough to generously dot the top. The picture of the pizza pre-cooking will give you an idea.

Black Olives. (optional) A couple handfuls.

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs (I used parsley, dried basil and oregano and just a dash of garlic powder) mixed with 1/3 cup Parmesan or Parmesan/Romano cheese and then sprinkled over the pizza just before cooking. (yes in this case I used the dried stuff because it's what I had, but fresh is always better).