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Cast-Iron Pizza with Fennel and Sausage

Peer reviewed by UK recipe editorsAuthored by UK recipe editorsOriginally published 28 Jan 2026

Meets Patient’s editorial guidelines

This fennel and sausage pan pizza is a fantastic way to achieve a professional, stone-baked finish in a domestic kitchen. By using a cast-iron frying pan, you create a beautifully crisp base that stands up perfectly against the savoury Italian sausage and the delicate, aniseed notes of thinly sliced fennel. It is a sophisticated twist on a classic comfort food, offering a wonderful balance of textures from the bubbling mozzarella to the charred garlic slivers.

As a high-protein dinner option, this dish is both satisfying and simple to prepare using shop-bought dough. It is perfect for a relaxed weekend meal or a midweek treat when you want something more substantial than a standard takeaway. Serve it alongside a fresh green salad to cut through the richness of the olive oil and melted cheese.

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Ingredients for Cast-Iron Pizza with Fennel and Sausage

  • 350g store-bought pizza dough, room temperature

  • 80ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 230g sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

  • 50g prepared marinara

  • 110g coarsely grated low-moisture mozzarella

  • 1/2 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced

  • 3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt

  • Crushed red pepper flakes and torn basil leaves (for serving)

How to make Cast-Iron Pizza with Fennel and Sausage

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Place a rack in top-most position of oven; preheat to 246°C. Place dough on a work surface; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, turning to coat. Stretch out to a 10" round and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Cook sausage, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned in spots and cooked though, 5–8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a small bowl.

Remove skillet from heat and carefully lay dough inside (use spoon to help you extend dough all the way to the edges). Season with salt, then spread marinara over entire surface of dough. Top with mozzarella, then fennel, garlic, and cooked sausage. Drizzle with another 2 tablespoons oil. Peek underneath the crust—the bottom should be golden brown and crisp from residual heat in the skillet. If it’s not, set over medium-low and cook until crust is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake pizza on top rack until crust is golden brown around the edges and cheese is browned in spots and bubbling all over, 10–14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then top with red pepper flakes and basil. Sprinkle with more salt and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Article history

The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.

  • 28 Jan 2026 | Originally published

    Authored by:

    UK recipe editors

    Peer reviewed by

    UK recipe editors
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