Food Lust People Love: Everything Pizza Tartin

This Everything Pizza Tartin aka Upside Down Pizza is baked with the crust on top, so you can load up on "toppings" like Italian sausage, onion, artichokes, jalapeños and olives and still have a crunchy crust.

Food Lust People Love: This Everything Pizza Tartin aka Upside Down Pizza is baked with the crust on top, so you can load up on "toppings" like Italian sausage, onion, artichokes, jalapeños and olives and still have a crunchy crust.

Back when I had an oven heated by bottled gas, I struggled to get it hot enough to bake a loaded pizza crust crunchy on the bottom. Putting too many toppings – a particular problem I have – meant my crust was often soggy. Sure, I could put fewer toppings but no one wants a skimpily topped pizza, do they?

Then suddenly a solution occurred to me. Everything Pizza Tartin is baked upside down, French apple pie style, with ALL of my favorite ingredients, so the thick crust is still extra crunchy. Just flip to serve!

Here it is, straight out of the oven, before flipping.

I use this particular pan because it can go from stovetop to oven. I brown the Italian sausage, then I take it off the heat to layer on the rest of the ingredients, finally tucking the dough in on top.

But you can cook the sausage then bake your everything pizza tartin in a large pie plate or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. You do not want a pan that sticks. And don’t forget to cut some slits in your crust to let the steam escape. No soggy tops, or rather, bottoms!

I cannot tell you how pleased with myself I was when I figured this out!

Everything Pizza Tartin – Upside Down Everything Pizza

You do have to be careful to cook it just long enough so the crust is golden brown but the bottom doesn’t burn. When it’s starting to get just a little bit dark in places, it’s absolutely perfect. I figure about 25-30 minutes, depending on how many toppings you’ve added.

Ingredients 

For the 10in or 26cm round thick crust:

2 1⁄4 cups or 280g flour 

1 rounded teaspoon active yeast – about 4g

3⁄4 cup or 180ml warm water 

1⁄2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon olive oil

For the topping:

2 links Italian sausage, approximate weight 4 3⁄4 oz or 135g

Olive oil 

Generous handful sliced pepperoni – say 10 or 12 slices 

1 cup or 110g grated mozzarella cheese

1⁄2 cup or 120ml pizza sauce 

Other possible toppings: 

Small artichoke hearts, well drained and halved 

Sliced jalapeños, pickled or fresh 

Finely sliced onion 

Black olives 

Your favorite pizza topping - no need to limit your toppings!

Recommended: Fresh basil leaves for serving

Method

To make the crust, mix 1 cup or 125g flour with the yeast and add in the warm water. Leave to prove for about 5 minutes. You should see some bubbling.  

Add the salt then the rest of the flour, a little at a time, mixing continuously until you have a soft dough. You might not use quite all of the flour. Knead for about five minutes or until the ball of dough is smooth and elastic.  

Leave to prove in a warm place, covered with cling film or a damp towel, for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Pizza dough can be prepared one day ahead. Leave to rise, covered, in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before rolling out and baking. You can also substitute store-bought pizza dough.)

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C when the dough has about 15 minutes rising time left.  

Meanwhile, prepare your toppings. In the bottom of your ovenproof skillet, brown the sausage in small balls, adding a drizzle of olive oil.  

Remove from the heat once browned and spoon off some of the excess fat cooking the sausages might have created.  

Sprinkle in the finely sliced onion, the artichokes, jalapeños, olives and other toppings, distributing them evenly. Top these with the pepperoni slices.  

Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Spoon on the pizza sauce, spreading it around gently with the back of the spoon.

Roll or press your crust out so that it’s just a bit larger than the diameter of your fillings in the pan. Cut three slits to allow steam to escape while it’s baking.  

Fit the crust over the fillings and tuck it in all around the sides. Use a pastry brush to brush olive oil over the top of the crust and down the tucked sides.

Bake the pizza tartin in your preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the crust is a lovely golden color and quite crisp on the outside. When you tap it, it should sound hollow.  

Leave the pizza tartin to cool for about 5-7 minutes then invert it carefully onto a serving plate.  

If any of the bits do stick, just scoop them off the pan and replace on the pizza tartin.  

Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and cut in wedges and serve hot.  

Enjoy!

Welcome to the fifth installment of our Alphabet Challenge for 2024. Today’s recipes are brought to you by the letter E. Many thanks to our challenge creator, Wendy of A Day in the Life on a Farm.

Check out all the recipes brought to you by the letter E.