Breakfast Pizza/From Mix

Breakfast pizza is the unexpected morning twist that swaps standard tomato sauce for apricot or peach preserves and pepperoni for breakfast sausage slices. The sweet-savory contrast that defines this dish, fruit preserves underneath salty pork breakfast sausage, works on the same principle that makes bacon and pancake syrup so good. The Bisquick crust comes together in minutes, making this faster than scrambling eggs and toast for a crowd.

The lemon juice mixed into the preserves is the small trick that makes this work. Plain preserves are too sweet to balance the salty sausage; the lemon juice cuts through and adds acidity that ties the whole pizza together. Don’t skip it.

The Bisquick crust technique is direct biscuit-dough territory. Stir the mix and milk only 25 strokes with a fork, then knead briefly six times. This brief working develops just enough gluten to hold the crust together without making it tough. Overworked Bisquick dough produces a tough, leathery base.

A 450F (230C) oven gives the high heat needed for the crust to crisp and the sausage to brown in 15 to 18 minutes. Lower temperatures result in pale, undercooked crust and underbrowned meat.

Using pre-sliced breakfast sausage links makes assembly fast. The sausage cooks through during baking, releasing flavorful fat that infuses the preserves layer below.

Serve in wedges for a brunch party or family breakfast where one pan feeds eight.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t pack the Bisquick when measuring, packed mix yields tough, dense crust
• Slice the sausage links thin, about a quarter inch, thicker slices don’t cook through in the short bake
• Use a pizza pan or sheet pan, deep pans steam the crust instead of crisping it
• Serve warm, the sweet preserves get gluey at room temperature

Variations

• Sub strawberry preserves or orange marmalade for a different sweet base
• Top with crumbled cooked bacon or sliced ham instead of sausage
• Drizzle with maple syrup after baking for an extra-sweet finish