Step 1

To prepare your pizza dough, add your flour, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning and yeast into a large bowl, and whisk to blend; slowly drizzle in the water and the olive oil, and using a wooden spoon (or even your clean hands), mix together for 1-2 minutes until the dough comes together to form a sticky ball; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Step 2

After 5 minutes, you will do the “fold-over” technique with the dough: place your hand into the bowl on the side of the dough as if you're going to lift it out, but instead, pull the dough up and over itself, turning the bowl 90 degrees with each turn, for a total of 4 fold-over turns; allow the dough to rest 5 minutes.

Step 3

Once again, do another round of folding the dough up and over itself, turning the bowl 90 degrees with each fold-over, for a total of 4 fold-over turns. Allow the dough to rest again for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Do this fold-over technique for a third time, allow the dough to rest again for 5 minutes, then do it once more for a fourth and final time.

Step 5

Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 40 minutes at room temp, then place into the fridge for at least 12 hours, or up to 72 hours.

Step 6

When ready to bake your pizza, remove the pizza dough from the fridge about 2 1/2 - 3 hours beforehand; drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your cast iron skillet and grease it well, then add the dough in and turn it to coat both sides in the oil.

Step 7

Gently press the dough towards the edge of the skillet, dimpling it with your fingertips, until it reaches the edge (if the dough shrinks back, allow it to rest for 15 minutes, then try again; repeat if necessary).

Step 8

Once you have your pizza dough pressed all the way to the edge of your skillet, cover in plastic wrap and allow the dough to proof for 2 hours in a warm spot in your kitchen, slowly puffing up.

Step 9

About 20-30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°, and place your oven rack on the lower third section of the oven.

Step 10

Once the oven is hot, top your pizza by sprinkling about 1 cup of the cheese onto the pizza dough all the way to the edges (it'll bake into the edges of the crust), then dollop spoonfuls of your sauce over the cheese; next, sprinkle over another 1/2 cup of the cheese (reserving the remaining 1/4 cup), and add the browned sausage and olives in a single layer.

Step 11

Place the pizza into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes; then, remove the pizza and sprinkle over the reserved 1/4 cup of cheese, and place the pizza back into the oven for 2-4 minutes more until that cheese is melted and the pizza is golden on top, as well as golden-brown underneath when lifted slightly with a spatula.

Step 12

Remove the pizza from the oven and carefully run a knife along the edges to release any baked on cheese for easier removal; allow the pizza to rest in the skillet for 5 minutes.

Step 13

When you can handle the pizza, carefully lift it out of the cast iron skillet and place it onto a cutting board; then, cut into 8 wedges, sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve.