American | Barbecue-Chicken Pizza
Posted on April 17, 2012
Mark used to make barbecue-chicken pizza with Boboli and prepackaged chicken when watching football games with his friends. I saw this in Lucky Peach magazine and thought it would be a great upgrade, and it was. I really liked the dough and found it easy to make. I made two pizzas the first night, then stored the remaining dough in the refrigerator and used two days later and it worked fine. I found that I needed more barbecue sauce to get the chicken where I wanted it, and generally more of all toppings.
Yield: 4 8-10" pizzas
Ingredients
PIZZA DOUGH
1 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115°F)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
PIZZA
3/4 pound cooked, shredded chicken (I use roasted chicken from Whole Foods)
1/4 cup store-bought barbecue sauce, preferably Gayle's (I use Annie's Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated fontina cheese
(variation: replace mozzarella and fontina with smoked gouda)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bunch cilantro leaves, washed
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
Method
PIZZA DOUGH
In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in the water. Add the honey and stir. Let sit 2 or 3 minutes, until the water is cloudy. Stir in the olive oil.
Combine 3 cups of flour with the salt and add it to the yeast mixture all at once. Mix it together using the paddle attachment, then change to the dough hook once the mixture comes together. Knead at low speed for 2 minutes, then turn up to medium speed and knead until the dough comes cleanly away from sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5–7 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for 2 or 3 minutes longer. Add flour as necessary until the dough is smooth and elastic. When you press it with your finger it should slowly spring back, and it should not feel very tacky.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes, or up to an hour. When it is ready the dough will stretch without tearing as it is gently pulled.
Divide dough into 4 equal balls. Shape each ball by gently pulling on the sides of the ball and tucking them under the bottom, working around the ball 4 or 5 times. Then, on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball around under your palm until the ball feels smooth and firm, about one minute. Put the balls on a tray or platter, cover with oiled plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave them to rest for at least 30 minutes. At this point, the dough balls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. You will need to punch them down again when you are ready to roll out the pizzas.
Place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface. Turn the dough as you press down on the center with the heel of your hand, gradually spreading it out to a circle 8" to 10" in diameter. Alternatively, use a rolling pin to get an even circle. Form a slightly thicker raised rim around the edge of the circle. You can transfer the pizza to a lightly oiled pizza pan if you like, or bake it directly on the stone.
PIZZA
Salt and pepper the chicken, then toss it with the barbecue sauce and set aside.
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
In a medium skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté with a little salt and pepper until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Shape each pizza as directed in the pizza dough recipe. Spread a layer of barbecue sauce on the pizza. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over each one and top with the onions and chicken.
Using a lightly floured (I use cornmeal instead) baker's peel or rimless flat baking tray, slide the pizza onto the baking stone and baked until the crust is nicely browned, 10 to 12 minutes. (My pizzas only took about 8 minutes.) Carefully transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
Garnish each pizza with cilantro, and cut it into slices with a pizza cutter or very sharp knife. Serve immediately.
(Ref. "Barbecue-Chicken Pizza" recipe, Lucky Peach magazine, Issue 3.)