Archive for the ‘Chicken’ Category

November 8th, 2007

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

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I’ve almost perfected my dough making skills. Granted, I often cheat and let the bread maker do most of the work for me, but there is still the task of forming the dough into that perfect pie shape. Which is no easy task, if you ask me. When I first started making my own pizza, I often resorted to the rolling pin to try and work the dough. I’m not sure why this doesn’t work, but I think it has something to do with the elasticity of pizza dough, and the size of the pin. I’d roll in one direction, start going in another, and the dough would spring right back. Infuriating. Eventually, I’d get it stretched, but the dough wouldn’t be round, and it was often full of holes. Sure, it may have tasted the same, but I wanted beauty for goodness sake!

I began thinking about how they stretch the dough in the pizza places. I wasn’t going to throw it in the air like they did (and I’m still not), but I borrowed a few concepts from them. First, when you take you dough to your (floured) workspace, punch the round ball flat. Then, pick up the dough and toss it from hand to hand. You will start to feel it extend. Once the edges of the dough are overlapping your fingertips, grab the dough by the edges with both hands and work the dough while turning it clockwise. It will start to stretch significantly. At this point, I put it back on my floured work surface. It should be relatively circle-like. If not, practice, practice! From here, I work the excess dough in the center toward the edge, using my fist. Again work in a clockwise rotation. This will give you a nice, thick crust all the way around the edge of your pizza, with the classic thinner crust in the middle.

It took me a dozen or two pizzas to figure out this technique, and I was thrilled when I went to make Barbeque Chicken Pizza the other night and my dough came out perfectly. (Fine. Relatively perfect.) There are still a few things I need to do differently, however. I need to use 1.5 lbs. of dough for 1 large pizza. Not 1 lb. Not two. 1.5. I think that’s the magic number. And I need to cook the pizza on the bottom rack of my oven, so I get that crispy crust I like. Then, it truly will be perfect. ;)

Now, go make Barbeque Chicken Pizza, and try your hand and making your own dough.

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

You will need:

1.5 lbs. of your favorite pizza dough
½ bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into chunks
1 lb. Monterey jack or fontina cheese, grated
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and set oven rack to the bottom. Roll out dough as specified above and place on a large pizza pan. (This particular recipe was made using a metal pizza pan. Adjust your baking time and temperature accordingly if you use stone.) Prebake it for 2-3 minutes, just to help set the crust. Remove dough from oven. Punch down the middle if it rose.

Spread the crust with barbeque sauce. Top with grated cheese.

Toss the chicken chunks with remaining barbeque sauce and spread evenly on top of cheese.

Add diced tomatoes and sliced onions.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the crust is beginning to brown.

Posted By: Kelly |  Filed Under: Chicken, Other sauce  |  3 Comments  |  Permalink