bbq chicken pizza

When I make pizza I usually go with the classic Italian-style thin crust with simple and fresh toppings. But it's nice to switch things up every once in a while. You only live once right? Better make it tasty! I'd also eaten an Italian version the night before, so I needed a change.

Sticking to my cheap eating trend-o-the-month, I scrounged the fridge to use up ingredients I had on hand. I soon realized I had all the ingredients for a terrific BBQ chicken pizza, except mozzarella. Three dollars later I was set!
Now that the toppings were set, I needed to make some dough. While great toppings are important for a pizza, if the crust is terrible, the overall quality of the pizza greatly suffers. So every pizza I make gets me one step closer on my quest for perfect pizza crust. This version is no different, and is now my newest favorite thin crust recipe.

I'm no expert on BBQ chicken pizza, but I thought it was absolutely delicious. Rob, on the other hand, considers himself a BBQ pizza connoisseur and thought it was awesome, even better than the one he ate at a restaurant the week before! With a reaction like that, you know it's gotta be good!

BBQ Chicken Pizza, makes 2 pizzas

• 1 chicken breast
• cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
• BBQ sauce, as needed
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 of a red onion, julienned
• 1 recipe of pizza dough, follows
• grated mozzarella, low fat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slather BBQ sauce on the chicken breast and sprinkle with a little bit of cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Let rest for at least 10 minutes then shred with two forks.

Place a pizza stone in the oven, preheat to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, roll pizza dough to a 1/4" thick and spread BBQ sauce in a thin even layer across the dough. Sprinkle with a thin layer of mozzarella and top with the chicken and red onions. Bake for 5-10 minutes until crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing. Serve hot!

Pizza Dough, makes 2 pizzas

• 3/4 cup warm water, 110-120 degrees
• 2 tsp sugar, divided
• 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
• 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Optional: 1/2 tsp garlic powder (I used it in this recipe)

Add sugar and yeast to warm water and whisk together. Cover with a rag and let sit for 8 minutes. Meanwhile add flour and salt to a stand mixer fixed with the dough hook. While the motor is running slowly add the yeast mixture until the dough ball comes together. Cover with a towel and put in a warm spot to rise for 1-2 hours.

After the two hours, sprinkle flour on the dough and punch it down. Cut into two equal balls. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface or clean countertop and roll to 1/4" thick. Add toppings and cook at 500 degrees for 5-10 minutes.