By Katie Goodman
Adapted from This Week for Dinner
I love to make homemade pizza now that I have a pizza stone. A very, very hot oven and a pizza stone have been the only way I’ve been able to get the crust anywhere near our favorite local pizza joint: crispy on the bottom and tender inside.
I preheat the oven to 550 degrees F (as hot as my oven will go) with the pizza stone inside and allow it to preheat for at least 45 minutes before I intend to bake the pizza. This helps get the stone nice and hot, so you can get that crispy crust.
If you don’t want to heat up the house, try putting the pizza stone on your grill. Preheat the grill to the same temperature (if you have a thermometer on your grill).
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Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
1 bunch Cilantro (leaves only), chopped
About 1/3 cup Sweet Mesquite barbecue sauce
10 ounces Gouda cheese, grated
1/2 cup Red onion, very thinly sliced
1 recipe Pizza dough, recipe follows
Directions
Step 1: Place a pizza stone on the upper middle rack of your oven. Preheat oven to 550 degrees F.
Step 2: If you have a pizza peel, flour that heavily, and assemble the pizza on that so you can transfer it to the pizza stone. If not, have everything ready to go, then remove the stone (carefully) and assemble the pizza directly on it before putting it back in the oven.
Step 3: Slice the chicken into 2 inch strips. Season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Sauté them in olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
Step 4: Spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce on top of the unbaked pizza crust, leaving about an inch border from the edge. Sprinkle the onions and cilantro over the sauce, followed by the chicken and cheese.
Step 5: Bake at 550 degrees F for 8-12 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like your crust.
Basic Pizza Dough
(makes 1 medium crust)
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated: The New Best Recipe
Ingredients
1/4 cup Warm water, about 110 degrees F
1 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
2/3 cup Water, at room temp
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 cups Bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Dried oregano
Directions
Step 1: Measure warm water into a medium-sized bowl or measuring cup (with at least a 1 c capacity). Sprinkle the yeast over water and let stand 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
Step 2: Place the flour, salt, and oregano in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine the dry ingredients. Slowly stir in the liquids until a cohesive mass forms. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Step 3: Form dough into a ball and put in a deep oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in bulk. Press the dough to deflate. On a flour-dusted surface, roll dough out.
Related links:
- Pizza Caprese with Garlic Focaccia Crust
- Supreme Veggie Pizza with Mozzarella and Feta
- Grilled Asparagus and Red Onion Pizza
- BBQ Chicken Pizza with Tomato Chutney
About the Author:
Katie Goodman resides in New Mexico with her husband and two children (a 4-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl). Learning in the kitchen, eating, trying new recipes, and sharing them with friends and loved ones are some of Katie’s favorite things to do. She wholeheartedly believes that part of the goodness in life is enjoying good food with good friends and family, and goodLife {eats} is a place for her to share what she finds good in the kitchen.
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