BBQ Chicken Pizza

 I really love the BBQ Chicken Flatbread at TGI Friday's, so I thought that maybe I could create my own at home. I used some of my favorite ingredients: fresh mozz, red onions, and honey BBQ sauce, to make a really amazing homemade version of the favorite.

I found this at Wal Mart and it's really amazing. It's smoke-free, corn syrup free, and has yummy honey in it. Make sure you get this.

Also, please make your own pizza dough! It's really simple and it makes all the difference in the health level and quality of your pizza.

 Pizza Dough (for 1 large pizza):

• 1 Tbs. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 cup hot water (110-115F)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

This is a really quick food processor dough. You can do this.

First, Combine the yeast and sugar in a bowl. Get the tap water hot. If it feels too hot for your hand, it's the right temperature for the yeast. Pour 1 cup of hot water in with the yeast, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Until frothy on top. If it doesn't get all frothy on top, your yeast is bad and you need new yeast.

In the bowl of the food processor, combine the flour and salt, and pulse a few times. Next, with the mixer running, slowly add in all of the yeast mixture, being sure to scrape out all of it. Let the mixer run until the dough clumps into a nice ball.

Coat a large bowl with the olive oil, and form the dough into a round shape. Toss it around in the bowl so it gets coated in the oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm place, such as in a warm oven with the door cracked open, or in a warmer drawer, until doubled in size--about 1.5 hours.

Pizza Ingredients:

•  1 cup of honey BBQ sauce (smoke free!)
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella
• 1/2 cup chopped roma tomato
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 8 oz. of mixed cheese (whatever you want--cheddar, parmesan, monterey jack...)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano, or 2 tsp. fresh, chopped
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

While your pizza dough is hanging out in the sauna, cook your chicken in a pan on the stove. Like I am always saying, guys, get the pan hot before adding in your fat, and then when the air above it feels hot, add in your SALTED chicken. Sear on the first side for 3-7 minutes, depending on the thickness, and then flip it once and cook the other side. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool before shredding. You could also bake it at 375 for about 25 minutes.

 Prepare your toppings--chop up the veg, slice your fresh mozzarella, and then preheat your oven to 400F with your pizza pan/stone inside. If you don't have either of those, just use an upside down cookie sheet, just make your pizza a rectangle shape so it fits. 

When the dough is ready--after the 1.5 hour period, flour up your hands and your surface, and punch it down. Scrape out all of the dough onto a flat surface, and roll it into a thick, 8 inch circle. From there you can toss it, stretch it out in the air, dance around the kitchen to 80's rock music,  and whatever other crazy stuff you want to do to make it the shape you need for your pizza. It should be pretty thin in its final form--about 1/4 inch thick. As you are stretching it out, though, if you want a thick crust, try to leave the outer 1 inch of the circumference a little thicker than the center.

When it's all stretched out and good to go, flour it again and lay it on your counter for a sec.

Take your hot pizza cooking surface (whatever it may be) out of the oven and pour and spread out some olive oil evenly over it. Lay down your pizza crust. There will be sizzling- and this is good.

Next, brush the surface of the crust, minus 1 inch of circumference, liberally with BBQ sauce. Toss your shredded chicken in the remainder. Add on your tomatoes, sauced chicken, and then the shredded mixed cheese. Add on your fresh mozzarella, scattered about, and then your onions and oregano. Add a crack of black pepper and a scattering of sea salt. Add a brushing of olive oil the the crust.




 Place in the oven for 18-25 minutes, until browned and bubbling.