Barbecue Chicken Pizza

It's been quite a while since I've made homemade pizza for dinner. I was making it a lot in the summer and grilling it outside so the kitchen wouldn't get so hot. Really, I should have been making pizza all winter because having the oven set to 550 degrees F sure warms the house nicely!

Unfortunately it's been so long that Logan has zero interest in trying a piece. We had been having it so regularly in the summer that he could manage to eat a few bites. And now we're back to square one. I might have the only almost 5 year old who doesn't like pizza.

One thing I've learned as a mom of a picky kid is that his dislike of x, y, or z isn't going to stop me from enjoying it myself. In fact, I think that attitude will probably help him in some ways. He'll see that we're still eating it despite his dislike of it, however unfounded that "dislike" is, since most times it's something he hasn't tasted. It's a very slow process, but I'm not going to let it stop me from enjoying what I love.

Eric and I loved this pizza. I had to make it twice to get the pictures since it still isn't quite light enough in the evenings to photograph food. (We liked it so much, it didn't even phase us eating it two nights in a row. And the house smelled amazing!) Who wants to make pizza in the afternoon, photograph it, and then reheat it for dinner? Not me. I want it fresh, hot out of the oven.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza
adapted from This Week for Dinner

• 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

Place a pizza stone on the upper middle rack of your oven. Preheat oven to 550 degrees F for at least 45 minutes before you intend to bake the pizza, this helps the stone get nice and hot.

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.

Slice the chicken into 2 inch strips. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Saute in olive oil over medium high heat until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

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.

Bake at 550 degrees F for 8-12 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like your crust.

Pizza Dough (makes 1 medium crust)
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated: The New Best Recipe

1/4 c warm water, about 110 degrees
1 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
2/3 cup water, at room temp
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 c bread flower, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

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.

Place the flour, salt, and oregano in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquids and continue to mix on low until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes.

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:
Supreme Pizza Panini
Supreme Veggie Pizza with Mozzarella and Feta
Grilled Asparagus and Red Onion Pizza
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Tomato Chutney
Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Peppers