BBQ Chicken Pizza

October 16, 2009

bbq-chicken-pizza-crust

While I love pizza all year round, it certainly seems to become more of a staple as the weather cools. Not only do we find ourselves ordering in more often, but pizza just seems like the perfect option when you’re sitting down to watch a football or hockey game. Even better is that there is now a yeast available for pizza crusts that doesn’t require a rise time so that you can have homemade pizza in two shakes of a lamb’s tail (more on that in a minute – the yeast, not the lamb). I have no idea how I went my entire life without having a BBQ chicken pizza. It’s fabulous!! This is an especially useful way to use up any leftover chicken you have in the fridge. Feel free to use my recipe below as a guide and add whatever ingredients you like – black beans, chopped tomatoes, and avocado would be great additions.

The yeast I used for this pizza is a new line by Fleischmann’s that was designed specifically for pizza crust. The Pizza Crust Yeast has been formulated in such a way that it eliminates rise time and the associated worry that for some reason it might not rise. I was pretty excited to try this. Even though I love my very favorite pizza crust recipe perhaps more than life itself, sometimes you just don’t want to have to wait, and sometimes you just don’t want to drag out your mixer or food processor. This pizza crust yeast provides the perfect alternative. I mixed it in one bowl, with a wooden spoon and then kneaded on the counter, pressed the dough into a pan and topped it and baked it. Less than 40 minutes from when I began until I pulled the pizza out of the oven. It doesn’t get much better than that! On top of the convenience, I really enjoyed the texture and flavor of the crust. It got crisp, but not too crunchy and still had a bit of the chewy factor that pizza crust is known for. I know many people who are intimidated by homemade pizza due to the yeast factor, so I hope this new product gives some of you who may have been hesitant to try yeast-based recipes before the confidence to give this one a shot!

bbq-chicken-pizza-slice

And now on to the giveaway! I’m offering a $100 Visa gift card so you can host your own pizza party! One lucky reader, selected at random, will receive the card, which can be used anywhere that Visa is accepted. Now, for the guidelines:

Deadline: Thursday, October 22, 2009 11:59pm EST

Required: Your email address. You must fill out the email address portion of the comment form (it will not be published) or I will not be able to contact you should you win.

How to Enter: It’s simple! Leave a comment on this post and answer the following question:

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

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BBQ Chicken Pizza

Yield: Serves about 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 to 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
1¾ - 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Fleischmann's Pizza Yeast
1½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup very warm water (120° to 130°F)
3 Tablespoons olive oil

For the Toppings:
1½ cups cooked, shredded chicken
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil. Mix together until well blended; about 1 minute.

3. Gradually add ½ cup flour until soft dough ball is formed; will be slightly sticky. Add additional flour if needed to form dough ball.

4. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if needed, until smooth and elastic; about 4 minutes. With floured hands, press dough out to fill a greased pizza pan, or roll dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer to a greased pizza pan.

5. Mix together the shredded chicken and 2 Tablespoons of barbecue sauce.

6. Spread ½ cup of the barbecue sauce over the pizza dough. Top with chicken, bacon, onions and cheese.

7. Bake on the bottom oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust has browned.