Chicken Pesto Pizza

Here's a twist on your standard pizza using some leftover chicken. I used drumsticks here, but any cooked chicken will do fine.

Get your toppings ready, you'll need:

2 cups sliced cooked chicken
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 - 1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 tbsps pesto 
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic, minced (optional)

Lightly fry the onion and garlic and set aside.
You just want the onion translucent and the garlic barely browned.




Prepare the pizza crust.

Dough ingredients:

• 1  1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 1 cup water, lukewarm
• 2 tsps sugar 
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• parchment paper

To start the dough add the water (you can use tap water as long as it isn't hotter than 100F) to your mixing bowl.  Stir in the sugar, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave it to activate 15 minutes.

While waiting for the yeast turn your oven on at it's lowest temperature.  Mine is 170F. It doesn't even have to reach that temperature and you can turn it off again. You'll be putting your dough in the warm oven later.

Add the salt to 1 cup of bread flour and mix into the water. Mix well, then add the all purpose flour. Add a little more flour, it might look a bit raggy.  Turn out on floured counter and knead to incorporate all. 

Put a tbsp or 2 of olive oil in a glass or metal bowl (I used the bowl I mixed it in) and toss the dough ball to cover.  Dampen a clean dish towel and place over top of bowl. Put the bowl in the warm (turned OFF) oven. Let rise 40 minutes.

Punch down dough, rest 2 minutes. Cut a baseball sized ball off and keep aside.  

Preheat oven to 500F (Yes 500)

If you are using a pizza stone, turn a pizza pan over so you are using it upside down.  Cut parchment paper to roughly fit.  Or just fold the corners under. (It can be bigger, not smaller than the pan) 

Place pizza stone on the bottom rack in preheated oven. 

Take your dough and start to flatten it.  Now put it on the parchment and press to form your pizza. Or just put it in a greased pizza pan if not using a stone.

Spread with sauce.

Next add the chicken.

Sprinkle the pesto over the chicken. It's a little messy to do.

Top this with the mozzarella and fried onion/garlic. And put your reserved dough ball on top. Drizzle olive oil over all.

Your pizza is ready to go in the oven.  Take the edge of your parchment and CAREFULLY slide the paper and pizza onto the stone. 

Bake at 500F for 11 minutes.

When it comes out of the oven, let it rest 5 minutes.  It'll be easier to cut.

If you like this you might also like to try:
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2014/03/this-is-best-pizza-ever.html

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2014/05/italian-sausage-topping-for-meat-lovers.html