[recipe] barbecue chicken and bacon pizza

say hello to my favorite pizza.  (and my shockingly grimy cookie sheet)

i'm not going to try to sell this to you.  it is not healthy.  not in the slightest.   but it is DANG GOOD.

make it sometime.  you will thank me.


barbecue chicken and bacon pizza

you need:

poached and shredded chicken thighs
shredded mozzarella or favorite pizza blend
about 1/4 of a red onion, chopped or sliced into thin moons
barbecue sauce (get a good one.  it's a big deal here.  i like sweet baby ray's hickory and brown sugar)
a few slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked and broken into pieces (we take them off the heat just before they're fully cooked, as they'll crisp up a bit in the oven)
the best pizza dough recipe (below)

roll out your dough into a semi-round shape.  it's okay if it looks like an amoeba.

spread a generous layer of deliciously sweet barbecue sauce on top of your dough.  i like to lay it on thick.

top the sauce with shredded chicken and onion pieces, as much or as little as you want.  sprinkle a layer of cheese over the sauce, chicken, and onions, and then top it with bacon pieces.  (if you prefer to blanket your cheese on rather than sprinkle it, this is perfectly acceptable.  encouraged, even.)

bake for ~10 mins in the oven.  check it at around 8 mins and use your judgment after that.  it's on your head if you burn it.


the best pizza dough i've ever made
adapted slightly from here

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar3/4 cup warm degree water1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 c vital wheat gluten1/2 tsp. salt


in a medium-sized bowl, dissolve sugar in water, sprinkle yeast on top.  allow to sit for 5-10 mins, 
until it starts to get foamy and look alive.
add flour and vital wheat gluten to the yeast mixture.  sprinkle salt on top.
mix with a spoon until dough comes together, then turn it onto a floured surface and knead for a 
couple minutes.  toss it in the air a few times.  it's pretty fun and this is a good dough for it.
shape as desired and top with the delicious combination specified above.  or, you know, anything else.
bake in a 450 degree oven for 8-12 mins.




p.s.  this is intended to be a thin-crust dough.  it's fantastic.  you can probably roll it out thicker or let 
it rise or mess around with it, but it's excellent (and super easy) as is.