BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza-Making Tips and Tricks

• Proof the dough: Allow the dough to sit covered, brushed in olive oil, at room temperature for 1-4 hours until soft and pliable. If you're shaping the crust and it keeps snapping back and won't stay in place, it's not proofed enough. Give it a little more time to proof.
• Use a clean surface: Clean and dry your counter well before forming the crust.
• Form the dough: You can use olive oil or flour to form your pizza crust. Flour is a little more messy but way more fun to work with. Olive oil is cleaner to work with but can stain your clothes.
• Use parchment paper: One of the hardest things about making pizza is transferring the formed crust to the oven without making a mess and having a complete meltdown. I've seen it many times, and done it many times - it happens to everyone! One of my BEST TIPS is to line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper and not foil). Once you have formed the crust, immediately transfer the crust to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Make any adjustments to your crust shape after the transfer.
• Par bake the dough: To ensure the crust and the bottom of the pizza are completely cooked, you want to blind-bake the crust BEFORE adding any toppings, except olive oil. Brush the pizza crust with olive oil and bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes. It's done when small bubbles have formed, no longer looks doughy, but is still pale in color.
• Don't use too many toppings: Adding too many toppings to your pizza will result in a soggy mess. Leave a little space between each of the toppings making sure some of the cheese is still visible.
• Cook at a high temperature: Cook the pizzas at 450F - 500F. A high temperature is necessary for a light crispy crust.
• Move quickly when opening the oven: You need your oven to be hot when cooking your pizza. Open and close the oven as quickly as possible so all your heat doesn't escape.
• Check the bottom: As you are checking your pizza for doneness, don't forget to check the bottom to make sure it's cooking through, but also to make sure it's not burning.
• Rotate pizza: Halfway through cooking (with toppings on) rotate your pizza so that the half that was toward the back of the oven is rotated to the front of the oven. this will ensure the pizza will cook evenly. Check the bottom of your pizza at this time.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pizza dough: use homemade or store-bought. I like to use pizza dough from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or my local grocery store. Please don't use pizza dough from a can.
• Tomato sauce: Use a homemade sauce, or homemade crushed tomatoes for the best flavor. If using store-bought, I like to use Rao's tomato sauce, it has great flavor.
• BBQ Sauce: I used Sweet Baby Rays, Cattlemen's is also good. Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this pizza.
• Shredded chicken: you can use smoked chicken, rotisserie chicken, or this slow cooker BBQ chicken.
• Mozzarella and smoked Gouda cheese: If you can't find smoked gouda you can use smoked cheddar, smoked mozzarella, provolone, or jack cheese instead.
• Red onion: I like to roast my onions for this pizza but you can throw them on raw if you don't have the time to roast them.
• Pickled jalapenos: I love the flavor of pickled jalapenos on pizza, they balance the sweet BBQ sauce so well. If you're not a fan of spice, you can leave them off.

How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza

Prepare the toppings:

1. Cook the chicken: if making the chicken for your pizza, use this BBQ chicken recipe. Or skip this step and use store-bought rotisserie chicken.
2. Roast the onions: Slice the onion into half moons about ¼ inch thick. Add to a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450F for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until soft and golden.
3. Make the sauce: Combine the BBQ sauce and tomato sauce and mix well. Set aside until ready to make the pizza.
4. Grate the cheeses: set aside until ready to use.

Make the pizza: Preheat the oven to 450F

1. Form the crust: On a clean surface, using olive oil or a light dusting of all-purpose flour, work the dough into a circle or oval about 12 inches wide. Then, transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape the crust as needed to fit after transferring and lightly brush the top with with olive oil.
2. Par bake the crust: Transfer the sheet pan to the center rack of the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes until small bubbles have formed, the crust no longer looks doughy, and is still pale in color.
3. Top the pizza: Top with the sauce mixture, mozzarella cheese, chicken, roasted onions, and jalapenos, and then top it all with the smoked gouda.
4. Bake the pizza: Keeping the pizza on the baking sheet, bake on the center rack for 5-10 minutes, turning halfway. Check the bottom of the pizza to make sure it's cooking properly when you turn it. You may need to cook it for a few more minutes depending on your oven. It's done when the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
5. Slice and serve: Transfer the pizza with the parchment paper to a large cutting board or pizza tray, then carefully remove the parchment paper. Slice the pizza into wedges using a large chef's knife or pizza cutter. Serve with crushed red pepper and grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!