Barbecue Chicken and Grape Pizza
A kid-friendly pizza with contrasting colors and flavors.
6
- entree
Chef Scott Samuel
Culinary Institute of America
St. Helena, Calif.
The combination of fruit, chicken, barbecue sauce and cheese makes for a colorful pizza that offers a little something different. Chef Samuel specifically created this mix of toppings to appeal to kids. Young cooks can participate in making and kneading the dough, too.
Ingredients
Pizza dough
2 cups warm water
½ oz. active dry yeast
½ oz. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. honey
1 ½ lb. bread flour
Pizza and toppings
2 balls pizza dough (6 oz. each)
Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup barbecue sauce, divided
12 oz. chicken breasts
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced, shredded or cut into small chunks
2 cups seedless red grapes
16 fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano
Steps
For dough: In stand mixer bowl with dough hook, combine water, yeast, olive oil, salt and honey; blend 2 minutes. Slowly add flour, mixing until a smooth, elastic dough forms. With dough hook in place, knead dough for 12 minutes.
Allow dough to proof in bowl until doubled in size. Punch dough down and scale off to 4-ounce balls. Brush each dough ball with oil; place in a cool place until ready to bake.
For barbecue chicken: Preheat oven to 400 F. In small bowl, toss chicken breasts with ½ cup barbecue sauce. Grill chicken over medium heat until nicely charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Cool and cut into bite-sized pieces; set aside.
To bake each pizza: Place a baking stone on middle shelf of oven; preheat to 450° F or at least 30 minutes. Roll dough ball out on lightly floured surface; transfer to a peel or inverted sheet pan that has been dusted with flour.
Mix olive oil with remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce; spread about 2 tablespoons sauce over surface of the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border uncovered. Arrange half the mozzarella over top of pizza; place half the diced barbecue chicken evenly over pizza. Top with 1 cup grapes.
Carefully slide pizza from peel to baking stone; bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is puffy and slightly charred on the edge and thinner in the center.
Remove from oven and top with fresh basil leaves and 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino. Slice into quarters and serve.
Photograph courtesy of California Table Grape Commission
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