Grilled Chicken Pizza

This is a favorite meal at our house for kids and adults alike. We also use it for entertaining, letting guests top their own pizzas or cutting individual pizzas into small slices and serving them as hor's d'ouevres.

Pizza Dough: MAKES ENOUGH FOR 2 LARGE OR 6 INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS

3-4 cups all purpose flour
I packet instant yeast
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
½ tsp sea salt

Mix dry ingredients together except for one cup of the flour. Add the warm water and mix very well with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until dough forms. Remove to a floured breadboard or your counter top and knead for an additional 5 minutes. Allow doug to rest for ½ hour, covered in a warm place. Knead again for 5 minutes and split dough into 2 portions and allow to rest for 20 minutes before rolling your dough into the desired size.

BBQ Pizza Sauce:

In a large saucepan sauté for one minute
2 cloves minced garlic in
2 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil

Add
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sweet basil
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup of your favourite smoky barbeque sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce (optional)

Simmer all ingredients together over low heat for about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Toppings:

Grilled boneless skinless chicken breast cut in slices.
Pre-cooked bacon
Kalamata olives
Roasted red peppers
Sautéed red onion
Cheese mix: grated cheddar, mozzarella, parmasean and monteray jack cheeses.

Preheat your pizza stone in middle rack of your oven for half an hour at 450 degrees F.
Stretch or roll your pizza dough into rounds and place on a wooden peel that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. The cornmeal will allow the pizza to slide off the peel (I’ve even used a thin piece of cardboard in a pinch if you do not have a peel.) Make sure your pizza is sliding on the cornmeal base before adding your toppings. Spread pizza sauce over the crust plus a little cheese. Add desired toppings.This type of thin crust pizza cooks very fast (only 8 minutes in my oven) so a single layer of toppings is best. Resist the temptation to pile the toppings high on this particular pizza. Top with cheese layer. Shake your peel to make sure the pizza is not stuck. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone, shaking it slightly in a back and forth motion as you slowly retract the wooden peel.

Bake for 8-12 minutes depending upon your oven. Bottom and top should be nicely browned. Allow pizza to sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.