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BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Author Life in the Lofthouse

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:

  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 3/4 cups warm water
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Toppings:

  • 1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup + 3 Tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided
  • 3 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

PIZZA CRUST:

  • Sprinkle yeast over the warm water. Stir then set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Drizzle in olive oil. Stir until combined. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture. Continue to mix until combined and a soft dough forms. (You can do this by hand or with a stand mixer, with paddle attachment, on low speed.)
  • Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form dough into a ball. Turn to coat dough in oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough sit, and double in size for at about an hour.

TOPPINGS FOR PIZZA:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
    In a medium bowl, toss the cooked, shredded chicken in the 3 Tablespoons of barbecue sauce.
  • Take the pizza dough and press into a large (16 inch) pizza pan or cookie sheet.
  • Spread the remaining 1 cup of the barbecue sauce over the pizza dough. Sprinkle 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese on top.
    Sprinkle the chicken, bacon and onion over the cheese. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pizza from oven, sprinkle evenly with cilantro. Return to oven and bake 2 more minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes or so before slicing and serving.

Notes

*Yields: 1 large pizza
**MAKE AHEAD: Prepare pizza according to directions above, without baking. Cover pizza tightly with saran wrap and place in fridge up to 12 hours. Preheat oven to 425° F. Bake for 14 minutes or until crust is golden-brown, and pizza is heated through.
***TO FREEZE: Prepare pizza as instructed up until baking point. Do not bake. Wrap pizza tightly in plastic wrap. Place in freezer. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until pizza is fully cooked through.