California Pizza Kitchen Original BBQ Chicken Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen Original BBQ Chicken Pizza

Recipe type: Pizza Yield: 2 – 11″ pizzas Prep time: mins Cook time: mins Total time: 0 mins

California Pizza Kitchen invented the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza in 1985, the year their first restaurant opened in Beverly Hills. It is still one of the restaurant’s best-selling items today.

Ingredients:

1/2 C + 2 T of your favorite BBQ sauce
6 oz. grilled chicken breast – pulled into 1/4″ slices
All-purpose flour
2 portions of hand-tossed pizza dough at room temperature
1 C Smoked Gouda cheese – shredded
1 1/2 C Mozzarella cheese – shredded
1 1/2 Small red onion – sliced into 1/4″ rings
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a baking stone, arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and place stone on rack. Hear for 1 hour. (If using a baking sheet, arrange rack in middle of oven.)
2. In a small bowl combine ¼ cup of the BBQ sauce and the chicken. Toss well to combine; set aside.
3. Lightly flour a work surface. Place one portion of dough on the surface, being careful to maintain the round shape and thickness of the dough; do not press. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Using your index fingers, press a 1-inch rim around the outer edge of the circle. One rim is formed, press air out of the center of the dough, being careful not to flatten the rim. Using your knuckles, from the bottom of the dough, carefully stretch the dough, rotating as you work, to form an 11-inch circle. Take care to maintain a uniform thickness in the center. Gently toss dough in the air a few times.
4. Set aside and repeat with remaining ball of dough.
5. Lightly sprinkle a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet with flour.
6. Transfer one dough circle to prepared peel. (If using a baking sheet, lightly flour the baking sheet. Transfer one dough circle to prepared sheet.)
7. Top dough circle on peel with 2 T BBQ sauce, spreading evenly to base of rim.
8. Top with1/2 C smoked Gouda and 3/4 C mozzarella.
9. Top with half of the onion and half of the chicken.
10. Using small, quick back-and-forth movements, slide pizza from peel onto hot pizza stone. (If using a baking sheet, place sheet on rack in oven.)
11. Bake, rotating pizza halfway through baking time, until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, 6 to 8 minutes.
12. Drizzle about 1 tbsp. of the remaining BBQ sauce over the cooked pizza.
13. Top with 1 tbsp. of the chopped cilantro; serve immediately.
14. Repeat with remaining dough circle and toppings.
16. Prep: 30 minutes
18. Bake: 6 minutes per pizza

Published on February 8, 2016 by Great Taste Magazine