September 4, 2012

Chicken Veggie Pizza + A Dough Recipe

by Natalie Dicks
One of my favorite pizzas comes from Round Table Pizza. It’s the Gourmet Veggie and it’s topped with all sorts of good things. I haven’t had a slice of that for quite some time now, so when Stephen suggested we make pizza, I immediately wanted to try to make my own version of it. I was hesitant at first, mainly because I wasn’t sure if he’d like it, but I convinced him by adding chicken and spicing the sauce up a bit that he would. The following day when I began prepping the veggies I realized I hadn’t made the dough. How could I forget that? It’s the most important part! Obviously there was no way I’d be able to make my favorite dough (it takes 18 hours to ferment), so I went to this cookbook to see what I could come up with. I found a recipe for pizza dough with a few different rising options. When I browsed through the ingredient list I had all of the ingredients but they were a little off. No bread flour and no instant yeast. I decided to go ahead and give it a try with what I had. It was great (not super bready and a nice crisp crust)! Turns out that we both loved the pizza and that I have the go-ahead to make it again. So if you’re looking to sneak in some veggies, give this a try, I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised, and your family be will too!

Chicken Veggie Pizza
Ingredients
1 ball dough (see recipe below)
1 small tomato, diced
¼ onion red onion, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced thinly

1 small yellow squash, sliced thinly
4 chicken tenders, cooked and diced (seasoned accordingly)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ c. shredded jack cheese
¼ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. garlic powder
pinch of salt and pepper

Alfredo-ranch sauce:
¼ c. heavy cream
1 T. butter
¼ c. freshly grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. flour
1 tbsp. chicken stock or broth
¹⁄₈ c. ranch dressing

sprinkle of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
¹⁄₈ tsp. ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. To make sauce, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Add minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add flour, cook for 1 minute. Add heavy cream and chicken broth, whisk. As mixture thickens, slowly add parmesan, whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in salt and peppers. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add ranch, mix until incorporated.
2. Spread sauce evenly over pizza peel, leaving about 1½ inches around the edge for the crust. Sprinkle shredded cheeses on top. Then place cooked/diced chicken and veggies on top. Sprinkle oregano, red pepper, garlic powder salt and pepper over entire pizza.
3. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 450 degrees. Remove, let cool for 5-6 minutes, slice and serve.

Pizza Dough
Ingredients
½ c. warm water
1¼ c. room temperature water
2½ tsp. active yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 c. all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, add warm water and yeast. Sprinkle sugar over top and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture begins to puff. Add the oil and the room temperature water. Whisk gently to combine.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine salt, flour, and water mixture. When dough begins to form a ball, remove paddle attachment and replace with dough hook. With mixing speed on low, knead dough for 2-3 minutes or until a ball begins to form and the dough becomes smooth and elastic. 
3. Remove dough from bowl and place in a large well-greased bowl (I prefer using olive oil, but you can also use Pam). Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours. 
4. To deflate dough, punch with fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two or three balls (depending on how big and how many pizzas you want to make… I make 2). Form into pizza shells to fit the size of your pan. Place on a lightly greased pan (or one that has been dusted with flour or cornmeal). Continue with directions above.
Note: I like to refrigerate the other ball of dough I have left over and use it the following day. Just place it in a LARGE ziplock bag and remove all air. It will rise a bit in the refrigerator, so be aware of this.
Adapted from The New Best Recipe, Pizza Dough | Makes enough for 2 large pizzas or 3 medium pizzas