Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Barbeque Chicken Pizza


This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen by Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums: Pizza! This challenge is dedicated to Sher of What Did You Eat? Sher was set to co-host this month with Rosa, but tragically passed away in July from a heart attack. It was originally Sher's idea for homemade pizza to be what the Daring Bakers made this month.


I was excited to try this recipe because while I've made pizza at home several times (with my own sauces and toppings), I've never made pizza dough from scratch.

If you decide to try this recipe, make sure you plan ahead. The flour needs to be chilled and the dough requires an overnight rest in the refrigerator before baking. (The dough can be frozen for later use to save some time.)


I don't know what happened to this month, but before I knew it, the posting date for this challenge had snuck up on me. I just got back from my vacation on the 25th, so I barely had enough time to complete this. I almost decided to sit this one out, but ended up throwing together a Barbeque Chicken Pizza.


The real challenge this month (at least for me) was to actually toss the dough instead of rolling it out. I had every intention of doing this - at least trying - but in the end it just wasn't in the cards for me. After allowing the dough to rest on the counter for two hours, it was way too soft to toss. I think my mistake was that I overlooked the part of the recipe that indicates that the flour needs to be chilled first. Consequently, my dough was too warm by the time I had finished kneading it. Regardless of my mistake, the pizza still tasted great (the dough was just really hard to work with).

Thanks Rosa, for choosing pizza for this month's challenge and honoring Sher. I hope that next time, I can follow the instructions a little better and actually get it right! The recipe for the pizza dough can be found below; if you'd like the recipe for the Barbeque Chicken Pizza you can find it here. Make sure you visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see how hundreds of others fared with this challenge!



Basic Pizza Dough
from The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled - For Gluten Free (GF): 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast - FOR GF use 2 tsp
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2. FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil (a few tablespoons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8. FOR GF: On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10. FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11. FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12. FOR GF: Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes (I baked mine for 10 minutes).

Or

13. FOR GF: Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Helpful Tossing Links:
http://www.wikihow.com/Toss-Pizza-Dough, http://www.vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?f … D=35480534, http://www.ehow.com/how_2066953_toss-pizza-dough.html, http://www.classic-hand-tossed-pizza.bl … hands.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhcTKeslAmk, http://www.ask.yahoo.com/20050222.html

33 comments:

  1. wow pizza time. All these pizza are making me hungry

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  2. bbq chicken pizza is one of my favorites! looks great!

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  3. PIZZA!!! Divine. I could never toss the dough in the air, haha ;-)

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  4. This is husband's favorite pizza! Thanks for the inspiration. Looks like I'll be kneading some pizza dough this weekend.

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  5. Great looking pizza. I'm a big fan of the KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce too!

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  6. Your BBQ chicken looks delicious! Too bad about the dough being too soft, mine was the same. Glad you could join in the fun!

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  7. Regardless of what you condsider to be an oops, your pizza looks awesome. It looks to be cooked to crispy perfection. I like when you fold it and it "stands" straight out and doesn't "flop".
    ~ingrid

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  8. Your pizza looks delicious. I am glad you were able to participate in this challenge even though it was last minute.

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  9. I am craving pizza now! Great job on the challenge.

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  10. this pizza that you've "thrown together" looks better than the majority of the pizzas i've seen. period. nicely done--perhaps you should wait until the last minute more often. :)

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  11. That pizza looks divine! It really does!

    -DTW
    www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

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  12. This looks fabulous! I love BBQ chicken pizza!

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  13. Your pizza looks delicious! I actually got mine done early for a change, but usually I'm down to the wire, too. =)

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  14. Yummm, Jaime, pizza looks delicious!
    AmyRuth

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  15. Looks GREAT! You guys are killing me with all this pizza! Please stop by my blog when you can, I have an award for you!

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  16. Your crust looks out of this world! Bravo!

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  17. I am not on Daring Bakers' but I love commenting on your blog because everything on here looks delicious! I want some of that on my dinner plate NOW! Whoo hoo!

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  18. I Heart Your Blog, Jaime! You play and share well with others :@)
    I love all the great practical information you give.
    Come by for a visit and pick up your Heart Award. . .
    AmyRuth

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  19. One of my favorites-nice job on the pizza.

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  20. I love pizza and we have it here once a week!!! Love the cupcakes that you also made. They look like the real thing. I want to try a Devil Dog cake soon....I just hope it turns out good!

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  21. I didn't get to do this challenge and I'm sorry now that I didn't. Your BBQ Chicken pizza is right up my alley!! Love the combination.

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  22. I love bbq chicken pizza! I stole my recipe from a local pizza place, besides the requisite chicken and bbq sauce it has corn, red onion and roasted peppers.

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  23. I am not an expert by any means, but, not chilling the flour I don't think had anything to do with your dough being soft. After all, you let the dough sit at room temp for two hours before making. I am really glad you decided to do this challenge because your pizza looks amazing. It really does. Looks like a pro made it. Well done.

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  24. The posting date always catches me off guard.. Haven't seen a barbecue pizza yet. This looks great!

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  25. I used to eat barbecue chicken a lot and now I'm craving it after seeing yours! Yummmmm!

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  26. That looks really delicious! I love the how the colors of the different toppings coordinate (I'm funny about colors, lol)... so earthy.

    I don't know if it was you on the soft dough. Mine was way soft and I used flour that I keep in the freezer all the time.

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  27. I've actually never tried making pizza with chicken on it but this definitely tempts me. Nice job!

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  28. Delicious! I love barbecue chicken pizza. Great job!

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  29. Love BBQ chicken pizza! Looks good! Now I'm having a craving.

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  30. Your BBQ chicken pizza looks great! I am going to have to try using BBQ sauce on a pizza.

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  31. Your pizzas look fantastic! I did a BBQ chicken pizza too (and last minute too, hehe). I'm hungry for it again though. Yum!

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