Pesto Chicken Pizza

I love to make homemade pizza, it has a totally different vibe than anything you can buy. I make the dough but cut corners with pre-made pesto and rotisserie chicken. This recipe makes two good sized pizzas. Enough for at least 4 people. Skip the dough if you don't have the time, and buy a pre-made one (I've never bought one, so I can't advise which are the best, but I would say avoid those already baked crusts and see if you can just buy dough).

The most essential part of a great pizza crust is a super hot oven, and hot pizza stone!

Pizza Dough:

3 1/2 cups flour (bread flour is best but you can sub all purpose)
2 teaspoons salt
1 package of yeast
1 teaspoon sugar

1 &1/2 cup of 110 degree water
2 tbls olive oil + 2 tbls olive oil for the bowl

Mix dry ingredients in a stand mixer or bowl (I used my kitchen aid with the dough hook attachment), then add warm water and oil with the mixer on the lowest speed. Let the dough come together. Pull it out, form it into a ball, pour olive oil in the bowl, and put the dough back into the oiled bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and cover for 1 hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, set it on a floured board and cut it in 1/2. Cover it again for ten more minutes. Then your dough is ready!

Pesto Chicken Pizza:

Two Pizza Crusts
1 Rotisserie Chicken
12 ounces Mozzarella (grated)
Jar of pesto (I used the Costco jar and I have a ton left) 
2 sliced Roma-tomatoes
1/4 sliced white onion
Fresh basil for garnish

Sprinkle with parm & red peppers.

While you wait on the dough, prep the rest of your ingredients. Pull chicken off of the rotisserie (you want the pieces fairly small or they will dry out), grate whole milk mozzarella (doesn't have to be the fresh wet kind just make sure it's not the pre-grated dried out variety), slice Roma-tomatoes into thin slices, and white onion into thin slices. Julienne the basil (cut into thin strips).

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees, and put your pizza stone (or pan in the oven). This step is essential to a crispy crust that can stand up to the rest of the ingredients. Without a super hot oven, and pre-heated stone, your dough will be chewy.

Toss, stretch, and press out the dough. Once it's about 12 to 14 inches, you're ready. Fold it in half. Pull the pizza stone out and transfer your dough to the stone. Unfold it. Now assemble the pizza on the stone. This process allows the crust to begin the cooking process while you work. Work fast. I start with large spoonfuls of pesto spread in a thin even layer, then add chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and onions. I added grated parm to the tomatoes before cooking.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes! Pull it out and garnish with basil, parm, and red peppers!

It's so good. Enjoy!