Mediterranean Pesto Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza Dough
- 1 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
- 1 (1/4 oz) packet rapid rise (instant) yeast
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- Yellow cornmeal and cracked black pepper, for sprinkling the pizza stone or baking sheet
- Mediterranean Pesto Pizza
- ½ cup Basil Pesto (Recipe here)
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, cut into strips
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions:
- Pizza Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (you can also do this using your hands and lots of kneading) combine the warm water, yeast, and olive oil by stirring. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it is foamy.
- Add 1 ½ cups of flour and the salt. Turn the mixer on medium speed until all of the flour is incorporated. Continue to add flour until the dough is smooth but still a little bit sticky. It should come away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball (it took about 3 minutes). I ended up using just a teeny bit more than 2 cups of flour to get it right. If it gets too dry, just add some more water.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a ball with your hands. Place it into a bowl that has been coated/brushed with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a hand towel and place in a warm place for about 2 hours until it is doubled in size. The dough will look sort of bubbly on top.
- Punch the dough down a couple of times and then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rectangle or circle or however you want your pizza. I tried to make it fairly thin, but it is up to you! If you have a pizza stone, heat it up in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes before you bake the pizza.
- Mediterranean Pesto Pizza:
- Combine the oregano through the salt in a small bowl to make a rub and coat the chicken with it. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into strips.
- Take a preheated pizza stone out of the oven (per instructions above) and sprinkle some cornmeal and cracked black pepper over it. Place your already shaped pizza dough on top. You can also just put the pizza on a baking sheet and put it in the oven if you don’t have a pizza stone. It is not entirely necessary to heat it up ahead of time, but it will make your crust crispier. I also would not recommend putting the toppings on the pizza and then trying to slide it onto the pizza stone because I have had zero success with that.
- As quickly as you can, spread some pesto over the top of the dough and top it with the cheese and remaining toppings. You don’t really have to pay attention to the amounts above either. Just add however much you like!
- Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and bubbly, and the crust is starting to brown.