Deep Dish Barbecue Chicken Pizza

One of our favorites. :)

2 1/2 t. yeast

1 t. sugar

1 c. warm water (100-110 degree F)

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cornmeal/makka atta/corn dalia

1/2 t. salt

1 T. olive oil

1 recipe Pizza Hut pizza sauce (it's right here)

1/2 c. barbecue sauce of your choice

2 chicken breasts

1 ball Amul mozzarella cheese

1/2-2/3 block of Brittania cheddar cheese

Jalapenos (optional)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

For the dough:

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water in a measuring cup.  Let the yeast proof. Meanwhile, spoon the flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Place flour, makka atta and salt in a food processor, pulse 2 times or until blended.  With processor on, slowly add the yeast mixture and 1 T. oil through the chute.  Process until a ball forms, and let it knead in the machine for one more minute.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly four to five times.  (You can do it all by hand if you want too).  Put the dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray, and turn it to coat the top.  Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place (in the microwave with a cup of warm water?) for 45 minutes, it should double in size.  

Now, make the sauce, chop the onion, cook the chicken, shred the cheeses.

When it's doubled, punch dough down with one good blow.  Let it rest five minutes.  Prepare 2 9 inch cake pans by coating them with butter and sprinkling some sooji (semolina) around the bottom and sides.  Divide dough in half.  Shape dough into a ball and then press into a disc with your palm.  It should be about six inches wide and an inch or so thick?  Place the dough in the prepared pans and smoosh it to the edges and up the sides, making the base even.  

For the sauce: 

Make the pizza hut pizza sauce.  Mix it with 1/2 c. barbecue sauce.  Voila. 

Toppings: 

Rub chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Grill or saute in a bit of olive oil or butter until cooked through.  Shred, chop, or slice.  However you like it.  (We usually shred it). 

Combine the shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar and mix it well. 

Spread the sauce evenly between the two pizzas.  Sprinkle with some chopped onion.  Divide the chicken between the pizzas.  Add half the cheese to each pizza.  Top with jalapenos if you want.  (Makes it taste a bit like Schlotzsky's!!)  Bake at 245 for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 190 and bake another 10 minutes.  

Some notes: I have always used makka atta for this, but recently ran across "corn dalia" at a store.  It is in the jar on the right in the photo below.  The middle jar is makka atta.  The jar on the left in the picture below is corn dalia that I "mixee-eed" for a few minutes to get it finer.  The corn dalia just looked like dried corn kernels that had been pounded and broken up a bit. I thought if I put it in the processor I could get it to be more like actual corn meal.  It did get finer, and I tried it in the dough, but it was still too chunky, and the bits were too hard.  I either need to let it go longer, or not use it.  

Also, this does make two pizzas, so I usually do one barbecue chicken pizza and another one that's just cheese for the kids. I alter the sauce a bit , using less barbecue sauce and half the pizza hut sauce recipe for our pizza, and the other half for the kids cheese pizza.