Recipe – Ooni BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
| For the Dough | For the BBQ Sauce |
| 368g lukewarm water | 2 tbsp unsalted butter |
| 2.7g instant dried yeast, or 8.5g fresh yeast | 1 medium yellow onion, diced |
| 613g “00” flour, plus extra for dusting | 2 cloves garlic |
| 18g sea salt | 3/4 cup ketchup |
| For the Pickled Onion | 1/4 cup brown sugar |
| 2 medium red onions, julienned | 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar |
| 1 jalapeño, sliced in half | 2 tbsp yellow mustard |
| 3 bay leaves, dried | 1 tbsp chili powder |
| 3 cloves garlic | 1 tsp smoked paprika |
| 1 1/2 cups white vinegar | 1 tsp garlic powder |
| 1 cup water | 1 tsp cayenne powder |
| 1/2 cup granulated sugar | 1 tsp salt |
| 1 tbsp coarse salt | 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper |
| For the Topping | |
| 200g cooked chicken breast, shredded | |
| 1 cup fresh mozzarella | |
| 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded | |
| 1/2 cup coriander |
Directions
Step 1 – To make the pickled onions, place the julienned red onions in a Mason jar or similarly large airtight container. Add the jalapeño, bay leaves, garlic cloves, vinegar, water, sugar and coarse salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour into the Mason jar over the red onions and let sit overnight.
Step 2 – To make the pizza dough, add the water and yeast to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until thoroughly blended. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
Step 3 – If using a mixer: Fit the mixer with the dough hook and pour the flour and yeast mixture into the mixer bowl. Turn the machine on at a low speed for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it’s firm and stretchy. Cover the dough with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. If mixing by hand: Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form. Continue mixing by hand until the pizza dough comes together in a ball. Place the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and knead with both hands for about 10 minutes, until it’s firm and stretchy. Return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Step 4 – When the dough is ready, divide it into 4 equal pieces. Place each piece of dough in a separate bowl or tray, cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for another 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size. Tip: Always start with a perfectly rounded ball of dough. This helps to keep the shape of the base circular during the stretching process.
Step 5 – To make the BBQ sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Transfer to the blender and blend until smooth.
Step 6 – Before stretching and topping your dough, fire up your oven and allow it to preheat for 15 to 20 minutes. Aim for 450 °C and 500 °C on your baking stone. You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
Step 7 – When the dough is ready, place the ball on a lightly-floured surface, flour your hands and use your fingertips to press the dough into a small, flat disc. Working from the centre, push the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc slightly bigger. Pick up the dough and gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards into a circle. Neapolitan-style pizza bases are very thin, so you should be able to see through the base when you hold it up to the light. Take care when doing this, as you don’t want it to tear.
Step 8 – Once the dough is fully stretched, lightly flour your pizza peel and lay the base on it. If at this point you see any small holes in the dough, gently pinch them back together. Once you’re happy with the base, add your toppings.
Step 9 – Toss the shredded chicken breast with 100 grams of the sauce. Add a layer of barbecue sauce to each pizza base before sprinkling on the mozzarella and cheddar. Top each pizza with some of the chicken and pickled red onions, then slide the pizza off the peel and into your oven. Cook for one to two minutes, using a peel to turn your pizza about every 20 seconds to ensure an even cook.
Step 10 – When finished, remove from the oven and top with coriander. Slice into six pieces and enjoy.
