CPK home made version

Several weeks ago Josh and I went to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) for dinner. I had the bbq chicken pizza and loved it! I found a recipe online that is supposed to be the restuarant's actual recipe. I don't know if that's true or not, but it sure tasted pretty darn close! Josh loved it too and asked me to make it again a couple of days later (After he had eaten all of the left overs).

I thought I would share the recipe since we think it's delicious, and it was pretty easy to make. I made two pizzas, and they were probably about 12" each.

California Pizza Kitchen Original BBQ Pizza Recipe

the pics are of the pizzas that I made

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon honey (I used more like 2Tb)

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

10 ounces chicken breast - boned and skinned

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used a spicy version and added some brown sugar to it as well)

2 cups Gouda cheese (I used mozzerella cheese)

1/4 small red onion - sliced into rings

2 tablespoons cilantro

Directions:
To make the dough-- In a small bowl, dissolve the honey in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until it dissolves. Let the yeast mixture stand for 5 minutes, until a layer of foam forms on the surface.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the olive oil and the yeast mixture. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients, until all the flour is incorporated. If its too dry, add more water. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 15 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and put in in a well-oiled bowl. Cover with a moist towel and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours). (I just turn my oven on for a few min and then let it rise in the oven with the door cracked. It only takes about 30 min or so)

One hour before baking the pizzas, start preheating the oven with pizza stones inside at 500degrees F. (I just start the oven after I remove the dough from rising)

For the Chicken-- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. add chicken pieces. saute until cooked (6 minutes). (I used precooked chicken from the store) Chill. Coat chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (I added brown sugar to this as well). Set aside in the refrigerator.

For the Pizza-- Punch the dough down, and divide into 2 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a flat circle. Spread 1/2 cup barbecue sauce over the surface of the dough. Distribute 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce. Distribute 1/2 of the chicken over the cheese. Place half of the onion rings over the chicken pieces. Place the pizza in the oven (on top of pizza stones). Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling (8-10 minutes). Remove pizzas from the oven and sprinkle each with 1/2 of the cilantro.

(I prepared the pizzas on butcher paper. that made it easy to move them to the pizza stone that was already in the oven. I also didn't sprinkle cilantro on the pizza, but I did add peices of bacon to the top before cooking)

Josh and I ate one pizza between the two of us for dinner. The other one was great for left overs!

Here is where I got the recipe from