Grilled Pizza with Pesto Chicken and Ricotta
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt, plus ½ teaspoon, divided
- 1½ tsp dry-active yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1 lb chicken breast
- ½ cup pesto
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese
- 3 cups arugula
- shaved aged cheddar or parmesan cheese (for top of pizza)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or standing mixer, whisk together flour and 1¼ kosher salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix the yeast with one cup of warm water and one tablespoon of honey. Let set for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, plus three tablespoons of olive oil. Knead the dough until very smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a large, clean bowl that has been coated in olive oil. Roll the dough around in the bowl so that it becomes coated in oil too. Cover the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and then a towel and set in a warm, dry place to double in size, about 1½ hours.
- While the dough rises, cube the chicken and add it to a bowl along with the pesto. Set the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour.
- When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, divide it into two equal balls, place back in the bowl and cover until ready to use.
- Next, sauté the chicken in a large skillet until cooked through. Spoon the chicken onto a plate and set aside until ready to use.
- Heat the grill to a very hot temperature of 500°F. Place a pizza stone or pizza steel on the grill to heat up along with the grill.
- Back inside, wash arugula and place in a bowl. Toss with one tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Roll out one round of dough onto a pizza peel or cutting board that has been coated in semolina flour to prevent it from sticking. Brush the top of the pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with a dash of salt.
- Take the dough round, cooked chicken and ricotta out to the grill. You will assemble the pizza outside.
- Place the plain (un-topped) dough round onto the grill and bake for two minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip the pizza with tongs and or a spatula and bake the other side. As soon as the pizza is flipped, top the pizza. Sprinkle half the chicken and dollop half the ricotta onto the pizza. Cover the grill and bake for two minutes. Keep an eye on the bottom of the pizza to ensure that it doesn't burn. It will cook fast.
- When golden brown on bottom, remove the pizza from the grill. Top it with half of the arugula, shaved aged cheddar or parmesan cheese and another sprinkle of salt. Slice and enjoy. Repeat above few steps to make the second pizza.