Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza with Shaved Brussel Sprouts and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I was craving pizza and I knew it was an activity that my kid would enjoy. So, I grabbed a bunch of ingredients and surprised him after his summer program. He made a pepperoni pizza. I made a pizza topped with chopped chicken, shredded Brussel sprouts, gorgonzola, sun-dried tomatoes and a balsamic reduction. It is SO good.

I contemplated buying pizza dough but I wound up making the dough as I usually do. I amped it up by seasoning the dough with garlic and herbs. A nice béchamel serves as the perfect anchor for the cheese and toppings.

 

Pizza Dough:

 

• 4 cups of flour
• 2 packets of yeast (I use Hodgson Mill Fast Rise Yeast)
• 1 ½ c warm water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Italian herbs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ olive oil

Pizza:

For a medium (thick) white sauce:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic and Italian herbs

 

Toppings:

• 2-4 shaved Brussel sprouts (I use a mandolin slicer)
• 4-6 sliced grape tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of sundried tomatoes, sliced
• 2 chicken thighs, sautéed and chopped
• Generous handful (to taste) mozzarella
• Handful (to taste) italian blend cheese
• 1/4c to 1/2c of gorgonzola
• Balsamic
• Olive oil to coat the crust

 

Directions:

1. Prepare your dough
2. Proof your yeast with the warm water
3. Add the seasonings and oil
4. Slowly add the flour
5. The dough will be a little sticky but your fingers should be mostly clean to the touch
6. Knead once or twice then add to a greased bowl and top with a greased plastic wrap
7. Allow to rise for about an hour
8. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F
9. Punch it down and knead once or twice
10. You can use it all or divide, the recipe yields about 2lbs of dough (I used half for my pizza and half for my son’s)
11. Roll out your dough and spread it in an ungreased cast iron skillet, pizza stone or cast iron griddle
12. Use a fork to puncture the center of the dough, leave at least ½” space for your “crust”
13. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the crust starts to rise then remove

 

For pizza:

1. Slice your chicken and cook it on high heat, season with salt and pepper
2. Remove from heat to rest
3. Slice your Brussel sprouts, tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes
4. In a small pot, melt your butter and add flour
5. Add milk and whisk to remove lumps
6. Season to your preference

 

7. Spread the white sauce on your dough
8. Top with some cheese
9. Top with tomatoes and Brussel sprouts
10. Top with chicken and sundried tomatoes
11. Top with cheese
12. Brush crust with olive oil
13. Put back into oven until its bubbling and the crust is brown

 

14. In a small pot, bring a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to a boil
15. Add a half tsp of sugar and stir
16. Bring to a simmer until it coats the back of a spoon
17. Remove from heat! (Overdone balsamic reduction is no good. Trust me!)
18. Remove your pizza from the oven
19. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction

 

 

 

© 2018 by Alexa Mason. All Rights Reserved