You Want (Pizza) Pies with That?

For May's pie challenge, Erin from Milk & Honey, chose for us to makea pizza pie. What an excellent idea! There are so many great pizzas out there to choose from and so many great pizzerias to visit, it's hard to pick a favorite. There also the debate of Chicago vs. New York style. Now, my family is from the great state of New York, and I'd probably be beaten within an inch of my life if I didn't say that NY style is the best, but I also think a nice deep-dish from the windy city is a great thing (one trip to Savastano's here in Tulsa would turn any hardcore NY enthusiast into a Chicago fan).

But my favorite pizza comes from a very famous chain that has no stores in Oklahoma: California Pizza Kitchen. The only way I can even get this pizza is driving all the way to Texas (a 3 hour drive for the closest location) or frozen. As much as I love a good road trip, I cannot justify a drive just for pizza (ice cream maybe). The thing that I find so amazing about CPK is the uniqueness of their pies. Back before it was cool to be a foodie and make familiar things more unique, CPK was doing just that.

It's funny that the first time I ever tried CPK was nowhere near California. In fact, I was on the other coast in New Jersey. If I remember correctly, CPK had a location in one of the many malls located in the garden state. I was a bit apprehensive, being that I was only about 12 or 13 years old. Different food was just weird at that age, but I tried something new and actually liked it (although I didn't like the onions on my pizza back then). I've decided to make CPK's most famous (and the one I tried way back when), the BBQ Chicken Pizza. I was even adventurous and made my own BBQ sauce and pizza crust (yes, I'm a glutton for punishment). My mama came over and had dinner with us, and I think she's a convert from NY to CPK.

CPK's BBQ Chicken Pizza
Sauce recipe from All Recipes, dough recipe from All Recipes, rest by me

BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup
1 bulb garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup water
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 pinch ground white pepper
1 pinch ground black pepper

Pizza Dough

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (I couldn't find wheat germ, so I just substituted extra wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey

Pizza Topping

1 lb chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 red onion, sliced and quartered
Cilantro

1. For the BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan over medium low heat, mix together ketchup, garlic, 1 cup of water, hot sauce, honey, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, Cajun seasoning, paprika, red pepper, white pepper and black pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer approximately 30 minutes. I ran the sauce through my food processor to break up the garlic better then heated it again until it was bubbly. Remove 1 cup of the sauce and reserve for the pizza.
2. For the pizza crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for a few minutes. Roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
3. For the pizza: Cook the chicken in the BBQ sauce still in the pan until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. On the prebaked crust, spread out the 1 cup of BBQ sauce within a 1/4-inch of the edge (I had about 1/4 cup left-over that we used to dip the pizza in). Strain the chicken and place on top of the sauce. Sprinkle as much or as little cheese as you like (for us, the more the better). Top with the onions and few leaves of cilantro. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.