Home-made Part Two (C)

Location
My very own kitchen!  Last night I looked in the fridge and saw cheese, chicken, feta and an onion.  There isn't really much else you can do with that, other than buy pizza dough and sauce and whip up a delicious chicken pizza.

The Pizza
I bought premade dough and premade sauce and started in, cooking like a fiend.  The cheese was a chedder and mozzarella mix, which I just don't think comes out as well as pure mozzarella.  The chedder makes it gooey and I really just don't want gooey pizza.  The dough was pretty tasty, but did not cook all the way, in the center.  I rolled it out on the pizza stone and then slid the stone into the oven, cold.  Everyone knows that pizza stones are supposed to be preheated!  I need to remember that when I am cooking with Big Y unrisen dough, I need to use a metal pizza pan, which conducts heat more easily.

The Chicken
I have perfected the chicken technique, if I must say so myself.  I pounded a breast flat, dipped it flour, egg and bread crumbs, then fried it in a skillet.  I sliced it, dunked it in sauce and laid the strips across the top of the pizza.  The only thing that really needs work is my pounding.  I never thought I would say that, but it's true.  Recipes all call for chicken flattened to an even 1/2 inch or thinner.  I can't seem to manage that.  I pound and pound, but it keeps some if its shape.  Oh well, it cooks evenly, which is the most important part.

The Sauce and the Taste
I was out of barbecue sauce, so I decided to use some Frank's Red Hot sauce, instead.  I shook the chicken slices in the sauce to give an even coating, then splashed some across the surface of the pizza.  I also included feta cheese and carmelized red onions.  I have to say that, despite the cheese and the dough being kind of soft and gooey, the taste of this pizza was amazing.  It was a perfect combination of heat, sweet and salty.

Overall
This pizza still has a ways to go.  I have certainly found better pizzas at restaurants...but I think I am catching up.  This pizza was better than the ones I made a few months ago and I think I know how to make it even better.  The chicken and the other toppings are secure in their superiority.  Now what I really need is to find a good recipe for pizza dough and a good cheese blend.

Homemade Part One (C+)

Location
My Kitchen!  I was invited to a pot luck game party last weekend and I found myself at a loss for what to make.  I decided, with no small amount of trepidation, to make my own barbecue chicken pizza and bring it to the party.  I knew that, by taking this small step, I was embarking on a journey, not only to FIND the perfect BBQ chicken pizza, but also to MAKE the perfect BBQ chicken pizza.

The Pizza
 decided to take it easy on myself, this go around.  I purchased Big Y brand pizza dough, the kind that comes in a bag, pre-raised.   I pounded that bad boy flat, which didn't go quite as I had hoped, spooned some Big Y brand pizza sauce on top and smothered that mother with Sargento Two Cheese Pizza Blend.  Then I added thinly sliced red onions, covering the entire surface.  The dough and the cheese were really what held this pizza bag from being great.  Next time, I will have to explore other options.

The Chicken
I took a lesson from Angellino's and used the parm-style chicken.  I took chicken cutlets, pounded them flat, breaded and fried them.  Then I sliced the meat, doused it in BBQ sauce and dropped it on the pizza.  This method worked as well for me as it did for Angellino's.  It was delicious.

The Sauce and the Taste

It did look pretty good, though.  Mmm...maybe I was a little harsh.

I used Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce.  It was sweet, without tasting of chemicals, and delicious.  I might experiment with other sauces in the future, but it's hard to beat Sweet Baby Ray's.  Unfortunately, the overall taste of the pizza was lacking.  Even with the cheese and the onions, there wasn't anything to counteract the sweetness of the barbecue sauce.  It needs something salty or at least savory.  Perhaps some seasoning, some saltier cheese...bacon?

Overall
e fair, I did receive some very positive feedback from my friends.  They devoured the pizza and declared that it was delicious.  I mentioned that it was doughy and bland, but they said they loved it.  I was told that it deserved an A.  I really appreciate that feedback, but I am a harsher critic--both on myself and on pizza.  I gave it a C+.  If I found some dough with a little more flavor, some cheese with a little oomph and something salty...I think I could make it an A.  The chicken and sauce, at least, were a huge success.