I’ve been yearning to make a completely new pizza recipe for weeks. Something I’ve never made before– not the typical Hawaiian pizza, gorgonzola apple pizza (fave!), or BBQ chicken pizza that graces our table every Friday night. No, no. Something unique to us with fresh flavors and lots of cheese.
By combining roasted garlic with homemade pesto, lots of mozzarella cheese, and chicken, we have this incredibly satisfying and flavorful chicken pesto pizza. Nothing but simple, fresh ingredients mingling together to produce a pizza that is anything but ordinary! It’s served on a deliciously chewy and soft pizza crust made from my easy homemade pizza dough recipe. If you’re looking for a crowd pleasing pizza recipe without the tomato sauce, this one is it.
Homemade Pizza Dough
Let’s talk homemade pizza crust. I’ve been making this pizza dough every week for the past 3 years. And there’s many reasons why I always go back to it:
The recipe is perfect for bread beginners
Only 6 ingredients required
Most of the time is hands-off
Crisp edges & fluffy interior
So, so flavorful.
It’s simply the best homemade pizza crust. I always use Red Star Platinum in my pizza dough because I have the best results when I use this yeast. The Platinum line is fantastic; its careful formula strengthens your dough and makes making working with yeast simple. For this pizza dough, I use only enough yeast to get the job done; I do not like pizza dough to taste “yeasty.” (Professional terms here, of course.)
Baking with Yeast Guide
Reference this Baking with Yeast Guide whenever you work with baker’s yeast. I include practical answers to all of your common yeast questions!
Homemade Pizza Dough Video Tutorial
You need roasted garlic for the pizza and the homemade pesto, so make sure you have enough. (Thank me later for how amazing your kitchen will smell– I’m convinced there’s no greater smell than roasting garlic in the oven. Maybe homemade brownies. Maybe.)
My pizza dough recipe makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. Toppings listed are enough for one 12-inch pizza. Freeze the rest of the pizza dough for another time.
1/3 cup (80ml) Homemade Basil Pesto (or variations listed in that recipe or store-bought)
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken breast (about one 8-ounce breast)
1 and 1/2 cups (6oz or 168g) shredded mozzarella cheese
optional: fresh basil for topping
Instructions
Prepare pizza dough through step 5, including preheating the oven to 475°F (246°C). Cover the shaped dough lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rest as the oven preheats.
To prevent the pizza toppings from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the shaped dough lightly with olive oil. Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Top the dough evenly with garlic, then spread the pesto on top. Add the chicken then sprinkle on the cheese.
Bake pizza for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil, if desired. Slice hot pizza and serve immediately.
Cover leftover pizza tightly and store in the refrigerator. Reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices can be frozen up to 3 months. See pizza crust recipe for instructions on freezing the pizza dough.
Notes
If not using an instant yeast, rise time may be up to 40% longer.
