Thin Crust Chicken Pesto Pizza

So we have a lot of dichotomy in my house- north versus south, tulane versus LSU, democrat versus republican.....thin crust versus thick.  My husband is firmly in the thin crust camp and I prefer thick.  Luckily, this pizza is absolutely delicious!!  


It does require planning, but that also means prep time on cook night is low!
Don't leave out the vital wheat gluten.  It makes the crust so chewy!!  


Adapted from Annie's Eats and also her here
For the crust: (original from cook's illustrated)

8 oz all purpose flour

8 oz whole wheat flour
1/2 oz vital wheat gluten

(about 3 cups total for all flours, you can also use all bread flour)
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. instant yeast
1 1/3 cups ice water
1 tbsp. canola oil
1½ tsp. salt

For the pesto:

For the pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

For topping:
1 cups (4 oz.) shredded  mozzarella

grilled chicken, 1 cup diced

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the machine running, add the ice water and mix until just combined.  Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Add the oil and salt to the dough.  Mix until the dough forms a smooth, tacky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, about 60 seconds.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.  (After refrigeration, the dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen.)

To make the pesto, place all ingredients in food processor and pulse.

One hour before baking the pizza, adjust an oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat.  Preheat the oven to 500˚ F.  Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and divide in half.  It can be popped in the freezer at this point.  

To assemble the pizza, transfer a dough ball to a well floured work surface.  One of these works well, as it has the circle measurements.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 13 inch circle.  Lightly brush  with olive oil, and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.  From here, you have two options- one is to briefly pop on a bake stone for 2 minutes in a 500 degree oven to prebake, then top and finish on the grill.  Or...


Spread ½ the pesto over the dough, preferably with someone just over three feet doing this part. 

 Sprinkle evenly with the shredded mozzarella and halved grape tomatoes and grilled chicken.  Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone, and pour the wine.  If you don't have a pizza peel, like me, parchment on a cookie sheet works great. 

Bake until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 10-12 minutes.  Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.