Chicken, Spinach and Feta Pizza

I love to have lots of different pizza varieties in my repertoire, so when I saw this recipe on Lynne's blog, I knew it would be my pick for Secret Recipe Club this month. Lynne started her blog as a way to track her goal to bake every day for 365 days. And she lives in a southern climate! That AC must have been rockin'.

I adapted this recipe slightly - her version is for the grill, but that wouldn't work for me as 1) I don't have a grill and 2) it's 0 degrees actual temperature here so there's no way I'm standing outside over a grill. (Although I suppose it would warm me up slightly... but only slightly.)

This pizza is so good! I loved the feta - a perfect pairing with chicken and spinach. Try it, you'll like it!

Start by making the crust. You can use a mixer or a food processor. I use a food processor.

Combine the yeast and 1/2 cup of the warm water (in at least a 2 cup measuring cup cause you're adding more water later!) then let stand for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt and pulse just to combine. Add the remaining water to the yeast, then pour it into the food processor.

Add the olive oil

and pulse until it's all combined. Check the dough - it should pull away from the side of the bowl. If it doesn't, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away, like this:

Now lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into it. Then turn the dough a few times to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry place. I like to use my oven with just the light on. (Just remember not to use the oven for baking something else!) Let the dough rise for about 1 1/2 hours or until about doubled in size.

Now, it's time to get ready to make the pizza. Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 475.

This dough recipe makes enough for two pizzas. So divide the dough in half, and wrap one half in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze the dough for up to 3 months - you can have a great pizza in a few weeks! (or sooner)

Take the remaining dough and shape it into a circle, or something resembling a circle, and place it on parchment paper that you have lightly dusted with either flour or cornmeal. Brush some olive oil around the rim of the crust.

Now it's time for the toppings! In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil til hot then add the garlic. Let sizzle for a minute, then add the mushrooms.

Saute the mushrooms for about a minute, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the spinach

and cook until it's wilted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the garlicky mushrooms and spinach to the crust.

Add the chicken,

then crumble on the feta,

and sprinkle on the mozzarella.

Now it's time to transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone. Remember, it's HOT. To help with the transfer, I like to use a cookie sheet upside down. I carefully move the pizza on the parchment to the upside down cookie sheet, then slide it onto the pizza stone. (Sorry, only a final picture of this step - it takes two hands, and it's hot!)

Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is all melty.

There is no guilt in this pizza - it has spinach!

One year ago: Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Two years ago: Strawberry Coffeecake
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Chicken, Spinach and Feta Pizza

Crust:
1/2 cup warm water
2 3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup water, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Topping:
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 ounces fresh baby spinach
4 button mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

For the crust:

Combine the yeast and 1/2 cup warm water in a large measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fit the dough blade into the bowl of a food processor and add the flour and salt. Add the remaining water to the yeast mixture and then pour it into the flour. Add in the olive oil. Pulse and process until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl, adding more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, if necessary.

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry place. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Place a pizza stone on the lowest shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 475. Divide the pizza dough in half. Wrap half in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag; freeze for later use. Shape the other half into a circle and place on a flour- or cornmeal-dusted piece of parchment paper. Brush the rim of the crust with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.

Pour the remaining oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and let it sizzle for a few seconds. Add the mushrooms and saute for a minute until they are coated with the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and add the spinach, cooking and stirring until all the spinach is wilted.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to the crust and spread evenly. Top with the chicken, feta and mozzarella. Carefully transfer the pizza and parchment (use a cutting board or large cookie sheet turned upside down) to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden and cheese is melted. Serves 4.