• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Eat the Bite
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Welcome to Eat the Bite!
  • Recipes
  • Appetizer/Snack
  • Side Dish
  • Breakfast/Brunch
  • Sandwiches
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • CSA SERIES
  • Entrees
  • International
  • Pasta
  • Pizza
  • Pork
  • Salad
  • Seafood
  • Stuffed Chicken Breast Series
  • Sweet Things
  • Vegetarian
×

Home » Pizza

Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough

Published: Apr 8, 2023 · Modified: Apr 24, 2023 by Stacey

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: right out of the oven sprinkling with toasted pine nuts
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes

I am not much of a baker, but I am a bit picky when it comes to pizza. Generally, I don't care for pizza shop pizza too much. I mean, if I lived in New York or Chicago I would be loving the pizza. Otherwise, it's kinda... meh. You know? I will often reach for the already-made dough at the supermarket for pizza night, but decided to take the dough making into my own hands this time. I went all-in with testing a dough that makes an awesome homemade crust. So here we are: tasty homemade pizza dough with chicken, pesto, fontina & tomatoes.

Chicken and Pesto Pizza Food Memory: Do You Have One Too?

You should make the pizza you want in life - that's what I always say. With this one, I was remembering a delicious pizza I used to get at a small cafe. I must have ordered this particular chicken and pesto pizza on 20 occasions over the years. It was the most satisfying gourmet pizza I ever tasted. I love the combination of chicken and pesto and with a little fontina and tomatoes? I'm soooo in. Their crust was also incredible and the pizza itself was an individual size. No sharing - yay! One key, for me, with this homemade pizza was brushing the dough with olive oil on both sides. It was part of what I loved about the cafe pizza and a necessary component of the flavor profile. It gave me some crispy edges and I love that olive oil flavor in the dough...

Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: slices of pizza on a wire rack some with cherry tomatoes some with sun dried tomatoes
Slices of both pizzas with chicken, pesto, fontina, cherry and sun dried tomatoes

Homemade Pizza Can Go In So Many Different Directions

I love pizza night and I've been getting really into it lately. This particular pizza is me trying to recreate the cafe pizza from years ago. You can switch it up with toppings, of course, and use your own favorite ingredients. This recipe is really about how to make a tasty homemade pizza dough. When I tested this recipe, I made one with Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, roasted red pepper and onion that was delish. You can make it with chicken and pesto or you can use the dough recipe and choose your own toppings.

Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: very close up look at the chicken tomatoes pesto and pine nuts
Melty cheese, chicken and pesto with a pop of cherry tomato

Check your freezer and pantry and see what you have on hand. I used what I had, with the exception of the cherry tomatoes - went out and bought those. I made one pizza with sliced cherry tomatoes and one with sun dried tomatoes I had on hand. Want ground beef and bacon? Go for it! Sliced tomatoes, cheese and fresh basil? Do it!

Topping Ideas for Your Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough:

  • Italian sausage (cook it first), diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onion, cheddar jack cheese.
  • Caramelized leeks & goat cheese (thyme or sage could work with this too)
  • Sliced tomatoes, garlic, smoked cheddar and fresh basil
  • Bacon, Arugula and Avocado with Parmesan and Jack Cheese (bake dough first - once done add the cheese and let it melt a few minutes in the oven. Let cool a couple minutes, top with arugula (tossed in oil & vinegar), chopped cooked bacon and avocado chunks)
  • Mozzarella, ricotta, caramelized onions and garlic oil
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: four slices of both kinds of pizza on a platter

Easy Steps for Making the Dough

Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: put water yeast and sugar in a bowl and let sit
Put water, yeast and sugar in a bowl
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: measure flour - level off the tops with a butter knife
Level flour and salt into a sifter
sift flour and salt into water and yeast mixture
Sift flour into water and yeast bowl
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: mix dough with a spoon until it gets shaggy like this
Mix with a spoon until shaggy
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: flour your surface and knead the dough for 3-4 minutes
Knead with hands for a few minutes
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: cover dough and let it sit for 45 minutes
Roll into ball and cover for 45 minutes

Easy Steps for Assembling Your Pizza

roll the dough any shape you want - I love ovals and rectangles. What do you like?
Roll dough into oval, circle or rectangle shape
getting the pizza ready for toppings: brush with olive oil
Brush both sides of dough with olive oil
start putting the toppings on the pizza - fontina and parmesan cheese first
Sprinkle cheeses on top of pizza
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: overhead view of both pizza getting ready to go in my preheated oven
Add all your toppings and bake
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: right out of the oven putting on dollops of pesto
Once pizza is cooked, add dollops of pesto
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: right out of the oven sprinkling with toasted pine nuts
Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts

Craving More Pizza or Snacky Things? I Gotcha Covered

  • Sweet Potato Pizza w/Smoked Cheddar and Rosemary
  • BBQ Chicken Pizza
  • French Bread Pizza with Romesco Sauce & Eggplant
  • Savory Puff Pastry Two Ways (Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, Pecans & Eggplant, Tomato, Gouda
  • Crunchy Coconut Chicken Fingers
  • The Best Pan Fried Mozzarella
  • Mom's Big Batch Spaghetti Sauce
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough with Chicken, Pesto, Fontina & Tomatoes: overhead view of the whole pizza before slicing

Tasty Homemade Pizza Dough


  • Author: Stacey
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2 medium pizzas or 4 individual pizzas 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Looking for a tasty homemade pizza dough? Well, I’ve got one for you along with a delicious chicken, pesto, fontina and tomato pizza.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the dough:

  • 1 ½ cups of bread flour
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup room temp or slightly warm water
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for brushing dough)
  • 1 teaspoon rapid rise (aka fast rise) yeast

Pizza Toppings:

  • 15 cherry tomatoes (approx. - depending on size)
  • ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (plus a little of the oil)
  • 1 ½ cups fontina cheese
  • ¾ cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
  • 3 thin chicken breast cutlets
  • salt & pepper as needed (amounts below)
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½-1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking chicken
  • ¼ cup pesto
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, optional

ITEMS NEEDED: Rolling pin, large cutting board, flour sifter, large sheet pan

NOTE:This makes 4 individual pizzas or two medium-sized pizzas.


Instructions

  1. Start with the dough. Add yeast, sugar and water to a large bowl. Whisk slightly and gently. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit about 10 minutes. It should foam a bit here.

  2. While the water and yeast is sitting, measure out your flour. We’re sifting the flour, so place your sifter over a bowl to begin. Use a butter knife to level the tops of the measuring cups and push the excess flour back into your flour container or bag. Add salt to the flour.

  3. When the water/yeast bowl is ready, sift the flour into the bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix with a spoon until the dough becomes shaggy. My video shows this well. Once it’s shaggy enough – switch to using your hands. Rub the dough around the bowl to get the bits from the sides.
  4. Dust your cutting board with a little flour and place dough on your board. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. Shape it into a ball. Spray non-stick cooking spray into your bowl. Place dough in bowl and cover in plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes.
  5. While dough sits, shred the fontina and parmesan cheese.
  6. Cut your cherry tomatoes in half and place on a plate or in a bowl – pulp side up. Season with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Probably no more than about ⅛ of a teaspoon each.
  7. Measure out a ¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes, plus some of the oil from the jar.
  8. Lay out your thin chicken cutlets on a cutting board. I used the already thin-cut chicken breasts – they were very thin (see video). You can use thicker if you want – will take a bit longer to cook so keep in mind.
  9. Season one side of the chicken with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Again, probably no more than ⅛ of a teaspoon of each.
  10. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan (high heat) and when it’s hot, add the chicken. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes on first side. My cutlets were so thin they were almost done at 3 minutes. Turn chicken and cook a minute more.
  11. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cut into strips. Bite-sized pieces work well here. Set aside.
  12. If you are using the toasted pine nuts, toast them here. Put in a small sauté pan and heat on low for about 5 minutes, tossing a few times while cooking. They should be golden brown when done. Set aside and let cool.
  13. Add flour to a clean cutting board and put dough on the board. You can cut the dough into 4 equal pieces to make 4 individual pizzas or cut in half to make two medium sized pizzas. I cut mine in half.
  14. Take each half and re-shape again to make a more round dough ball. Use your rolling pin and roll up and down the dough. I prefer making oval pizza, but if you want round – go for it. Roll dough until it’s about ¼” in thickness or slightly thinner. You can really make this as thin or thick as you want.
  15. Once both doughs are rolled out – place them on a large sheet pan. If you don’t have a large enough sheet pan for both – use two sheet pans.
  16. You can use parchment paper on the sheet pan or not. I found that using parchment paper actually gave the pizza a little bit better of a crisp to the crust.
  17. Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a ramekin or small bowl. Brush both sides of the pizza dough with olive oil. Be careful when turning – the dough is delicate.
  18. Add cheese to both pizzas then the additional toppings. I made one pizza with the cherry tomatoes and one with the sun dried tomatoes.
  19. Cook pizzas in a preheated over at 475 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Ovens are different – yours may take a little more or less time. When edges start turning golden brown your pizza is done.
  20. After pizzas come out of oven, add dollops of pesto to both and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts if using.
  21. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Image of Pizza Cutter

Pizza Cutter

Buy Now →
Image of Mesh Strainer/Flour Sifter

Mesh Strainer/Flour Sifter

Buy Now →
Image of Metal Spatula

Metal Spatula

Buy Now →
Image of Pastry Brush

Pastry Brush

Buy Now →
Image of Large Sheet Pan

Large Sheet Pan

Buy Now →
Image of Wooden Rolling Pin

Wooden Rolling Pin

Buy Now →

Notes

  1. Ovens are different and yours may take more or less time to cook the pizzas. Just keep your eye on it. When it's golden brown - it's ready.
  2. My toppings are suggestions. You can use my pizza dough recipe and do whatever you like for toppings.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

« Stuffed Chicken Breast with Roasted Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Leeks
Cheap and Easy Dinner: Chicken Thighs, Carrots, Potatoes & Onions »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Want to hear about more deliciousness from Eat the Bite?

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a recipe!

I'll send the latest and greatest right to your inbox!

Social Media Stuff

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

What's for Dinner?

overhead view of pineapple pork butt bowl with coconut ginger rice

Pineapple Pork Butt Bowl with Coconut Ginger Rice

Cheap and Easy Dinner Chicken Thighs, Carrots, Potatoes & Onions - overhead view of baking dish right out of the oven

Cheap and Easy Dinner: Chicken Thighs, Carrots, Potatoes & Onions

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Roasted Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Leeks: front view of the whole dinner - platter of chicken, extra cheese sauce and steamed broccoli

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Roasted Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Leeks

trim obvious flaps of fat first

How to Trim the Fat From Chicken Thighs

Pesto Pasta with Olives: overhead view of family-style platter of linguine with pesto, olives, shiitakes, artichokes, mozzarella, toasted pine nuts and sun dreid tomatoes

Pesto Pasta with Olives, Shiitake Mushrooms & Artichokes

valentines dinner for two - steak au poivre with potatoes au gratin: close up view of one portion

Dinner for Two: Steak au Poivre with Potatoes Au Gratin

Recent Comments

  • Stacey on Pickle Juice & Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich
  • Hollis Ramsey on Pickle Juice & Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich
  • Stacey on Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Romesco, Dill Havarti & Arugula

Footer

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Eat the Bite on the Foodie Pro Theme