Cobb Salad Pizza with Homemade Pizza Dough

Cobb Salad Pizza with Homemade Pizza Dough:

Crust recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

Crust:

3 cups (16.5 oz.) bread flour, plus more for work surface

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. instant or rapid rise yeast

1 1/3 cups ice water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for work surface

1 1/2 tsp. table salt

Topping:

8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

5 cups shredded lettuce

4 hard boiled eggs, diced

1 1/3 lb. (about 1 cup) deli ham diced to 1/4 inch cubes

1 1/3 lb. (about 1 cup) deli chicken, diced to 1/4 inch cubes

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, diced

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/4 cup ranch dressing

1/4 cup cornmeal for work surface

To make dough, place flour, yeast, and sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process the mixture for a few seconds to combine. With the machine running, slowly pour water through the feed tube until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains. This should take about 10 seconds. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

With the machine on, add oil and salt through the feed tube and process until a sticky ball forms and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 30 to 60 seconds. Dough should be satiny.

Move dough to a lightly oiled countertop and knead until smooth, about1 minute. Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.

To bake the pizza, remove dough from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before baking. Divide in half. Shape into tight balls and place at least 3 inches apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F one hour before baking. Place the pizza stone on rack positioned 4 to 5 inches below the broiler (see note below).

To form crust, generously coat 1 ball and countertop with flour. Use fingertips to flatten dough into 1 inch discs leaving a 1 inch outer edge that is slightly thicker than the center. Use hands to gently stretch disc into 12 inch rounds, working along the edges. Use quarter turns while stretching.

Dust a rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. If not available, flip baking sheet over so that the underside is facing up, then dust. Transfer dough to baking sheet. Spread 1/4 cup ranch dressing on dough, avoiding outer edges. Add half of ham and half of chicken, followed by half of mozzarella cheese. Slide pizza onto the pizza stone. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway. Remove and cool slightly on wire rack.

Using half of the topping ingredients, build the salad layer. Sprinkle on lettuce, followed by tomatoes, eggs, avocado, and bacon. Drizzle with about 1/3 cup of ranch dressing.

Repeat for second pizza. Makes 2 pizzas.

Note:

I find that my cheese browns more quickly than the dough when baking. Placing my pizza stone on the upper level of the oven overcooks the cheese before the crust is done. I place my baking stone on the lower half of my oven.