MENU DESCRIPTION: ‘Applewood smoked bacon, grilled chicken and Mozzarella cheese, hearth baked, then topped with Roma tomatoes, chilled chopped lettuce tossed in mayonnaise and fresh sliced avocados.” There’s no better way to clone the great pizzas from this creative chain than to start with dough made from scratch. And since the only way to re-create commercial-style pizza dough is to use the same slow-rising technique the pros use, you’re going to have to plan ahead at least 24 hours. This is the length of time it will take for the gluten in the flour to work its magic while resting comfortably in your refrigerator. And, if you’ve got the patience, I think 48 hours is even better. Once the dough is ready to go, you should bake your pizzas—this recipe makes two—on a preheated pizza stone in your oven. If you don’t already have one, you can find one of the round or rectangular stones in just about
any house-ware store. This cooking method is the absolute best way to produce an evenly baked finished product with a texture and taste that mirrors the amazing pies CPK whips out of rocket-hot brick pizza ovens.

Makes 2 pizzas, 8 slices each.

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 1½ teaspoons yeast
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1¾ cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup cooked thick bacon, crumbled (about 6 slices)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 large roma tomatoes, sliced into 8 slices each
• 1 avocado, sliced into 16 slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dissolve yeast and granulated sugar in ¾ cup warm water in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until it gets foamy on top.
2. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a depression in the flour and pour the yeast mixture and oil into it. Stir the liquid gradually drawing more flour into it, until you can form the dough into a ball.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until the texture of the dough is smooth. Coat dough with oil, cover it and let it sit in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
4. Punch down the dough, cover it again and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours in your fridge.
5. When it gets close to pizza time, remove the dough from the refrigerator. It needs to warm up for about 2 hours before you use it.
6. Place a pizza stone in your oven and crank the temperature up to 500 degrees.
7. Divide the dough in half and roll one half into a 10-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough onto a pizza pan or a pizza peel that will be used to slide the dough onto the hot pizza stone.
8. Flour the pan or pizza peel liberally with flour so that the assembled pizza will slide off easily.
9. Cover chicken breasts and pound them to about ½-inch thick with a kitchen mallet. Spray chicken liberally with olive oil cooking spray (or rub with olive oil), then sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
10. Grill the chicken on a preheated grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until it’s done. You can also sauté chicken in a skillet on your stove for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Cool and chop chicken into ½-inch cubes.
11. Assemble each pizza by spraying the pizza dough with a generous amount of olive oil spray. Spread 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on the dough. Sprinkle half of the bacon on next, followed by half of the chicken.
12. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the cheese and crust begins to brown.
13. While pizza bakes, combine 1½ cups chopped iceberg lettuce with ½ cup of chopped romaine in a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix well until all of the lettuce is coated with mayo.
14. When the pizza comes out of the oven, slice it into 8 pieces. Spoon the lettuce mixture over the top, then place a roma tomato slice on each slice of pizza. Finish off your pie by placing an avocado slice on each slice of pizza.
15. Repeat the process for the remaining pizza.