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California Pizza Kitchen Original BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe
California Pizza Kitchen Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
By Todd Wilbur

Recipe Type: Entree
Calories: 613
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Recipe Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)
 
Menu Description: "Introduced in our first restaurant in 1985. With barbecued chicken, sliced red onion, cilantro, and smoked Gouda cheese."

In 1985, attorneys Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield traded in their private practice, which included defending mob bosses and union officials, for a specialty pizza chain. These two "amateur chefs" say they were influenced by Wolfgang Puck, whose Spago restaurant in Los Angeles was the first to create pizza with unusual toppings. Now they have developed a niche somewhere between gourmet food and traditional Italian-style pizzas, creating what one magazine described as "designer pizza at off-the-rack prices." In addition to the pastas, soups, and salads, California Pizza Kitchen offers dozens of unique pizza creations that reflect the current trends in dining. When Cajun food was in style, the Cajun chicken pizza was a top seller; today that item has been replaced with Southwestern and Thai pizza varieties. As the menu explains, the Barbecued Chicken Pizza was one of the first pizzas served at California Pizza Kitchen. Decades later it remains one of the top-selling pizza creations.

You can use this recipe to make your pizza with pre-made or packaged dough, but I highly recommend taking the time to make the dough yourself. you'll find that its well worth the little bit of extra work.

Source: "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" by Todd Wilbur.

The Dough
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees F)
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John Killilea  
Submitted on 01/07/12
Made this earlier today...roommates claimed it was the best BBQ chicken pizza they've had.
Kissfan  
Submitted on 07/18/05
Fantastic! I've made this recipe many times and every part of it is great. I usually double the recipe because my husband and I eat so much of it!