Chicken and Tomato Pizza with Mozzarella

Headnote

This pizza is built on restraint: a supple wheat dough, a clean tomato base, and chicken cooked to tenderness before the heat of the oven finishes the work. The mozzarella must melt into a unified layer, not a heavy blanket, while fresh tomato and oregano keep the flavor bright and composed. It is a straightforward dish, but only when each element is handled with discipline.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Pizza

Cuisine or origin: Italian-inspired

Course type: Main course

Yield: 1 pizza

Serving size: 430 g

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Kitchen scale

Rolling pin

Baking tray or pizza tray

Oven

Frying pan

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Ingredients

Dough

150 g wheat flour

90 g water

3 g yeast

3 g sugar

3 g salt

8 g olive oil

Topping

90 g chicken breast

45 g tomato sauce

40 g mozzarella cheese

25 g tomato, thinly sliced

4 g olive oil

1 g oregano

1 g salt

Method

1. Combine the wheat flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the water and olive oil, then mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. Cover and rest for 45 minutes, until visibly expanded and supple.

2. While the dough rests, season the chicken breast with the salt. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side. The surface should be lightly golden and the center fully opaque. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.

3. Heat the oven to 250°C. If using a tray, place it in the oven to preheat as well; the base must meet a hot surface to bake cleanly.

4. Roll the dough into a round about 25 cm across, keeping the center slightly thinner than the rim. Transfer it to the tray. Spread the tomato sauce in a thin, even layer, leaving a narrow border clear at the edge.

5. Distribute the sliced chicken evenly over the sauce. Add the mozzarella in a balanced layer, then arrange the tomato slices over the top. Finish with the oregano.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is well browned at the edges, the base is cooked through, and the mozzarella is fully melted with a faint golden color in places. The tomato should soften without collapsing completely.

Plating and serving

Slide the pizza to a board or large plate and let it stand for 1 minute before cutting. Serve in clean wedges, with the chicken evenly distributed and the surface glossy but not wet. The final pizza should be crisp at the rim, tender in the center, and balanced between tomato acidity, dairy richness, and the savory depth of the chicken.

Professional notes

A hot tray is essential if you want a properly cooked base rather than a pale, soft crust. Slice the chicken thinly so it heats through without drying in the oven. Keep the sauce restrained; excess moisture will weaken the dough and dull the finish.