BBQ Black Bean Pizza

When I first saw this combination I thought it was a little weird too, but now it’s honestly, my favorite kind of pizza.  I love bbq pizza but I hate not making it myself.  I know I say it all the time, but you just can’t beat knowing exactly what has gone into your food.  Plus it saves a ton of money.  The original dough recipe(which makes a ton of pizza) costs just over a dollar according to Beth at Budget Bytes And the toppings really don’t cost very much.  I would really recommend making half as much pizza as this recipe makes because it really is a lot.  I have some suggestions at the bottom on how to use the remaining dough.

[print_this]Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Recipe slightly adapted from No-knead Focaccia on Budget Bytes

• 3 C whole wheat bread flour(or use 2 C regular whole wheat flour and 2 C all-purpose flour)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp italian seasoning
• 2 C water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp cornmeal

Mix all ingredients except the olive oil and cornmeal the night before just with a spoon till it’s mostly combined and leave covered in a large bowl in a cool place on the counter overnight.  Before preparing your ingredients for your pizza remove the dough from the bowl onto a well floured surface and fold over itself a few times just till the flour covers all the sticky surfaces as the dough will be very sticky.  Prepare two large baking sheets by dividing the oil between them and rubbing it all over the pan then sprinkle with the cornmeal.  Divide the dough in two(or you could even make 4 small pizzas) and shape into the desired shape and desired thickness using a little flour to prevent sticking your hands.  I made mine to match the pan so we had rectangular pizzas but make yours however you like.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Leave the dough on the counter while the oven heats up.  Once it’s ready, put the crusts in for 10 minutes(depending on the thickness).  It should not be doughy anymore, but should not be browned at all yet.[/print_this]

[print_this]BBQ Black Bean Pizza

Adapted from Mama Peas Pita Pizzas

• 2 cans black beans rinsed and drained(or sub an equal amount of previously cooked chicken for a BBQ chicken pizza)
• 1/2 C barbeque sauce(homemade or look for one that has minimal ingredients)
• 1 large onion(or 2 small), sliced or diced
• 2 sweet peppers thinly sliced(I used red, but any color will work)
• 2 tsp oil
• 2-3 C mozzarella cheese

In a small frying pan heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes till softened.  Add in the sliced peppers and cook for another 5-10 minutes till the veggies are soft as they wont cook much in the oven.

To assemble the pizzas spread equally divided barbeque sauce on the two previously prepared crusts.  Sprinkle the already cooked onions and peppers evenly over both pizzas and then spread out the black beans evenly over both pizzas and then top with cheese.  Then return the pizzas to the oven.  At this point I slide the pizzas directly onto the rack in the oven so that the bottom crisps up.  I definitely recommend doing that, but be careful not to drop your pizza.  Bake at 425 degrees for another 10-15 minutes till the bottom begins to turn golden and crispy and then broil just till the cheese on top gets golden brown and bubbles which should only take a couple minutes. You may have to switch racks in the middle to ensure both pizzas are done properly if you put them on two different racks.  Remove pizzas from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

When I made this I made one pepperoni pizza for my husband using a tomato sauce, pepperoni, onion and cheese.  You can always use half the dough and make one pizza(or two smaller ones) and store the remaining dough in the fridge as long as you use it within a few days.  Or you could make a smaller version of the focaccia in the original recipe to use for sandwiches as it’s very good that way too.  Or you could also cook the crust as in the first part of the recipe and then cool it completely and freeze it to use the next time you want pizza.  If you do only end up making half, make sure to half the toppings in the recipe.[/print_this]