BBQ Chicken Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella and Quick-Pickled Red Onion

Take 500 g of ready-made pizza dough out of the refrigerator, divide it into two 250 g balls, and leave them, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Cold dough tears rather than stretches, so let it relax fully before shaping.

Thinly slice the red onion into half-moons. Thinly slice the spring onions. Pick the coriander leaves. Tear the smoked and fresh mozzarella into chunks.

Combine apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot brine over the sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl or jar.

Leave the pickled onion to cool and macerate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before using.

Combine ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chipotle chilli powder, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Season chicken thighs all over with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear chicken thighs smooth-side down for 4–5 minutes until deeply golden.

Flip the thighs, brush generously with half the BBQ sauce, and transfer the skillet to a 200°C (fan 180°C) oven. Roast for 15–18 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 74°C.

Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes, then slice or roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 2–3 tbsp of the remaining BBQ sauce to coat.

Raise the oven temperature to its maximum setting, or typically 260–280°C, or 240°C for a fan oven and place a heavy baking sheet or pizza stone on the top rack to preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Stretch one dough ball on a lightly floured surface by hand into a rough 30 cm round, leaving a slightly thicker border at the edge. Transfer to a sheet of baking parchment.

Spread 3–4 tbsp of BBQ sauce thinly over the base, leaving a 2 cm border. Scatter half the smoked mozzarella and fresh mozzarella over the sauce, then arrange half the BBQ chicken evenly on top.

Slide the pizza (on parchment) onto the preheated baking sheet or stone. Bake for 8–10 minutes until the crust is deeply blistered and golden at the edges and the cheese is bubbling with brown spots.

Remove from the oven, brush the crust border with olive oil, and top with half the drained pickled onion, sliced spring onions, and fresh coriander. Repeat steps 11–14 for the second pizza. Slice and serve immediately.