Whole-Grain Pesto Chicken Pizza

Recipe by Spry Contributor

Ingredients

12 ounces whole grain or whole wheat pizza dough (follow below for homemade pizza dough)
Whole-Grain Crust: 1/2cup cup whole grain hot cereal (such as Bob's Red Mill Organic High Fiber Hot Cereal); 2teaspoons honey; 1cup boiled water; 2 1/4teaspoons active dry yeast (about 2 packets); 1cup spelt flour or whole-wheat flour; 3/4cup bread flour or all-purpose flour; 1/2teaspoon salt
Basil Pesto: 1cup fresh basil leaves, tightly packed; 2-3 cloves garlic; 2tablespoons pine nuts; 3tablespoons canola oil; Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings: 4 ounces roasted chicken breast strips (Rotisserie chicken would work well, too); 2large heirloom tomatoes, sliced to 1/4 inch thick; 1/4cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved; 6ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Place the cereal and honey in a heat proof bowl or bowl of an electric stand mixer; add boiled water and let sit for 15 minutes. Sprinkle yeast on top and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
Add the flours and salt; combine well, and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes adding more flour as necessary to form a non-sticky and elastic ball of dough. Alternatively, mix the dough a standing mixer for about 5 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and place in a warm area. Allow the dough to rise for at least an hour.
While dough is rising, preheat the oven to 500°F and begin preparing the pesto. Using a mini food processor, pulse the basil, garlic, nuts and oil until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 14-inch circle. Top with 2½ tablespoons of pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes and chicken.
Transfer to the oven and place on top of the stone or baking sheet; bake for 5 minutes. Quickly slide the parchment paper from under the pizza stone (if using) and bake for another 7 minutes until the crust is browned and cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and spread the remaining pesto on top.
Slice and serve!