Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pizza w/ Smoked Beer Crust
I have been very blessed to have been given the opportunity, through this blog, to work with some fantastic companies. With every opportunity, I feel like a kid in a candy store, getting home and seeing a package on the porch waiting for me to use. Working with a company like My Spice Sage is just another reason why I absolutely love my blog.
When I first visited My Spice Sage, I was simply taken back by their enormous selection of unique spices. They have 500+ premium spices and only carry the highest grade quality spices, so you know you are getting the best. They also use a state of the art grinding method. Grinding their spices cryogenically at sub-zero temperatures to maintain 100% of their flavor. Other grinding techniques generate heat, resulting in a significant decrease in intensity and flavor.
Another advantage for using My Spice Sage is that they cut out a lot of the middle men. When you buy from a brick and morder establishment the supply chain tends to go like this: Importer-Truck-Processor/Packed-Truck-Distribution Center-Truck-Retailer-You. With My Spice Sage it goes Importer-Truck-My Spice Sage-You. This process cuts out months to even years of processing time. Which, in turn, delivers a fresher product.
Now lets talk prices. You might be thinking that since you are getting such a premium product, you will have to pay a premium price. I thought that as well, but when I saw the prices I was shocked. In my area, a bottle of McCormick's Smoked Paprika (1.62 oz) retails for $4.99. on My Spice Sage Smoked Paprika (4 oz) is $5.50. McCormicks is $3.08/oz and My Spice Sage is $1.38/oz....THAT'S A 44.8% DIFFERENCE!! WTF McCORMICKS?! Then you might saying "well you gotta pay for shipping." (You better sit down for this) My Spice Sage ships for free on all US orders...brain = blown.
So, lets recap, you get a premium, high grade product for almost half the price of store bought spices that are delivered to your front door. If you buy another jar of McCormicks or any other extremely overpriced spice again, I will personally come punch you in the face (Not really though).
ON TO THE RECIPE!!
In this recipe I will be utilizing the blackening seasoning and mesquite flour I received from My Spice Sage. The crust recipe is adapted from the Seattle Food Geek, and is the best and quickest pizza dough recipe ever. We are talking 25 min from start to finish. The secret ingredient that makes this such a quick dough is the use of microencapsulated leavener. Which essentially is baking soda that is coated at a microscopic level with Non-trans Palm lipid. They are just like tiny capsules of baking soda. The baking soda is then only released when you put it in the oven, the heat melts away the coating and your dough rises as it bakes. This basically cuts out hours of proofing time! I decided to use beer (Yuengling Lager) for the liquid in this recipe, which worked really really well. I like a yeasty flavor to my dough and the beer gave it that flavor, without having to wait for hours or even days for the dough to ferment.
I am still absolutely in love with my Baking Steel! The best way to make a pizza in my eyes. With every use, I am definitely getting better results each time. I am still using the broiler method, which is where I set the Baking Steel on the top rack (Position: Second from the top). and then I crank the broiler on high for an hour to preheat the steel. I also leave the oven door open a crack with a metal utensil, to prevent the thermostat from kicking off the broiler. Slide the pizza on and should be done in about 3 minutes. Enjoy!