[title subtitle=”words & Images: Lauren Allen, tastesbetterfromscratch.com”]Garlic-Ranch Chicken Pizza[/title]
I’ve been making homemade pizzas with my mom ever since I was little. I loved to help her stretch the dough, and she would always let us choose the toppings we wanted. Pizza night was a fun activity for our whole family.
Once I got married, my husband requested homemade pizza just about every weekend. But there was only one problem; I wasn’t in love with the pizza crust recipe I’d always used. SO, I set out to find the best pizza crust recipe out there. Now, for someone who makes homemade pizza on almost a weekly basis, I’ve tried my fair share of pizza crust recipes. Many of them were close successes, and many were utter failures. It’s taken me a long time to adapt and combine things from recipes I’ve liked in order to make the perfect recipe — but now I can confidently say THIS IS IT!
I’ve found that the key to making pizza from home is pre-baking your pizza crust. It’s absolutely essential to pre-bake it for five or six minutes, then put your toppings on, and return it to the oven to finish baking. This will result in a crust that holds its own and is crispy on the outside, and soft and airy on the inside. You also really need to take the time to let the dough rise. I’ve tried tons of “no-rise” or “fifteen-minute” pizza crust recipes, and none of them tastes as good as when you let the dough rise. That’s just how it has to be done — and you’ll be so pleased with the results!
Now that you’ve got the perfect pizza dough recipe, you’ve got to make this amazing Garlic-Ranch Chicken Pizza. I love the flavor and creaminess that this homemade garlic-ranch sauce adds to the pizza. Top it with layers of tomato, bacon, chicken, and mozzarella cheese and you’ve got a real winner. Try it baked, or grilled.
[separator type=”thin”]
Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 3 3/4 – 4 cups flour (bread flour works best, but all-purpose works fine)
Method
In a large bowl of a stand mixer combine 1/2 cup of the warm water with the sugar and yeast. Stir to dissolve the yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of warm water, and the olive oil, salt and vinegar.
Mix on medium-low speed and gradually add flour. Knead for about 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should be sticky, but not so sticky that it sticks to your clean fingertips). Cover the bowl with a dry towel and allow to rest in a warm place until doubled in volume — about 1 hour.
Gently punch the dough down and place on a floured counter top. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces (this can vary depending on how thick you want your crust and how big you want your pizza. I make three medium sized pizzas). Roll and stretch your dough to desired size and thickness. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450° and brush dough lightly with olive oil.
Pre-bake the dough on a pizza stone or in pizza pan for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. Return to oven and bake for 8-12 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Garlic-Ranch Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
- Dough for 1 pizza
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Garlic-Ranch Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/8 teaspoon chopped, dried chives
- 1/8 teaspoon dill
- 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
- Dash of onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Mix all ingredients together for the garlic-ranch sauce. Spread mixture over the top of the pizza dough. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over top, followed by the chicken, bacon, and tomatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 450° for 9 – 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
*For grilled pizzas: Oil your grill and heat to medium-low. Shape dough into long, slipper-shaped pieces. Brush dough with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes on one side, with the grill closed. Flip to the other side and brush again with olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, with the grill lid closed. Remove crust to a plate and add toppings. Return to grill and cook just until cheese is melted, 1-2 more minutes.
[separator type=”thin”]
Lauren Allen is the creator of TastesBetterFromScratch.com, an exciting and beautiful food blog dedicated to sharing her love of cooking and creating new recipes from her family home in St. Louis. Lauren truly believes that everything tastes better homemade!
