Hot Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Inspired by Pizza Hut's version. Joe's favorite pizza. My favorite Joe. Use a 15 in round pizza pan or a 13 x 9 jelly roll pan.

• Ready In: 16 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 15 in Pizza

Ingredients

• Pizza Dough

• 1  cup warm water
• 1 (2 1/2ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon olive oil

• Chicken

• 8  ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1  teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1  teaspoon chili powder
• 1  teaspoon olive oil

• Sauce for chicken

• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4 cup  tabasco green  jalapeno sauce (it's the only brand I know)
• 3 -6  drops  hot sauce (or to your taste)
•  salt and pepper

• To Complete Pizza

• 1  lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup  ranch dressing
• 1⁄8 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Pizza dough:
2. Combine 1 cup warm water with 1 tsp of sugar.
3. Sprinkle entire package of yeast on top of warm water and sugar mixture. Set aside for 5 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp salt.
5. When yeast has bloomed (it will be foamy and smell), make a well (a hole in the middle) in the flour and salt mixture.
6. Pour in yeast combo and the 1 tbs olive oil.
7. Stir with a spoon from the middle of the well until all the flour and water is combined. It should make a big blob on your spoon. Remove dough from bowl to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. You can also use the dough hooks on a stand mixer to knead. Lightly oil your mixing bowl, return dough to bowl tucking it in to form a ball. Turn dough to coat with oil. Cover bowl containing dough with plastic wrap. Cover bowl and plastic wrap with a dish towel. If your kitchen is cold you can run hot water over the dish towel then ring it out and place over dough bowl. Set dough in a warm place (not on the back of the stove if you have the oven on. Don't ask.<g>) and let rise 1 hour.
8. Chicken:
9. Into a small saute pan, cut chicken into bite size pieces, drizzle chicken with one tsp of olive oil.
10. Sprinkle 1 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp chili powder over chicken and toss to coat chicken.
11. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes (DON"T PANIC! the chicken will finish cooking in the oven)
12. Remove chicken from pan.
13. In the same saucepan melt 2 tbs butter.
14. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 c green jalapeno tabasco and red tabasco sauce to taste. I use 3 to 6 drops (yes, I will admit to being a lukewarm spice lover).
15. Return chicken to pan and refrigerate.
16. Preheat oven to 450°F.
17. Place one oven rack in lowest position.
18. Place one oven rack in middle position
19. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough. If your dough keeps springing back let it rest for about 10 minutes.
20. Roll and turn dough 1/8 turn each stroke. You don't have to be gentle. Use even pressure throughout the stroke. When you have the size dough you need for your pan, (if using the jelly roll pan I cover the pan with foil and lightly coat the foil with olive oil) place dough in pan. Cover with a thin layer of ranch dressing (I use the back of a big spoon to even out the dressing) and remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and arrange evenly around the ranch dressing coated pizza dough. Dribbles of the sauce mixture just add zing. Cover pizza with shredded mozzarella. Dust mozzarella with parmesan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Bake the first 5 on the bottom rack.
21. Move pizza to the middle rack to complete baking. My idea of a perfectly done pizza is one with golden brown cheese. Please cook at least 10 minutes to finish chicken.