Chicken Bacon Chipotle Ranch Pizza and The Best Basic Pizza Dough Recipe

Okay... You know how I love to experiment with tacos and what I can add to them or make instead of just regular hamburger.... well, I think I love to experiment with pizza next. Friday for lunch I went to Subway and got a Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich with Chipotle sauce on it too, and you know how sometimes things just taste extra good, and you want to keep eating it even after it's gone? All afternoon I kept wondering what to have for dinner, and on Friday's I usually don't feel like cooking so we usually get Papa Murphy's. I thought tonight I want to make my own pizza....and why not see if I can create the chicken bacon Ranch sandwich I had for lunch (and Papa Murphy's has a chicken bacon ranch pizza) but I thought to shake it up a notch I would puree a chipotle pepper with adobo sauce in my ranch dressing...and guess what? It was to die for! I did things simple by buying already grilled chicken strips and pre-cooked bacon (that comes in handy at times) and added a few other things, and my-oh-my, this was my sandwich all over again and more!! I think I could have eaten the whole pizza if my stomach would have let me (as you can tell by my picture of it, I couldn't wait to taste before snapping my picture! Ha!). Plus I had found this basic pizza dough recipe that I had been wanting to try, and it's now my new favorite. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! YUMMO!

Best Basic Pizza Dough
This makes 2 12-inch pizzas or a single thicker crust 16 inch (that's what I made)

1 packet active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing bowl, dough ball and crust
1 teaspoon kosher salt (regular salt will be fine if you don't have this)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
1 cup slighty warm water

Directions:
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, pour the warm water in and sprinkle with yeast, and sugar. Whisk this to combine, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (HINT: do not use hot water or it will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise. I feel the temp on my wrist and if it's just slightly warm, that's what you want to use)
Add the oil, salt and a cup of the flour into yeast mixture.
With mixer on low, slowly add the rest of flour and mix until a dough ball forms. You may want to transfer to a floured work surface and knead by hand until a smooth ball comes together, but I let my mixer do the kneading and let it go about 5 minutes and I add a sprinkle of flour every now and then so the dough doesn't stick to the bowl.
Transfer the dough into a bowl that you've brushed with olive oil. After I put my dough ball into the bowl I turn it so the oil side is up or you can brush the top with a little more oil. Cover this with plastic wrap and place in a warm area for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven and a pizza stone (if you have one) to 450 degrees. I you don't have a pizza stone, grease your pizza pan.
Punch down down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. You can either cut dough in half and make two smaller pizzas or just one large pizza. Place on hot stone or your prepared pizza pan and top with whatever toppings you desire. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is golden brown.

Chicken Bacon Chipotle Ranch Pizza
1 cup Ranch Dressing
1 or 2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (freeze the rest, I like to use in coleslaw and sandwiches)
1 can Original Rotel Tomatoes with Green chilies, (drained well)
1 small (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, sliced
8 slices pre-cooked bacon, chopped into bite size pieces
2 cups grilled chicken strips, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

While your pizza dough is raising, get your toppings prepared, so when the dough is ready you are ready to throw on the toppings and bake.
In a blender puree the Ranch Dressing with the Chipotle peppers and a spoonful of the adobo sauce. Set aside.
Drain the rotel tomatoes (you could use fresh tomatoes and a can of green chili's or banana peppers if you like, I just like the rotel) discard juice, and set the tomatoes aside. Also drain your mushrooms.
In a small skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil, saute your sliced onions over medium heat until translucent and beginning to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Dice your bacon and chicken.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees (and your pizza stone if you are going to use one)
When your dough is ready and on pizza stone or pan, spread the chipotle ranch on it so it's covered, then sprinkle with about a cup of the mozzarella cheese, then add the tomatoes, mushrooms, onion slices, bacon and chicken. You can brush the edge of the pizza with olive oil if you desire. Place in hot oven and bake for about 8 minutes. Then I add the other cup of mozzarella cheese and the 1/2 cup of cheddar. Continue to bake for another 5 -to 7 minutes or until the crust is browned around the edges and your cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cut into slices and enjoy!! YUMMM!!!