Crispy Buffalo Chicken Pizza

A crispy, cheesy buffalo chicken pizza with a creamy blue cheese sauce.

12" pizza
2.5 hrs
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

The dough

  • Bread flour
    300 g
  • Water
    210 g70% hydration
  • Instant yeast
    6 g
  • Salt
    6 g
  • Neutral oil
    10 gor oiling the pan

The chicken

  • Chicken Breasts
    175 g1 small breast or 1/3 lb
  • Salt
    a sprinkle
  • Neutral oil
    a drizzlefor cooking

Ranch-style blue cheese dressing

  • Sour Cream
    120 g3 parts
  • Mayonnaise
    40 g1 part
  • Blue Cheese, crumbled
    30 g~1 part
  • Black Pepper
    ~10 cranks
  • Dried dill
    a spoonful
  • Water
    as neededto loosen sauce
  • Lemon juice
    to taste
  • Salt
    to taste

Remaining toppings

  • Low-moisture mozzarella
    75 gor as desired
  • Monterrey jack cheese
    75 gor as desired
  • Shallots
    1or to taste
  • Buffalo Sauce
    ~60 gor enough to cover

Method

Step 1: Mix and proof the dough

Add flour, yeast, salt, and oil to a bowl. Mix until evenly combined. Pour in the water and until a smooth dough forms, by hand or in about 5 minutes if using a stand mixer & dough hook.

Shape into a taut ball, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 60 minutes.

Transfer to an oiled 12x12 pan, gently stretch, then let rest another 45–60 minutes to relax.

  • Don’t force the dough to the edges early—it will naturally spread as it relaxes. While this happens, you can prep the remaining components.

Step 2: Prep & cook the chicken

Thinly slice the chicken breast across the grain.

Season lightly with salt, then in a hot pan with a small amount of oil until just cooked through.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°.

Step 3: Mix the blue cheese dressing

Combine sour cream, mayo, blue cheese, pepper, dill, and a splash of water.

Mix until smooth and pourable, then adjust with lemon juice and salt to taste.

Step 4: Assemble the pizza

Press the dough fully into the pan.

Spread buffalo sauce edge to edge, then evenly distribute the chicken.

Top with cheese, making sure some reaches the edges for crisping. Add shallots and a light drizzle of more buffalo sauce.

Step 5: Bake and finish

at 400°F/205°C for about 15 minutes, then increase to 450°F/230°C and continue until the edges are crispy and the bottom is , about 20–25 minutes total.

Remove from the pan and slice into squares.

Optionally garnish with more dill and serve with the blue cheese sauce on the side.

“This is one of those recipes that gets better the next day—reheated in a pan, the bottom crisps up even more. This recipe is designed for a 12x12 square pizza pan for maximum crispy edges, but you could use any similarly sized pan.”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

ENTIRE PIZZA (9 slices)
Calories2117
230g
75g
124g

FAQ

Why use a two-stage bake (400°F → 450°F)?

Starting lower allows the dough to cook through without burning the exterior. Increasing the heat at the end drives browning and crisping through

What if I don’t like blue cheese dressing?

Ranch dressing would be a great substitute. In fact, if you just omit the blue cheese, the rest of the sauce ingredients can still be mixed together into a dressing that is basically ranch!

Why the square pizza pan?

Pan pizzas are a lot more convenient for home cooking, no shaping, tossing, or pizza stone management required. It bakes through and gets at normal oven temps.

This recipe is designed for a 12x12 square pizza pan for maximum crispy edges, but you could use any similarly sized pan, even if stretching the dough a bit thinner is required. Metal is preferred to glass since you'll get a crispier crust, however.