Rancho Cucamonga Recipe

Preheat

Preheat oven to highest setting (500–550°F / 260–290°C) with a pizza stone or steel inside for at least 30 minutes. If using a wood-fired oven, heat until stone surface is very hot and oven temperature is around 700–900°F depending on your oven workflow.

If using store-bought dough, let it come to room temperature 30–60 minutes to make stretching easier. Lightly dust work surface with flour and stretch or roll dough to a 12-inch round, leaving a slightly thicker 1/2–3/4-inch rim for the crust.

Brush the dough surface lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil, leaving a 1/2-inch edge un-oiled to promote browning.

Spread ranch dressing evenly over the dough using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Use about 1 cup of ranch for good coverage; adjust slightly if you prefer less or more.

Combine shredded fontina and fontinella in a bowl and toss to mix. Evenly distribute the combined cheese over the ranch-layered dough, leaving the crust edge exposed.

Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the top of the other cheeses, focusing slightly toward the center so the crust remains less covered for crisping.

Prepare bacon: if not already cooked, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, drain on paper towels, cool slightly, then roughly chop. Scatter chopped bacon evenly over the cheese layer.

If the chicken is not cooked: season 1 chicken breast with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 6–8 minutes per side for a large breast), then shred or dice. If pre-cooked, simply shred or dice and toss with 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce to coat lightly for flavor; distribute the chicken evenly on the pizza.

Scatter sliced green onions over the pizza, reserving a small pinch of green-only slices for finishing after bake if you want a brighter raw bite.

Before baking, lightly drizzle 1–3 tablespoons buffalo sauce evenly over the assembled pizza. This adds the classic tang and heat; adjust amount to taste. Avoid heavy pooling which can make the crust soggy.

Transfer the pizza to a pizza peel dusted with semolina or flour, then slide onto the preheated stone/steel in the oven or place in the wood-fired oven. Bake until the crust is blistered and golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling: about 7–10 minutes in a 500–550°F oven on a stone/steel, or 2–4 minutes in a very hot wood-fired oven depending on heat. Rotate the pizza halfway through if necessary for even char and cooking.

Remove pizza from oven. Immediately drizzle the reserved 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce in a thin zigzag over the pizza if you like extra heat. Sprinkle the remaining green onion greens and the finely grated Parmesan (if you reserved some) over the top for brightness and finish.

Season with freshly cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Let the pizza rest 2–3 minutes to set before slicing to keep toppings in place.