Domino's new Handmade Pan Pizza is a bold move into Pizza Hut territory and features fresh dough hand-pressed into a pizza pan before baking. There's not much crust to hold on to as the toppings are sprinkled right to the edge of the pizza.
I picked up a 12" medium pan pizza with bacon and sausage from my local Domino's for
$7.99 with a online coupon (without any coupons/discounts, it's $10.99 for a 1-topping pan pizza). There are currently no large or small options for the pan pizza, only medium.
The pizza comes in an eye-catching, glossy black box. Like the rest of Domino's boxes, it's adorned with words touting the virtues of its contents.
Domino's pan pizza is thicker than their hand-tossed crust and tapers at the edge like a flying saucer. The crust exhibited a fine crispy layer over the crumb, but without the bubbly, fried, oiliness of Pizza Hut's version. There's a line of crunchiness that runs the very edge of the pizza. Like a lot of pizzas and breads, the crust does soften quite a bit as it cools. There's not a lot of flavor to the crust alone, but there is a slight butteriness.
Inside, the crumb had a moist, just slightly chewy quality similar to mochi or rice flour. There's a slight buttery flavor to it, but there's no butter involved if you're wondering.
The pizza might be covered with two layers of cheese, but I didn't really note anymore cheese beyond what is typical for Domino's.
Domino's bacon might be my favorite among the fast food chains. It crisped up quite nicely in the pizza oven and yields a very tasty flavor and smokiness that I always enjoy. It is much better than the tiny bits they used back when I was a kid. The sausage wasn't anything special, but was tender and a decent seasoned flavor. The combination of the two is a bit salty and I regretted not going with a meat/veggie duo, but only a little.
Is it better than Pizza Hut? Well, that depends on your preferences. I'm not a huge fan of Pizza Hut's pan so it's an unequivocal 'yes' for me. I like it better because it's nowhere near as oily as Pizza Hut and the crumb is moist whereas Pizza Hut's pan pizza tends to be drier. I enjoyed the soft crumb and thin layer of crispness. In fact, I like the new pan crust better than Domino's
recently revamped hand-tossed pizza crust. Overall, Domino's Handmade Pan Pizza is a winner in my book.
Nutritional Info - Domino's Pan Pizza - 12" pizza - crust only (505g)
Serving Size - 1 slice (63g)
Calories - 190 (from Fat - 60)
Fat - 7g (Saturated Fat - 3.5g)
Sodium - 150mg
Carbs - 26g (Sugar - 1g)
Protein - 5g
