Here we intend on keeping things nice and simple. For that very reason, we will look at the hand-tossed and pan-tossed pizza on offer from Dominos.
Dominos has a number of different options available to customers, but that does mean it can lead to complications for individuals who are unsure as to which one to buy. So, what do you do if you find yourself in this situation?
Well, we feel that the best approach is to spend some time learning which crust is best among those on offer from Dominos. So, that’s what we plan on doing.
You see, the different crusts can make a huge difference to the end result. Also, there’s more to it than the crust. They cook differently and taste different. It even changes how they cope with the toppings.
So, which one is best?
Two Very Different Options
We need to make one thing clear to kick things off. The pan-tossed version is actually the deep pan pizza, so if you see deep-pan mentioned, then you know what’s going on.
But what you do have here are two different options when it comes to these pizzas. That covers both how much dough is used and also the way in which they are made. While they start off with the same ingredients in the dough, it doesn’t take long until things change somewhat.
The Crust is Different
The only area where these pizzas come across as different is in the crust. They do use the exact same toppings on both pizza options, so there’s no point in us going into the crusts in any type of detail.
So let’s look at how they make the crust.
In the case of a pan tossed, what you have is the dough needing to be pressed down into the pan. They use their fingers to push the dough into the edges resulting in the crust being formed. They then add in the toppings just to finish off the job.
But the hand tossed is not like that.
With the hand tossed, it’s all formed by the throwing and tossing of the dough. It’s never pushed into a shape or formed in this way.
This hand tossing results in more bubbles forming in the dough. These bubbles burst when the crust is cooking, and that then leaves the dough feeling and tasting lighter than other options.
That is the biggest difference between the two. If you rip open the crust in both options, then what you will see is that the inside of the crust looks different. You can actually see how one is lighter than the other.
How the Crust is Different
As a result of how they are formed, the crusts do than come out completely differently from one another.
First, the deep pan has a thicker crust. It may come across as heavier thanks to there just being more dough in a condensed space. It’s also going to provide you with a thicker layer with a real focus being on the sides of the crust.
The hand-tossed is not like that. Instead, the crust is thinner in nature thanks to it being spread out more. Also, they tend to use less dough in the making of the hand-tossed, so this can come across as a lighter pizza compared to the pan tossing.
So straight away you should form some ideas as to which option comes across as better for your own taste buds and how you view the crust.
The Dough is Softer in the Hand Tossed
For the hand-tossed to work, then the dough has to come across as lighter in nature. A heavy dough is harder to throw around leading to a poorer crust.
To achieve this, the hand-tossed dough is kneaded for longer than the pan-tossed. The pan tossed takes less time to prepare. They simply knead it by hand for a short while to really combine everything in the dough, and it’s then put into the pan.
Looking More Closely at the Crust
In the case of the hand-tossed crust by Dominos, they realize that the fact it has less dough may be an issue for some people. They then add garlic and oil to the base after cooking in order to simply blast the flavor onto a whole new level.
If you compare both crusts, then you see that the hand-tossed does come across more like a pizza crust than the deep pan. However, that’s not to say the pan-tossed crust is poor. That’s not the case.
But with the pan tossed, it does come across as having more of a bread-like texture to it. For some, it comes across as a surprise. And yet it doesn’t have a soggy base since this dough is crispy and capable of withstanding the toppings and pizza sauce placed on top.
The Cooking Time
Out of the two, the cooking time is longer for the pan tossed than it is for the hand-tossed. Also, the pan tossed has to be cooked at a higher temperature. In general, you are looking at Dominos cooking their pan tossed around 700F while the hand-tossed is lower at 500F.
Of course, it takes longer because of the thickness of the crust. Anything less would result in the crust coming across as soggy and you then have a limp pizza, which nobody wants.
But there’s one other difference to be aware of, and it’s still part of the cooking process.
They add oil to the bottom of the pan before adding in the crust and toppings. That oil does make the base slightly greasy, and while that may not be something that puts you off, it does change the consistency of the crust.
Do the Toppings Change at Any Point?
We did mention earlier on about the toppings are the same with either option, but should you know of any small differences? Well, this is more of an observation rather than anything else but there may be a slight difference.
Now, we do mean slight.
It’s often viewed that the pan tossed comes with richer toppings, and it’s all to do with the fact that the thicker crust can hold more toppings. They have the ability to throw on more pizza sauce, cheese, and anything else. The thicker crust means it can hold it without the crust breaking under the weight.
That’s not to say you then get different mixes for toppings with the pan tossed. You don’t. Instead, it’s just the amount of toppings that will be different with the two pizzas.
So, Which is Better?
Now we need to look at which one is better, and it does clearly come down to personal preferences.
The key is in how much you love the crust and the taste of the dough. If you are not a fan of dough, then the hand-tossed wins. However, if you want a lot more toppings, then the pan tossed is the pizza that ends up winning.
This shows how tough it can be to decide in a battle such as this. If you are a crust person, then your preference is completely different from a toppings person.
But we have our own thoughts on which one is better.
Hand Tossed Wins on Taste of Crust
For us, the hand-tossed is the crust that comes across as best from a taste perspective. It does give you enough dough to satisfy that need without being overpowering.
Also, the garlic and oil they put on the crust after it’s made make a difference. It adds a real depth of flavor to the crust which is generally lacking when you have the pan tossed.
In addition, the hand-tossed just looks more appealing from a visual perspective. It has a unique look to it whereas the pan tossed is more regular in its appearance.
Pan Tossed Wins on Toppings
But if you are going to go on toppings, then pan-tossed is the winner. What you have here is the ability to really pile up the toppings and add in maximum flavor while delivering a mouthful of pizza.
But here’s the important thing. Pizza is all about the toppings and how they taste. Without ample toppings, your pizza will come up short.
That is why we feel the pan-tossed pizza at Dominos wins out of the two options. However, we know you won’t agree with this if you are not a huge fan of the crust.
If we were to score both out of 100, then it would be really close. It’s literally 92 plays 90 in that regard, so we are merely looking for small differences that set both apart.
So the best thing to do is to try both the pan-tossed and hand-tossed pizzas and see which one you prefer. At least it gives you a good enough reason to go ahead and eat more pizza, and that is never a bad thing.
