When you check out the menu at Pizza Hut, then you will undoubtedly notice you have numerous options when it comes to the crust. However, while having options is pretty good, you may end up wondering which Pizza Hut crust is best.
Of course, it’s always the case that it comes down to personal taste. Some prefer crusts containing almost no dough while others love the chewy nature that comes with some options.
So, why don’t we attempt to break down the different crust options when at Pizza Hut? It might even lead to you changing your preferred crust the next time you go to order.
The Original Pan Crust
First, let’s introduce the original pan crust available at Pizza Hut. This was actually their very first premium option, and it was introduced way back in the 50s. This pizza is also known as the deep-pan, and it has remained unchanged since it was introduced all those decades ago.
In fact, the only changes have been to the pan. According to Pizza Hut, the change to the pan has led to the crust becoming more buttery, but some people cannot even taste the difference.
With this pizza, you can expect to have a pizza with a substantial amount of dough. However, it’s important to point out that the dough itself is not heavy in nature. Instead, Pizza Hut has managed to keep things nice and light, so it doesn’t sit in your stomach.
The Classic Hand Tossed Crust
Moving onto the hand-tossed crust, this pizza sort of sits in the middle ground between the deep pan and a thin crust. It also comes across as the sort of average pizza thickness that you tend to find anywhere else.
The hand-tossed crust perhaps works best for those individuals who do not really enjoy the deep pan, and yet the thin crust is just too thin.
Also, it just feels more authentic when you have this crust. It has a slightly puffed edge to the pizza, and then it can support the sauce and toppings with ease. However, it still doesn’t come across as feeling too dense after eating.
Overall, the hand-tossed crust is going to cover so many bases when it comes to pizza. If you feel unsure as to which option you should go for, then opting for this would probably offer the best solution.
The Thin and Crispy Crust
For those individuals who never enjoy too much crust, then the thin and crispy crust is the solution. With this pizza, the crust certainly comes across as having a different texture from the two options mentioned above.
In this instance, the crust is no longer chewy in any way. Instead, it has a crispier texture to it, and this does also lead to it feeling significantly lighter.
There is also usually no real edge to this crust. It appears flatter and it does mean you may not appreciate this crust if you are all about that puffy edge to your pizza.
In saying that, the thin and crispy crust is still a wonderful thing to try. It doesn’t feel as if it sits in your stomach for any period of time. Ultimately, you probably feel more relaxed and comfortable after eating this particular pizza.
The Stuffed Crust
Pizza Hut came up with the stuffed crust idea, so it’s no surprise they have mastered this particular crust. Of course, you will quickly see how it’s filled with cheese, and it did quickly become one of their most popular options on the menu.
For many, this stuffed crust offers the chance to get past the idea of too much dough. Of course, some could argue you could easily go for the thin crust option in general, but the stuffed crust does open up new avenues for you.
But the stuffed crust has also spawned other versions over time. However, they are not always available in every country where you could come across the Pizza Hut brand.
For example, in Australia, they regularly have the hot dog stuffed crust option. Other countries will have a hot dog bite version where the crust is made up of small pieces of hot dog stuffed into the crust in easy-to-bite sizes.
Of course, there’s also the cheesy bites crust as well, so you do at least have different things to try out when it comes to the stuffed crust.
Which One is Best?
The different crusts listed above are undoubtedly the most common versions you will find on the menu pretty much anywhere you go. However, we still haven’t addressed the key point here, which is to determine the one that we think that’s best.
The Key is the Dough
In our opinion, the key is the dough in the crust and what you prefer. Some people do love the thick almost chewy texture of some dough, while others feel that having a thinner, crispier layer of dough is the better option.
Now the dough they use at Pizza Hut is not bad. It doesn’t tend to come across as too heavy, but clearly there’s a bit more dough in the original pan crust and hand-tossed compared to other options.
The Texture
The texture of the crust does vary quite considerably depending on which option you have picked. For example, the original pan crust does still come across as light, but there’s a whole lot more dough to work your way through compared to other options.
Compare that to the thin and crispy crust. This crust will come across as having more of a wafer-like texture. You feel as if you can snap pieces of the crust off as it can come across as quite solid.
And then there’s the stuffed crust texture. By stuffing the crust with cheese, or hot dog in some areas, you do manage to completely transform the texture. However, it does mean the edge needs to come across as more puffed up to allow the stuffing to sit in there.
As a result, the edge of the stuffed crust can give the appearance of having too much dough. However, you will find when you bite into it that this is clearly not the case. But then, the actual main part of the crust still has more dough on it than the thin and crispy option.
So, which one do we prefer when it comes to the texture? Well, we do like to strike the balance between the main options, and that means pointing to the classic hand-tossed crust as the best.
Holding the Toppings
Finally, we need to look at how it holds the toppings. Now, they do make the thin and crispy very crispy or it would be unable to support the sauce. Thankfully, it does this pretty well, and it then comes down to the branch making sure they cook things correctly.
But then the hand-tossed crust does not come with the same potential issue of being unable to support the weight of the sauce and toppings. It’s also a bit more flexible in nature, while still remaining sturdy.
That does mean that the hand-tossed is something that you can fold after cutting the slices. Of course, the original pan crust has no problem whatsoever, and the same goes for the stuffed crust.
However, if we had to choose, then we would still go for the classic hand-tossed version. It just strikes that balance we have spoken about on several occasions.
The Taste
Honestly, when it comes to the actual taste, then there’s no significant difference. It’s all because they use the same dough for every potential option, so it wouldn’t change.
The only way in which the taste can differ is due to the amount of dough used in a single pizza. Clearly, if something is cooked until it’s crispy then you have a different experience compared to there being more dough on other options.
So it comes down more to quantity rather than a taste difference, and you should not really find yourself in a position where you can tell different doughs apart.
Overall Conclusion
In our opinion, the crust that’s best is the classic hand-tossed. It does strike more of a balance between having enough of a crust without being too over the top. Also, it’s strong enough to cope with a number of toppings without you needing to worry about it caving in.
In addition, you get this middle ground between it being chewy and crispy, so it does tend to cover more than one base in that respect.
Now, we know that this conclusion may come across as slightly controversial since people do love the original pan crust, and we aren’t saying that it’s a bad pizza. However, it does come across as slightly too thick for some people, and there’s no doubt that this can put people off eating their pizza.
So, if you want to enjoy the toppings from Pizza Hut, then go for the classic hand-tossed crust and you should certainly not run into any problems.
