How do I make my own pizza hut style pizza?

danlightbulb

Hello knowledgable people!

I really like Pizza Hut thin pizzas. But they are expensive so I want to try and make my own.

I very much prefer pizza hut over dominos. I like the thinness, the crispyness and the softness of the pizza hut dough, whereas I find dominos pizzas are thicker, more loaded with cheese and more greasy. I don't like any of the gimmicky stuffed crust stuff - its the traditional simple italian style I like.

I don't like a great deal of cheese. Thin, less cheese, crisp but fluffy crust. The toppings I like are cajun chicken, spicy beef, peppers and chillies.

Not sure where to start on ingredients and whether my one standard oven is sufficient to even do this.

I live alone, so will only want to make one pizza at a time.

Anyone help with where to start?

I know not strictly moneysaving but it will be if I don't have to buy from pizza hut and can have one whenever I fancy!

Thanks

Hedgehog99

The cookery book "Linda McCartney On Tour" has a good recipe for pizza bases. It makes four, but you can freeze the remaining three balls of dough separately to use another time. Hopefully you can get it in your local library.

If you have a bread machine with a pizza dough, you can use it for this recipe, or just make it by hand.

Bake on a pizza stone, large ceramic tile or baking sheet.

Then toppings are up to you!

danlightbulb

Will it be fluffy dough though? I buy frozen pizzas all the time, and they are pretty lifeless. They don't have any rise to them, and they aren't really thin enough for me either.

Uhtred_Ragnarsson

I make pizza frequently but it is like pizza you would get in an Italian restaurant and probably not Pizza Hut. The crust is very thin, soft yet crisp and toppings can be whatever you like.

For the dough I use 300g strong bread flour, 200 ml warm water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon easy yeast and one teaspoon of salt. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead well for about 10 minutes. You then should leave the dough to rise in a warm, damp environment - leave it in a clean bowl, covered with a damp tea towel. This bit I find really important - if you get the dough to rise, when it's cooked it should puff up nicely. The recipe suggests that this makes 2 pizzas but I prefer to divide in 3 and then roll thinly (yum)

For sauce I use a basic tomato and basil sauce that I blend using a stick blender. I use a Jamie Oliver recipe - if you google this it should be easy to find.

The most important thing in my opinion is the oven temperature. Standard ovens don't hit the high temperatures that you need for a crisp base - as was said by Hedgehog, get a pizza stone or ceramic tile. I ended up buying a nice red pizza oven from Amaz*n. It is the best thing I ever bought - not really MSE (and an example of why I post on the DF Wannabe diaries ) but it makes the most authentic pizza ever!

Have a go at making your own - play around with it and you will get it the way you like it I'm sure

PasturesNew

You say you love the PH ones but they're expensive ... my solution is to just pick up a cheap supermarket pizza (£2 or so) and just accept that it won't be like the other one, but look at the saving.

The trouble is, there are a lot of variables between their base recipe and toppings recipes and what you'll be prepared to make/do for just one.

Might as well just accept that's life ... as it'd take a LOT of effort to try to get close to theirs.

peachyprice

Just make normal bread dough, with a touch more oil so that it's a little softer but not sticky (makes it easier to roll out). For best results make the dough and leave it in the fridge for a few days, the longer the better, it gives it that real pizza dough flavour (makes excellent rustic bread too).

Break off a ball about the size of a tennis ball half an hour before you want to use it to let it get to room temp then roll out on an oiled surface.

I use Mason Cash terracotta pizza stones, heat your stone from cold for at least half an hour, after half an hour take your stone/baking sheet out, pop the base on then top to your own taste.

As for toppings I use passata with a little sweated garlic and oregano then just put whatever you like on it. I like an egg on mine!

mrsscattercushion

Uhtred_Ragnarsson wrote: »

I make pizza frequently but it is like pizza you would get in an Italian restaurant and probably not Pizza Hut. The crust is very thin, soft yet crisp and toppings can be whatever you like.

For the dough I use 300g strong bread flour, 200 ml warm water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon easy yeast and one teaspoon of salt. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead well for about 10 minutes. You then should leave the dough to rise in a warm, damp environment - leave it in a clean bowl, covered with a damp tea towel. This bit I find really important - if you get the dough to rise, when it's cooked it should puff up nicely. The recipe suggests that this makes 2 pizzas but I prefer to divide in 3 and then roll thinly (yum)

Another vote for this recipe, I find it makes an excellent pizza dough that can be rolled out thinly, but still rises etc. I occasionally add garlic salt, or mixed herbs to the dough recipe to ring the changes. I normally put my oven on its highest setting, use the top or 2nd shelf down to try and get the best cooking results.

VfM4meplse

Get a franchise?

Eta: apologies, I thought I was still on DT

Gem-gem

Hi,
I worked for PH back in the 80's and 90's.
We use to make the dough fresh back then but the yeast and dry ingredients use to come in a packet and we just use to add water and flour. Then roll it out and prove it.
The tomato base was made with tomato pur!e, water and oregano. For best results make the sauce up a few hours before.
Pizza was cooked in a very hot oven 240 degree for around 6.5 minutes.

monkeymagic11

Terracotta stones are great for pizzas - I bought a terracotta planter "saucer" from the garden centre which actually did a fab job! However, I might be wrong but I think Pizza Hut pizzas rise up more because of the way they are cooked i.e. in pans rather than on terracotta stones. Maybe oil in the pan helps them rise (like the very hot oil in Yorkshire puds?)

Anyway I had some success with getting the dough to rise when it's cooking by going for a pan-fried pizza.

I used a Jamie Oliver recipe which worked well. I think this is it - certainly the idea is there:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/fried-pizza-pizza-fritta/

When googling I also found this recipe for deep pan pizza which is made in tins

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/deep-pan-pizza/

I haven't tried that though......yet

suki1964

Many moons ago, Gordon Ramsey had a recipe online for a pizza that he cooked in a frying pan. He always said home ovens without a stone couldn't turn out a good pizza base. Until I had my wood burning oven built, it was the method I used

Make your dough as recipe above Heat a large non stick frying pan and the grill. When dough is ready, roll out thin and place in the pan. It's got to be hot enough that the dough cooks and starts bubbling on top without burning the bottom. Once the base is crisp and the top bubbly, add the toppings and finish under the grill. Have your toppings all ready as you need to work quick

Heres one of my first attempts, just tomato, mushroom,mozzarella and rocket