Pizza Hut Copycat Recipes
Pizza Hut's Original Pan Pizza — with its crispy, oily bottom and thick airy crust — is a style unto itself. Our copycats cover the pan pizza, stuffed crust, cheese sticks, and breadsticks.
4 recipes
Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by brothers Dan and Frank Carney with a $600 loan from their mother. The Original Pan Pizza — launched in 1980 — is the item most associated with Pizza Hut: thick, airy crust with a crispy, slightly oily underside that comes from proofing the dough directly in a well-oiled pan. Pizza Hut uses soybean oil generously — about 2 tbsp per 9-inch round — and lets the dough proof in the oiled pan for 45–60 minutes before topping. This is the step most home cooks skip, and it's the entire reason the bottom gets crispy and fried rather than baked. The Stuffed Crust (introduced 1995) was reportedly created after a test kitchen employee wrapped string cheese in pizza dough. The Breadsticks use the same pan dough formula. Our Pizza Hut copycats include the Original Pan Pizza, Stuffed Crust, Cheese Sticks, and Breadsticks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the Pizza Hut pan pizza crust crispy on the bottom?
Three steps: (1) use at least 2 tbsp of oil in the pan before adding dough — don't skimp; (2) let the dough proof in the oiled pan at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, not in the oven; (3) bake on the lowest oven rack at 500°F (or as high as your oven goes). The oil fries the bottom in the hot pan. A dark non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet holds heat better than light aluminum and gives a better result.
How do I make Stuffed Crust without the cheese leaking out?
Use mozzarella string cheese — not shredded, which melts too fast and escapes. Lay the string cheese 1 inch in from the dough edge, fold the dough over firmly, and press to seal with your fingers. Then dock the sealed edge with a fork 3–4 times — the fork holes let steam escape so pressure doesn't build and burst the seal. Don't stretch the dough too thin where the stuffed edge is.
What's the Pizza Hut pan pizza dough formula?
High-hydration yeasted dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 cup warm water (110°F), 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix and knead 5 minutes until smooth. Let rise 1 hour covered. This is higher hydration than most pizza doughs — more water gives the open, airy crumb that collapses into crispy layers at the bottom.
What's the garlic butter on Pizza Hut breadsticks?
Melt 3 tbsp unsalted butter with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried basil, and a pinch of salt. Brush on the breadsticks immediately after they come out of the oven — not before, where it would burn. The breadsticks are the pan pizza dough cut into strips (about 1 inch wide) before baking at 425°F for 15 minutes. Serve with marinara for dipping.