WHETHER you choose a deep pan with a stuffed crust, or a rustic sourdough base – sometimes there's nothing better for dinner than a pizza.
And most of us at some point crave the delicious melted cheese and tasty toppings takeaway pizza places like Domino's have to offer.
But what is the secret to why we crave them so much?
Here, Domino's product development manager Alex White reveals the secret to the perfect pizza, including how many pieces of pepperoni you should expect per slice, and why she thinks pineapple works so well as a topping…
Pineapple on pizza
There is a long-existing debate among pizza lovers – is it right or wrong to put pineapple on pizza?
Controversially perhaps to some, expert Alex – who helps create and enhance the menu – is firmly on the 'for' side, explaining: "The key to any great dish is balance.
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"I love balancing out spicy flavours with sweet, sour, and savoury flavours and it’s the reason I’m an advocate of pineapple on a pizza!
"It delivers those sweet, sour and fruity notes which complement our spicy, salty pepperoni and savoury tomato sauce perfectly.
"If you don’t believe me, I highly recommend ordering the American hot.
"Complete with crisp red onions and hot jalapenos, with an extra helping of pineapple to balance the flavours perfectly.
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6"Our two most popular pizzas however are original cheese and tomato, and pepperoni passion – sometimes you just can’t beat a classic."
Dishing the dough
So, what is the secret to making Domino's pizzas taste so delicious?
Turns out it's a variety of factors – and it all starts with the base.
Alex says: "Our pizzas are always made with our signature fresh Domino’s dough – never frozen – because fresh dough helps build that rich flavour.
"Our dough centres in Milton Keynes, Warrington and Cambuslang supply every Domino’s store across the country.
"Last year, we made enough dough for over 114 million pizzas so we know a thing or two about dough!
"Something people may not know is that we allow our dough to proof for up to four days at a cold temperature, so that it rises slowly."
Saucy secrets
Next up, are the sauces, toppings and the all important dips.
Alex says: "We sauce our pizzas with our vine-ripened tomato sauce using a nifty contraption called a 'spoodle' – a cross between a spoon and a ladle.
"It helps us get the ratio of sauce to pizza ultra-precise every time.
"We also only use 100 per cent mozzarella and it’s diced rather than grated, to give customers a more even spread of melted cheese on their pizza.
"Our much-loved garlic and herb dip comes with every pizza so pizza lovers can drizzle or dunk to their heart’s content."
Grab a slice of the action
While we usually order in for the joy of being able to avoid having to cook ourselves, if you want to attempt to make your own Domino's-inspired dish, there are a few key things you must do.
Alex says: "If you want to make your own Domino’s at home, be sure to buy good quality ingredients and don’t scrimp on the toppings!
"Make your pizza sauce in advance (at least a day before) so the flavours can mature slightly together before you use it.
"Ripe tomatoes for sweetness and plenty of herbs and seasoning are a must, and make sure your sauce is as smooth as possible.
"If you use pizza dough at room temperature and when it’s most relaxed, you’ll produce the best quality pizza."
Slice, slice baby
Alex also says a lot of people don’t know how particular Domino's are when it comes to making pizza.
She adds: "Whether it’s counting the perfect number of pepperoni slices, or using our particular technique to hand-stretch the dough base and produce that perfect pencil crust every time.
"The most complex pizza to make is probably our pepperoni passion, and not because it’s difficult necessarily to make, but it takes real skill to make it at pace.
"I have seen some of our best pizza makers whipping a pepperoni passion up in store within seconds, perfectly counting four pieces of pepperoni onto each slice with two hands before moving onto the next order – it’s quite the spectacle.
"The current reigning fastest pizza maker world champion is from the UK – no biggie!"
Personalised pizza
While there are the classic options on the menu, customers can also of course customise their order.
Alex say: "We get some fun and fantastic create your own pizza orders.
"Pizzas with just piles of pineapple, or pizza which is just BBQ sauce and jalapenos for example – it’s not traditional but to each their own!
"You can save those weird and whacky creations on the app too so it’s easy to reorder it if you’re onto a winning combo."
'Fast' food
While it may be seen as fast food, Domino's pride themselves on the time they put in to get their pizzas to the standard they want.
Alex says: "It’s a long process to develop something just right for our menu, and I also spend a lot of time with our supply network and franchise partners, to ensure we deliver the best quality ingredients for our customers.
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"Keeping close to food trends is an important part of my job and I regularly get out and about to restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and food markets to get inspired by just what the next flavour or technique is.
"Taking the time to try some of the best – and sometimes worst! – products and ingredients out there is what I love about my job the most!"
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