Domino’s Pan Pizza and Hand-tossed are prepared differently. Pan pizza is baked in a deep-dish pan with lots of oil within the pan. In comparison, the Hand-tossed is stretched out by hand and has more oil inside the dough.
Their textures are also different, even if they’re both pizzas. If you’re a foodie who wants to bake pizzas but isn’t sure about the differences between these crusts, I have a detailed account of their differences here.
In this article, I’ll discuss different types of pizza, crusts, and what those pizzas contain.
So let’s get right to it!
What Does Hand-toss Mean?
It means the literal! Hand-tossing a pizza implies that you’re bursting the air bubbles in the dough. Therefore, the hand-tossed crust has fewer bubbles and doesn’t rise as much.
A hand-tossed pizza is one where the dough is stretched by tossing it in the air. I’m sure you must have seen those Italian chefs’ videos where they’re beautifully spinning pizza dough in the air.
After it’s stretched too thin, you bake the pizza on a slab in a hot oven. This technique results in a thin crust pizza, such as the New York-style, Brooklyn-style, and traditional Italian Neapolitan pizza.
This kind of pizza requires skills to make at home.
DIY Hand-Tossed Pizza: Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s how you can make a hand-tossed pizza on your own:
- Firstly, prepare your pizza dough balls.
Flatten this dough on a surface that has flour on it. - Next, knead the pizza dough.
Use your fingertips to gently knead the dough until it’s stretched out to approximately the size of your hand. You can make a crust around the perimeter of the dough by squeezing it on the outside edges. - Now comes the hand tossing!
Add flour to the dough balls. Rest it on the back of your hand and rotate your arms in a circular motion towards your body. Toss the dough upwards. As the dough spins, catch it with your fists. - Repeat. Keep repeating this step until the dough is thin and at least 12 inches across. This step is usually the hardest, and if the dough tears, there’s no need to worry. You can simply pinch it back together and restart!
- Add toppings to your pizza.
Now that the dough is thin, you can add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and favorite toppings. - Bake your pizza in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Bake it at 500°F until the cheese has melted. You can see that the pizza dough will be slightly puffy and brown.
What’s the Difference Between Domino’s Pan Pizza and Hand-Tossed?
The pan pizza has a thicker crust and is crunchy on the outside while fluffy on the inside. On the other hand, the dough isn’t placed on the pan in hand-tossed pizza.
Instead, it’s tossed in the air to find the right shape. It’s baked using a thin aluminium pan.
Pan pizza is baked using a deep dish pan with lots of oil within the pan when it comes to the preparation. The dough is then rolled out and placed in the pan.
It rises in the oiled pan until it’s ready to be baked. It has a thick crust with a crunchy outside and soft inside.
Hand-tossed pizza is stretched out primarily using hands and consists of more oil inside the dough than in the pan. The crust is somewhere between thin and a pan pizza crust. It’s not as crunchy on the outside and mainly has a chewy crust.
However, hand-tossed and pan pizzas use the same room-temperature pizza dough. It’s made out of all-purpose flour, dry yeast, warm water, salt, and Olive Oil. The critical difference between the two is the technique used to prepare them, which results in different tastes and textures.
Comparing Hand-Tossed and Pan Pizza: Crust Characteristics and Toppings
Pan Pizza has a handmade base that comes directly from the outlet manufacturer. It always comes in the same size and thickness.
However, hand-tossed means that the base is made at the time of the order. It doesn’t need any rolling pin as it’s tossed in the air using a hand. Therefore, the thickness and thinness of this dough vary as per the chef.
Check out these descriptions below:
| Categories | Hand Tossed | Pan Pizza |
| Crust Thickness | 1. Thinner and flatter crust 2. Fewer bubbles in the dough- don’t rise | 1. Thicker and fluffier crust 2. More bubbles in the dough- rise more |
| Crust Crispness | 1. Crispy crust 2. Drier and softer | 1. Crunchier 2. More golden |
| Toppings | One kind of cheese- usual mozzarella | Blend of cheeses- mozzarella, white cheddar, fontina, etc. |
The pan pizza crust has a fluffy texture. It’s similar to focaccia.
The hand-tossed crust is thin because the air tossing bursts the bubbles in the crust. This makes its rise more minor than the pan pizza crust.
Moreover, the crust of the pan pizza is also golden because of the excess oil used in the pan, which helps fry the crust. This crust can also accommodate more toppings as it’s thicker.
Which’s Better, Pan Pizza or Hand-Tossed?
It depends on your taste. Hand-tossed pizzas are usually considered a more popular choice by pizza enthusiasts.
The texture of a pan pizza is fluffy similar to that of bread. It’s thick, and the bread-like crust can be about 1 inch deep.
Hand-tossed seems to be the better choice for which one is healthier. This is because the thicker pan pizza crust contains meatier toppings.
In addition, the hand-tossed pizza has a thinner crust, so it can only handle a few toppings. For this reason, it’s the definitive version for people who don’t exercise a lot. If you’re on a diet, you should opt for the hand-tossed variants as they contain fewer toppings and fewer calories.
Moreover, people also don’t prefer pan pizzas because they feel that it’s almost fried. This is why hand-tossed is a more common choice than pan pizza.
Evaluating Caloric Content and Texture: Pan Pizza vs. Hand-Tossed
Pan pizza is filled with much more calories than hand-tossed pizza because of its thick crust, But it isn’t that bad. It’s better suited for people who lead a more active lifestyle.
And if you enjoy chewing a lot for a pastime, this could be the pizza for you. Having only one pan pizza would be enough to enjoy for a whole movie!
Take a quick look at this video explaining how to hand-toss a pizza dough:
What Different Types of Crusts Does Dominos Have?
Dominos consists of pizza crusts of all styles. Their choices include the hand-tossed garlic-seasoned crust, handmade pan, crunchy thin, Brooklyn style, and gluten-free.
The handmade pan pizza crust is hand-pressed into the pan. It’s nice and thick. As mentioned, the hand-tossed pizza crust is thinner than a handmade pan but thicker than crunchy thin. It’s seasoned with garlic oil once it’s cooked.
Here’s a list of different types of pizza crusts:
- Cracker crust
- Flatbread
- Thin crust
- Cheese crust pizza
- Thick crust pizza
Moreover, in some regions, the pan pizza only comes in medium, the gluten comes in small, and Brooklyn comes in large. Only hand-tossed and thin and crispy are available in either dimension.
Which Crust is Best in Dominos?
According to Domino themselves, their fresh pan pizza is the best. Its crust is deliciously soft, buttery, cheesy, and delightfully crunchy.
They have many more choices. Their cheese burst crust is filled with liquid cheese inside. The classic hand-tossed is crispy on the outside while soft and light on the inside.
The wheat-thin crust is a light, healthier, and delicious crust from Dominos. This type of pizza has a slim and crispy crust with a wafer-thin base and is extremely crunchy.
Here’s a list of their best types of pizza crust, ranked by taste:
- Cheese crust
- Pizza bagels
- Sicilian style
- Chicago deep-dish
- Neapolitan crust
- New York-style pizza
What’s the Difference Between Hand-Tossed and Brooklyn-Style Pizza?
The main difference between Domino’s Brooklyn style and hand-tossed pizza is in their size and crunchiness. The Brooklyn-style pizza is much thinner and crunchier than hand-tossed, thicker with a chewy crust.
If you’re wondering how the Brooklyn-style pizza is a little thinner, it was stretched by hand. This makes it crunchier than the hand-tossed pizza, but its slices are also wider.
Examples of these are the cheese burst, thin and crispy, and flatbread. They also introduced their Brooklyn-style pizza to create authenticity for New Yorkers. As for the toppings, it has more pepperonis, while hand-tossed has more cheese in its crust.
It’s also unique because the dough is hand-stretched and has way less moisture. This is how it’s baked in New York. This style brings the authenticity and experience New Yorkers usually get.
Comparing Brooklyn-Style and Hand-Tossed Pizza: Taste and Texture
The Brooklyn-style pizza is also distinctive because of the pepperoni. However, the hand-tossed pizza has lots of cheese than the Brooklyn pizza.
This pizza is perfect for those who prefer less dough. It has a thin crust, and it’s cooked with cornmeal to achieve the desired crispness.
As far as which tastes better is concerned, it depends on you! If you love more cheese, then you should go for the hand-tossed. However, if you love pepperoni more, go for the Brooklyn style.
The Brooklyn-style pizza is crustier, and the sauce tastes natural and authentic. Although, this doesn’t mean that the hand-tossed isn’t realistic, as it’s also seasoned with garlic oil once it’s cooked.
Final Thoughts
- Pizza crusts vary: Hand-tossed and Pan Pizza are different.
- Hand-tossed: Thin crust, stretched by hand, fewer bubbles.
- Pan Pizza is a Thick, fluffy crust, baked in oil, crunchy outside.
- The choice depends on personal preference.
- Hand-tossed: Crispy, light. Pan Pizza: Thick, bread-like.
- Domino’s offers various crust options.
- Brooklyn-style pizza is thinner and crunchier than hand-tossed.
- Knowing crust differences helps choose the right one for you.
Other Articles
- BLUE AND BLACK STEAKS VS. BLUE STEAKS IN THE US
- DRAGON FRUIT AND STARFRUIT- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? (DETAILS INCLUDED)
- ANHYDROUS MILK FAT VS. BUTTER: DIFFERENCES EXPLAINED
Click here to view the web story version on the differences between Hand-Tossed and Pan Pizzas.