Who doesn’t like pizza? I rarely come across anyone who isn’t a pizza fan. There is a reason why there are so many eateries throughout the world that serve a good variety of them.
While there are so many kinds of crusts that we can discuss and so many flavors that we can discuss, today is when I will tell you about the difference between pan pizza and hand-tossed pizza.
If you ever thought they both were the same, well, exactly, they’re not.
A pan pizza is called a pan pizza because it is made in a pan. A hand-tossed pizza is called a hand-tossed pizza because it is tossed through hand and in the air.
To make your ordering experience better and more educated, let us look into the difference between a pan pizza and a hand-tossed pizza.
What Is A Pan Pizza?
A pan pizza; as the name suggests, is made in a pan. The pan could be a cast-iron skillet or a cake pan.
A pan pizza’s dough is generally smaller than the pan, and the crust has loads and loads of oiling. The dough rises to its fullest upon baking, and the crust becomes soft and moist. The oil greasing the base makes it a little brown from the bottom.
A pan pizza is liked and served a lot as people know about it more and feel safe ordering it. By feeling safe, we often don’t want to invest our money in things we don’t know about. And people do know about the taste and texture of a pan pizza, it is quite famous.
Check this video out and see how a pan pizza is made:
What Does It Mean When A Pizza Is Hand-tossed?
I don’t claim that a hand-tossed pizza is new or people aren’t familiar, but it is not as famous as a regular pizza.
A hand-tossed pizza is tossed through the hands and in the air. The tossing requires experience and expertise.
A hand-tossed pizza has a thin crust that isn’t that oily, either. Also, a hand-tossed is baked in a slab. The dough of this pizza also rises to its fullest, but unlike a pan pizza, it raises in a slab.
People often misunderstand that a hand-tossed pizza is not baked in an oven but also an oven like a pan pizza.
If you still don’t understand how a hand-tossed pizza is, think of a classic Italian Neapolitan pizza, a New York pizza, or a pizza from Brooklyn. You will get a good picture of what I am trying to say.
Which One Tastes Better?
Each pizza has its specialty and a taste that makes it different.
A pan pizza has fluffy dough and an oily base with loads of variety in the toppings. A hand-tossed pizza has a dryer and crispy crust with a variety but not so much topping at the top.
People who like their pizza to be moist, cheesy, and full of different mixes and matches in a one-disc size will like a pan pizza. And people who prefer their pizza to be oil-free and a little non-fatty will surely go for a hand-tossed pizza.
I try both pan pizza and a hand-tossed, according to my cravings at a particular moment. Because when it comes to pizza, there is so much you can experience, and it wouldn’t be enough.
Which Pizza Is The Best?
Again, we aren’t taking sides here. Whether it is a pan pizza or a hand-tossed one, you can’t declare one superior to the other because people have their own choices, and we can’t force our own liking on them. Fair enough?
Here, we can list the differences between these pizzas, and you can do the math before ordering one for yourself next time.
| Pan Pizza | Hand-tossed | |
| Texture | Due to the oily base, the texture of a pan pizza is fluffy and moist. | The dry base makes the texture of a hand-tossed pizza crispy and dry. |
| Dough | The dough of a pan pizza is thick and soft (up to 1-inch approx.). It rises to its fullest upon baking. | The dough of a hand-tossed pizza is hard and thin. It rises to its fullest upon baking. |
| Crust | The crust of a pan pizza is moist, thick, fluffy, and soft. | The crust of a hand-tossed pizza is thin, crispy, crunchy, and dry. |
| Toppings | You can add a variety of toppings to it. The sky is the limit (in some regions it is actually true). | You can add a variety of toppings to it but generally, a hand-tossed pizza has a limited topping. |
| Preparations | It starts with kneading the dough as required, balls are made out of it and then rolled. The pan is greased, the dough is spread out in the pan with edges left, and lastly, toppings are placed and baked at approx 500F. | The journey starts with dough kneading as required, the dough is formed into a ball and tossed in the air to give the dough a shape, it is then placed on a slab, toppings are garnished and baked in an oven at approx 500F. |
Ending Up
For the majority of people, pizza is love, pizza is life. If you’re like me, you can eat pizza every day, but of course, we can’t. But when we do, we make sure to try as much of different varieties as we can.
Here is all you need to know about a pan and hand-tossed pizza before ordering one next time.
- Pizza comes in different types. Knowing about pan pizza versus hand-tossed pizza can help you choose better.
- Pan pizza is cooked in a pan with a thick, oily crust that becomes fluffy and moist when baked.
- Hand-tossed pizza, made on a slab and tossed in the air, has a thin, crispy crust compared to pan pizza.
- People who like moist, cheesy pizzas might prefer pan pizza. In contrast, those wanting a less oily, crispy crust might like hand-tossed.
- It’s all about what you prefer; both pizzas have unique textures and baking styles for different tastes.
- The differences include texture, dough thickness, crust type, topping choices, and how they’re made, giving you distinct pizza experiences.
- Pan pizza has a fluffy, moist crust. In contrast, hand-tossed pizza has a thin, crispy base, catering to different preferences.
- Knowing these differences can help you pick the right pizza for your cravings next time you order.
You might also be interested in my article on Domino’s Pan Pizza vs. Hand-tossed (Comparison).