Pizza Hut Breadsticks
Today’s Fiesta Friday post, hosted by Indu @Indu’s International Kitchen, Selma @Selma’s Table, and Hilda @Along The Grapevine, will be dedicated to the CEO of Pizza Hut, Scott Bergren. (Yeah, I googled it. So what?)
Dear, Mr. Bergren: (or Scott, can I call you Scott?)
I don’t know anyone that likes to eat pizza just on it’s own. You’ve gotta have something on the side. What I choose to eat on the side depends on where I’m getting my pizza from. All bread sticks are not created equal; if I’m going to pay for them, then I want them to be the bomb.com. If they’re not, I’ll just order the pizza then call it a day. Capisce?
So with that in mind, I’m writing you today to talk about bread sticks. I’m sure you won’t mind the topic of conversation; pizza and bread sticks are your life (literally).
I’m not gonna lie to you: Dominoes breadsticks are pretty solid. The outer seasoning is somewhat greasy, but it’s still got great flavor. The inside of the bread is soft and tender and the texture has a really nice chew. The marinara sauce is pretty good too. If there’s a special at Domino’s that includes pizza & breadsticks, I would definitely want to get the breadsticks. I’m sure you and all your research strategists sit around and plan how to one up Domino’s from year to year, and when it comes to their breadsticks I can’t say that I blame you.
Little Caesars. Heh. Here’s the thing: with this place, I feel like you kinda get what you pay for. It’s rather cheap food, and oftentimes it kinda tastes that way too. Their Crazy Bread isn’t terribly bad, but it’s not terribly great either. Number one, the bread is EXTREMELY greasy. There’s not much browning or outer crust to speak of, which is a major issue for me. The outer seasoning pretty much seems like liquid butter with clumps of dried parmesan cheese. The marinara sauce has decent flavor, but it is pretty thick, which creates a problem when the bread sticks themselves are very thick and chewy- I’m a sauce hog, so I always want more. I have been known to get Crazy bread on it’s own when I want a quick snack to hold me over for a few hours; it’s worth the $1.99 you pay for it, but not much else.
Having said all that, I have to give you my own personal congratulations on your product: in my opinion, Pizza Hut has the best breadsticks out there, period. Whenever I’ve eaten out at Pizza Hut, I always get a side of breadsticks, whether there’s a special for it or not. The texture of the bread is spot on: soft and chewy on the inside, but it has a perfect browned outer crust that has a balanced crunch when you first bite into it. It’s not too thick and heavy The seasonings are also more complex than just butter and parmesan, although I can taste those too. The sauce is a close second to my love of the breadsticks; it’s not too thick so you don’t run out before you finish the breadsticks and it’s also slightly sweet, which I really like. You guys really nailed it with the breadsticks, Scott. So don’t change a thing.
I loved your breadsticks so much that I decided to try and make them on my own at home. I was very pleasantly surprised with the result. I understand that because I don’t have the verbatim recipe that Pizza Hut, as well as a commercial pizza oven it won’t be a dead ringer for the original, but I think that what I had was a very very close second. The sauce was pretty close to yours too. In fact, I felt so inspired by the success of the breadsticks, that I thought I’d go one step further and try out an even more ambitious attempt – but that’s for another post.
Oh yeah, and one more thing, Scott. I do have one criticism of you guys over there at The Hut.
You discontinued the single best item you’ve ever had one your menu. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten, period.
The Big New Yorker Pizza.
Whoever it was at Pizza Hut Headquarters that came up with this recipe deserves a fat promotion. Everything about it was absolutely perfect. It was my pick me once upon a time, Scott. That pizza literally cured one of the worst days I ever had once. I never, ever, ever, ever got tired of it.
Having said all that, I feel that whoever’s decision it was to discontinue The Big New Yorker deserves the sack. (…Unless that happened to be you. I hope that it wasn’t, so that we can still be friends.)
Please do me a solid and bring it back to Pizza Hut, Scott. Nice chat- we should try it again sometime.
Jessica
*Just to clarify, this IS just a copycat recipe. I don’t own the actual Pizza Hut logo or breadsticks recipe. So don’t sue me 😉
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Pizza Hut Breadsticks
Recipe Courtesy of Savoryreviews.com
CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION
Ingredients
For Dough:
- 1 1/3 cups warm water (105°)
- 1/4 cup non-fat powdered milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulates sugar
- 1 (1/4 oz) pkg dry yeast
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for dough)
- 9 oz vegetable oil (3 oz per pan)
For Breadstick Seasoning
- 2 tbsp dry parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tbsp dried basil
For Dipping Sauce
- 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- ½ tsp dry basil
- ½ tsp dry marjoram
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Directions
1. Add the dough hook to your stand mixer. Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble. Add oil and stir again.
2. Gently add the flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Then knead the dough with the dough hook on speed 4, for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into two balls. You can refrigerate the second dough ball. Pour 4 tbsp of oil into a 9×13 cake pan making sure it is spread evenly
4. Roll out the dough into a 9×13 rectangle. Then place the dough into the 9×13 pan. Cover the pan with a sheet pan and let the dough rest and rise for at least 1½ hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. After the dough has risen, cut the dough into 10 equal breadsticks. Lightly spray the top of the breadsticks with butter flavored PAM. Then lightly sprinkle the top of the breadsticks with the breadstick seasoning.
6. Place the breadsticks in the oven for 10-15 minutes. When the breadsticks brown and the edges get crispy, remove the pan from the oven.
7. Then using a spatula remove the breadsticks from the pan. Break the sticks apart at the scored lines and serve with the pizza sauce. While the dough is rising, mix the sauce ingredient together in a sauce pan. Heat with medium heat until the sauce starts to boil, then lower the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes before using.
Really mouth watering! Will definitely give it a try! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
No problem, I love the way they turned out 🙂
Good job Jess 👍 I second you. While you are still chatting with the big man, please also let him know that ever since Dominos introduced their cheese burst, my car involuntarily steers itself to Dominos. The after taste of Pizza hut is no doubt way better, BUT they just can’t get their cheese oozing out. Hey Scott 🙋 Put your team to work. I want my cheese burst FROM Pizza hut…..
Thank you- I agree, Dominos cheese bread is better too!
🙂
Ah…hahahaha!!! I LOVE this post!! Awesome photos, delicious recipe…and your breadsticks are totally spot on. Somehow Mr Bergren, or can we call him Scott?…. he needs to see this post!! Lol. Awesome awesome post.
And I agree… they totally screwed up when they got rid of the Big New Yorker. It was our all time fave.
Excellent job, my little lovey. BTW… I’m totally making these for Mike. He loves Pizza Hut’s breadsticks… and I know he will LOVE these!! 🙂
See? I keep finding out more and more things about you that make me love you. We even love the same pizza <3
If it meant bringing back that Big New Yorker Pizza, then I wish Scott could see this post. I'd be doing a service to all of us. I hope Mike likes them- I know I did 😉
Mouth watering
Thanks 🙂
I really want to take a bite of these!
Thanks Sarah, I’ll take that as a much appreciated compliment 🙂
These breadsticks look so delicious. I love how golden brown they look as well as all that seasoning. I love breadsticks with lots of flavor on its own, and yours look perfect. But of course, dipping sauce takes it to a whole other level. Thanks for bringing it to Fiesta Friday =)
Thanks Andrea, Happy FF to you!
Two bread sticks for me please…….. 🙂
…Just two? lol Just kidding, thanks Jayeeta 🙂
I can’t be too selfish to have all those, Jess. 😉
Those breadsticks are soft and look so good and I would love to dip in some marinara right now, Hope Scott listens to you.
Thanks Suzanne- if Scott did listen to me, that would be friggin awesome 😉
OK, I’ll break my diet for this. 😛
I hate to admit it…but they are worth it! Thanks Fae 🙂
I bet these are even better than Pizza Hut’s breadsticks. Thanks for the entertaining read.
Thank you, that compliment means a lot 🙂
Oh my! I cant believe it. Yaay pizza hut bread stick recipeeee! I simply loove it. I am soo definitely making this. Thanks for posting. It looks just like the one we get in pizza hut. Luv! 🙂
Thanks Sadia!
Jess, that was such an entertaining post – you write so well! I’ve got to be honest and tell you that in London, American style pizza is really horrible – it’s just not the same. Thick. doughy, greasy bases and not enough sauce and fairly tasteless and mean toppings to say nothing of some bizarre combinations. Having said that, Dominos would win out over Pizza Hut anytime but only because they do a fantastic garlic pizza bread with cheese. Fortunately we do have a lot of proper Italian pizza places with wood fired ovens, thin crispy bases and gorgeous tasty toppings…but sometimes I just long for the American style with thick juicy slices and lots of melty stretchy cheese…Can you have a word in Scott’s shell like? Thanks for bringing the breadsticks to the party – I may have to take that tray off you to, um, pass round, ahem…Happy Fiesta Friday!!!
Thanks Selma, sorry that you don’t have many American style pizza choices in London. If it’s any consolation, my favorite type of pizza is New York style and in my city there’s virtually no place that makes it here anymore either- hence my asking Scott Bergren to bring back the Big New Yorker Pizza to Pizza Hut lol
Happy FF to you too!
Great post. Very amusing and informative for those of us who don’t have any of those chains nearby. Guess we are missing something. Glad you brought it to Fiesta Friday and enjoyed meeting you and your blog.
Thanks Hilda 🙂
Hahahahaha LOVED this post! 😀
It looks so delicious! Yumm!
Happy Fiesta Friday!
Thanks Sarah 🙂
Oh my goodness, I just ate dinner and now I’m looking at these mouth watering breadsticks!! This looks so delicious Jess, great job 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever tried Dominoes breadsticks (gasp) but now I’ll never need to with this wonderful recipe! Hope you had a great weekend!
Thanks Heather, I won’t lie Dominos are good…but they can’t touch Pizza Hut’s. And honestly…these homemade ones are just as good, I hope you give them a try!
ha ha Jess, Loved reading your post! Like you, I love Pizza hut’s breadsticks too! So that’s gr8 that you have nailed this recipe – i will surely have to try it now! And do let us know if Scott replies back to you! Hope he brings back the New Yorker now especially considering you have given them a great rating on their breadstick! 🙂 thanks for bringing these breadsticks to Fiesta Friday! 🙂
Thank you!
Breadsticks are a big weakness of mine–these look so good! 🙂
I’ve got a weakness for Pizza Hut breadsticks- I can never go there without getting some. Thanks Nancy!
The consumers have spoken Pizza Hut! Is it wrong to want a hoppy pale ale with those?
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to give these a go.
Please do! They’re VERY delicious and they do taste like the real thing 🙂 thanks for stopping by!