As they are saying, birds of a feather flock collectively, and on this staff we’re self-proclaimed obsessives in relation to all issues pizza. Significantly, what’s to not love? Pizza is a love letter to the seasons, the last word entertaining recipe and a heat hug on a Friday film night time in pajamas. And if you add the most effective pre-made pizza dough to the combination, issues simply get simpler. (And, in flip, higher.)
Whereas I’ve my favourite pizza locations to order from, and nothing beats the tactile pleasure of constructing your personal pizza dough, a shorter choice is at all times welcome. Do not get me fallacious, on Saturday nights when I’ve on a regular basis on the earth, it is splendidly satisfying to pinch dough between your fingers and swirl sauces on prime with all of the cheese and freshly chopped substances. But when I want to chop some corners, ready-made and easy-to-prepare store-bought pizza dough is useful to have readily available.
Whether or not it is a field of dry combine to maintain within the pantry or contemporary dough that you could freeze and thaw as wanted, we tried eight totally different pizza doughs, ranked all of them, and topped the most effective ready-made pizza dough to have readily available when the craving strikes.
Rating Pointers
- Style. For our taste-testing staff, we mentioned {that a} good pizza crust ought to have a fermented, yeasty, and well-salted taste so it would not simply style like bland flour.
- Texture. Chewy over bread.
- Straightforward to make use of. The entire level of a ready-made or easy-to-assemble crust ought to be that it comes collectively in a snap and makes our lives simpler.
- Good pizza take a look at. Does the crust maintain as much as sauce and toppings?
Testing course of
- For different style experiences, the timing between baking/cooking and truly tasting just isn’t so necessary. However with pizza we normally prefer it contemporary and sizzling. Subsequently, every crust was freshly made and tasted instantly, making preliminary notes, after which tasted once more with all of the completed crusts.
- The opposite notice is that the majority pizza bases normally include toppings. For this seasoning, we lined half the dough with sauce and cheese to check the dough’s skill to resist extra moisture, and baked half the crust plain to emphasise the flavour and texture of the dough .
The Greatest Pre-Made Pizza Dough, Ranked
When it got here to the outcomes, one factor was clear: the contemporary dough and refrigerated dough choices fared significantly better in texture and style than the dry mixes. Though the dry combine gave us the chance to make a crust from scratch, there have been many variables that would have an effect on the ultimate product of a dry blended dough.
We did not like the marginally oily style of this, and the feel reminded us extra of a roll-out pie dough than a pizza crust. Our tasters thought this is perhaps good for making a quiche, however not a pizza.
- Texture: Pie dough
- The place to purchase: Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s Membership
- Common worth: $3.50
This dry combine pizza dough ended up with a extra bread-like texture than a chewy dough. The style was additionally extra harking back to white bread than pizza. Superb in case you make bread, however sadly, that could be a new style expertise.
- Texture: Bready
- The place to purchase: Amazon, Kroger, Meijer, HEB
- Common worth: $1.29
In all transparency, I grew up with pre-made Boboli pizza crusts, so I knew what we have been entering into. Most tasters did not benefit from the barely spicy and savory taste, discovering it overpowering and too tart when contemplating extra delicate toppings. Nevertheless, if we roasted these within the oven and unfold butter on them, we would not complain.
- Texture: Powerful, with good air pockets.
- The place to purchase: HEB, Walmart, Kroger, Jewel Osco, Randalls
- Common worth: $3.99
Though this ready-made, refrigerated dough baked simply effective, the feel was barely crunchy and a bit of chewy across the edges. The style felt like we have been consuming Pillsbury half sandwiches and bread dough as an alternative of pizza. I imply, we love the pop-tube crescent rolls, however they’re probably not pizzas.
- Texture: Barely crispy, chewy edges.
- The place to purchase: Goal, Jewel Osco, Walmart, Meijer
- Common worth: $4.59
We had excessive hopes for this dough due to the usage of beer as an alternative of water when mixing. Whereas this dry combine nonetheless had extra chewiness than a number of the others and had a pleasant taste that leaned towards yeast, it was nonetheless only a bit on the bready aspect for us. Typically good, however you might need to alter the cooking methodology to make sure chewing.
- Texture: Chewy, however leaning bready.
- The place to purchase: Entire meals
- Common worth: $5.49
Amongst dry mixes, Betty Crocker beat out the competitors primarily based on its crispy edges and chewy inside. The dough had just a few air bubbles which we appreciated in our slices. However what stored dry mixes like this from reaching the highest was once more being a bit bready. Nevertheless, there have been a number of tasters who mentioned they might hold a bag of this combine of their pantry for pizza nights simply in case.
- Texture: Crispy edges, a chewy inside and good air bubbles. Barely bready.
- The place to purchase: HEB, Amazon, Jewel Osco, Meijer
- Common worth: $1.54
2. Dealer Joe’s
It was an in depth name between our winner and TJ’s contemporary dough. The dough was very chewy with good air pockets like these you’d get from a restaurant pizza oven. Whereas the flavour was good, it wasn’t as yeasty and flavorful as our winner, however nonetheless an awesome choice for an impromptu pizza night time. This dough additionally held up properly to the sauce and toppings.
- Texture: Powerful, good air pockets, restaurant high quality.
- The place to purchase: Dealer Joe’s
- Common worth: $4
1. Entire Meals (refrigerated bakery dough)
This was a grand slam, a choice the place everybody was on the identical web page. Whereas there was a minor argument between WF and TJ’s pre-made dough, the style and texture despatched Entire Meals over the sting. This dough had essentially the most fermented pizza dough taste that all of us loved, whereas additionally having additional texture from the usage of entire grains. You’ll find it within the bakery or ready meals part of your Entire Meals. It held up nicely to the sauce and we liked the chewy crust of every slice. If you wish to have one pizza dough in your freezer for emergency pizza nights, make it this one.
- Texture: Chewy, with additional crunch because of the usage of entire grains.
- The place to purchase: Entire meals
- Common worth: $4.99
Pizza recipes to attempt
Searching for inspiration on your subsequent pizza night time? Listed below are just a few favorites I will be attempting with our successful store-bought pizza dough:
submit up to date on October 17, 2023
It is the crispy sage that does it for me.
Put together to drool over this taste mixture.