black lily
New member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2025
- Messages
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I used to work at Pizza Hut back in the 70s and I've been trying to recreate their Thin 'n Crispy pizza. It's a low hydration dough with a lot of yeast and oil. The original was made with regular all purpose flour, and it's best to stick with that. I bake mine at 550°F on a pizza stone, just like we did back then. It's important to use a cutter pan and place it right on the stone for that authentic taste and texture. We used to sheet the dough thin so it overlapped the pan, then trimmed it. Baking times varied, but a thin pizza usually took 9-12 minutes. The pan didn't need any spray because the dough had enough oil. It's so easy to burn a pizza so you have to keep an eye on it, especially if you have a lot of pizzas in the oven at once. Have you ever tried to recreate a classic pizza from your past? Do you have any tips for getting a crispy bottom crust?
Here's my recipe:
25 lbs flour 100%
9 lbs water @105F, 36%
12 oz Oil 3 %
6 oz Yeast 1.5%
4 oz Salt 1%
So 35.375 lbs, or 566 oz.
Using the paddle rather than the dough hook, I combined all the ingredients in a stand mixer bowl. After mixing on speed 1 or 2 for two to three minutes, I stop, cover the bowl, and let the dough autolyze for ten to fifteen minutes. This method, which was not used at The Hut, is more effective when making dough at home in small batches. Using the paddle attachment, I start mixing again after the autolyse step until the dough resembles extremely course meal.
Pizza Making 101: A Guide to the Dough and Toppings
Dough
The secret to this pizza is the dough's long, slow rise at room temperature. Don't be surprised if it takes around 8 to 10 hours; that's normal for this type of dough. It's a forgiving recipe, so you can even let it go for up to a full day without any issues. Unlike some doughs, this one won't be sticky. It actually feels more like a firm, pliable pie crust. There's no need to grease the bowl because it won't stick, and oil can make it harder to roll out later.
Your goal is to get it very thin. After the long rise, start by patting it into a rough circle. Then, use a rolling pin to flatten it out. You don't need to flour the surface because the dough's low oil content prevents it from sticking. Roll it until it's about 3/16 of an inch thick. You might be tempted to go thinner, but if you're hand-rolling, you risk tearing it. If you do get a small tear, just use a piece of trimmed dough to patch it up; it's a simple and quick fix.
Once your dough is rolled out to the right size, gently place it in the pan. The dough should overlap the edges. Use a rolling pin or even a bottle to trim off the excess dough by rolling along the pan's edge. A well-made dough won't stick to the pan, but it won't hurt to give the pan a light coating of a food release spray if you want to be extra cautious.
Sauce and Cheese
For the best flavor, use a mix of shredded mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese. I like a ratio of 70% mozzarella to 30% Monterey Jack. I also recommend shredding it yourself from a block because pre-shredded cheese often has a coating that can affect how it melts.
The sauce should be very thin, almost watery. The old-school method was to pour it in the center of the dough and then tilt the pan to spread it out. You can create this thin consistency by mixing very crushed tomatoes with a little bit of water. A good way to check is to put a spoonful on a plate and see if it spreads easily. It should be thinner than ketchup, like a runny salsa. For a 15-inch pizza, about 7.5 ounces of sauce is a good amount.
Here's my recipe:
25 lbs flour 100%
9 lbs water @105F, 36%
12 oz Oil 3 %
6 oz Yeast 1.5%
4 oz Salt 1%
So 35.375 lbs, or 566 oz.
Using the paddle rather than the dough hook, I combined all the ingredients in a stand mixer bowl. After mixing on speed 1 or 2 for two to three minutes, I stop, cover the bowl, and let the dough autolyze for ten to fifteen minutes. This method, which was not used at The Hut, is more effective when making dough at home in small batches. Using the paddle attachment, I start mixing again after the autolyse step until the dough resembles extremely course meal.
Pizza Making 101: A Guide to the Dough and Toppings
Dough
The secret to this pizza is the dough's long, slow rise at room temperature. Don't be surprised if it takes around 8 to 10 hours; that's normal for this type of dough. It's a forgiving recipe, so you can even let it go for up to a full day without any issues. Unlike some doughs, this one won't be sticky. It actually feels more like a firm, pliable pie crust. There's no need to grease the bowl because it won't stick, and oil can make it harder to roll out later.
Your goal is to get it very thin. After the long rise, start by patting it into a rough circle. Then, use a rolling pin to flatten it out. You don't need to flour the surface because the dough's low oil content prevents it from sticking. Roll it until it's about 3/16 of an inch thick. You might be tempted to go thinner, but if you're hand-rolling, you risk tearing it. If you do get a small tear, just use a piece of trimmed dough to patch it up; it's a simple and quick fix.
Once your dough is rolled out to the right size, gently place it in the pan. The dough should overlap the edges. Use a rolling pin or even a bottle to trim off the excess dough by rolling along the pan's edge. A well-made dough won't stick to the pan, but it won't hurt to give the pan a light coating of a food release spray if you want to be extra cautious.
Sauce and Cheese
For the best flavor, use a mix of shredded mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese. I like a ratio of 70% mozzarella to 30% Monterey Jack. I also recommend shredding it yourself from a block because pre-shredded cheese often has a coating that can affect how it melts.
The sauce should be very thin, almost watery. The old-school method was to pour it in the center of the dough and then tilt the pan to spread it out. You can create this thin consistency by mixing very crushed tomatoes with a little bit of water. A good way to check is to put a spoonful on a plate and see if it spreads easily. It should be thinner than ketchup, like a runny salsa. For a 15-inch pizza, about 7.5 ounces of sauce is a good amount.
