Pizza Hut launches new pan pizza recipe: what it’s like

Pizza Hut’s Original Pan Pizza recipe carried the brand through the birth of the internet, the rise of delivery, and the reign of Instagram.

But no further — the chain has finally updated its nearly 40-year-old menu item.

In recent years, Pizza Hut has faced competition from a surging Domino’s and younger, sleeker competitors like Blaze and Mod Pizza, which deliver a more personalized experience and more customization options. Newer fast-casual pizza chains also cater to evolving customer tastes with their chic branding, artisanal ingredients, and healthy options.

Pizza Hut’s new recipe, which was unveiled on Tuesday, is the culmination of three years of research and a welcome change for an otherwise relatively stagnant brand.

According to a press release from the company, the new recipe is cooked in a “newly engineered” pan that makes for a crispier crust. The sauce and cheese have also been revamped to complement the dough.

To test those claims, I decided to head to one of the few Pizza Huts in Manhattan to give the new recipe a try. Here’s what it was like: