Papa John's has undergone some major changes in the last few years, but the powers that
be keep telling us the pizza has stayed the same.
"Welcome to Papa's house. Today is an exciting day in the history of Papa John's."
It's an exciting day because we're going to be breaking down the burning question that's
been on everyone's mind: How does Papa John's make such good pizza? Here's your answer.
To make a good pizza, you gotta start with a good base. And if you're wondering what
goes into Papa John's base, look no further than the official website: That's where all
the ingredients are listed… and what a distinguished and delicious list it is. Hungry?
"Feed your imagination. Feed your anticipation."
If you're ordering a traditional hand-tossed Papa John's pizza, the crust consists of some
really rather basic ingredients: unbleached enriched wheat flour, water, sugar, soybean
oil, salt, and yeast. One supposed Papa John's employee told pizzarecipes101,
"You must let the dough proof until [it's] about three inches thick[, then] you must
roll it [...] with a roller with studs on. That will give u the texture of the pizza.
[...] When making the crust you use all your fingers except pointers and thumbs and press
into the border of the dough about 1/4 inch for the thickness of the pizza crust: YOU
MUST DO THIS BEFORE SLAPPING THE PIZZA."
Thanks for clearing that up!
"Now that's serious pizza!"
Having a good crust is just the beginning. If you want to make a truly superior pizza
pie, you're gonna need a truly kickass tomato sauce… and Papa John's knows it.
"We're fanatics about quality. Nobody does what Papa John's does."
The company website handily breaks down the ingredients for you: fresh vine-ripened tomatoes
from a can, salt, garlic, spices, oils, and sugar. Oh, and a word of warning: The sauce
might contain a lot of sugar — that is, if a former manager on Reddit can be believed.
Another alleged Papa John's employee told pizzarecipes101 that
"[You should] spread the tomato sauce to one inch from the border of the pizza."
So now you know.
When you're making a pizza, you gotta use the right cheese.
"Crispy. Crunchy. Cheesy. Papa John's new Pan Pizza."
Turns out Papa John's choice in cheese is rather similar to that of its competitors.
And as a Papa John's customer, you regularly have two tasty choices to choose from: a blend
of Parmesan and Romano or a most delicious Three Cheese Blend. The latter consists of
Provolone, Fontina, and Asiago cheeses.
According to Forbes, Papa John's cheeses are provided by Leprino Foods — the same company
that supplies cheese to Domino's, Little Caesars, and Pizza Hut. However, each chain uses their
own unique blend of cheeses… and that's one of many reasons these pizzas all taste
different.
In 2016, Papa John's launched a new pizza: the Pan Pizza.
"That's a Papa John's pan pizza with up to five toppings or specialty, only ten dollars."
Papa John's chief ingredient officer told Business Insider that it took a year and a
half to perfect the pan pizza, which is made using a different process than the chain's
other offerings. The dough has only seven ingredients. It's rolled out with a spiky
docker to get rid of any potential bubbles, and then it's put in a pan instead of being
hand-tossed.
After that, sauce, toppings, and cheese are added. The cheese is spread all the way to
the crust for that perfect "cheese ring" you crave so very, very much.
Pan pizza isn't made in the same oven as hand-tossed or thin crust pizza, so restaurants have to
add special equipment to their kitchen, or have two different ovens.
Now, let's talk about the outer edge of Papa John's pan pizza. Business Insider dutifully
reported that
"[There's] less crust and more of a caramelized crisp."
Oh, we are so very there.
Papa John's slogan is certainly no secret:
"Better ingredients, better pizza, Papa John's."
But word to the wise: Some of those so-called "better ingredients" might not be quite so
fresh. According to a former manager writing on Reddit,
"Papa John's has a spinach Alfredo sauce that's delicious but only gets ordered maybe once
a week, and it hits its sell-by date 3 days after you open the bag but no one actually
throws it out until it's either gone or nasty looking."
Apparently, the toppings suffer from a similar problem. Writing on Reddit, a supposed employee
claims that,
"So few people order anchovies that the leftover is sometimes forgotten and will still end
up on a pizza."
This tattletale employee also described a chicken topping that comes to the stores in
a bag that has a strong chemical odor.
Hmm… maybe we'll just order a cheese pizza next time.
What makes Papa John's pizza so very, very special? There are theories. A lot of people
would say it's all those unique extras you get. You might be most familiar with the chain's
garlic sauce, but it's hardly the only sauce available at Papa John's.
Other dipping sauces include Ranch, Buffalo, and Barbecue.. You can also add extra pepperoncini
or get packets of crushed red pepper or Parmesan cheese.
And talk about unique: the garlic sauce, by far Papa John's most popular extra, had a
limited edition 1-gallon jug release in 2018. Yes, it's so good that fans bought it by the
gallon. Sounds like some Papa John aficionados really know how to keep it classy. Our kind
of people.
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