Okay Julie, are you all ready to learn how to make a pizza the right way? Making it great!
Julie: Yes, I’m ready! Are we going to cook pizzas now?
Instructor: Well, there’s a lot more to it than just cooking. In fact, that’s probably the easiest part. But let’s start this process at the beginning.
First of all, are your hands washed?
Julie: Sure are!
Instructor: Good, mine too.
Alright, let’s say an order for a pizza comes in. You’ll read it and get started on the pizza-making process right away. You have to act fast. Just think—the sooner you get that pizza in the oven, the sooner our customers will be biting into it and tasting how delicious it is.
Julie: And they’ll have me to thank!
Instructor: That’s right! Because we’re not just making pizza—we’re creating an experience for our customers.
Think of it as making pizza that makes customers happy.
Julie: I like that.
Instructor: Our customers expect the same high-quality product and service every time they come to Pizza Hut.
That’s true whether it’s a busy Friday evening or a quiet Tuesday afternoon. Our job is to make sure they’re never disappointed.
Julie: I won’t let them down.
Starting the Order
Instructor: Okay, let’s say the first order we get is for a medium pan pizza with pepperoni and green pepper.
This is the proofing area, where we keep the dough until we’re ready to use it. So we take out a medium pan prepared by our dough master and check it for quality.
Now this one looks good. See? If the dough weren’t right—if it was stuck to the separator, too flat, or had air bubbles in it—then the finished pizza wouldn’t be right, and our customers wouldn’t get the best possible product, which they deserve every time they visit Pizza Hut.
Julie: Right.
Instructor: So if the dough isn’t exactly right, we throw it out and get another one that is.
Topping a Pan Pizza
Instructor: Pan pizza is easy to top. First, we start with the sauce. You get the right amount from the spec chart.
We go to this chart that says “Bottom Sauce and Cheese,” and we go down to where it says “Sauce.”
- A small gets one level spoon.
- A medium gets two spoons.
- A large gets three spoons.
Julie: So what do we do?
Instructor: Two spoons, right.
We keep our sauce right here with our other refrigerated items. Keep this lid closed except for when we’re making a pizza.
- First, spread the sauce to within ¼ to ½ inch of the edge.
- For a medium pan pizza, 2 spoons equals 5 oz.
- Be sure not to pour the sauce onto the center of the dough, and don’t press down with the spoon because that could cause the pizza to be undercooked.
Julie: Seems easy enough.
Instructor: It is. Just be sure to do it exactly this way every time. Any variance wouldn’t be “making it great.”
Cheese Layering
Instructor: On our pizzas, we use two layers of cheese: the bottom cheese and the top cheese.
Since we measure the cheese, we’ll calibrate the scale with this bowl on it. Just put a clean bowl on the scale, zero it out, and then you’re ready to go.
That way, we can leave the bowl on the scale and only measure what’s in it.
Julie: That makes sense.
Instructor: Now, we’ll put some cheese in the bowl and measure it out to the proper weight according to the spec chart.
Instructor: Let’s see—bottom cheese for a medium pizza. Good. Now, measure the exact amount and place the cheese on top of the sauce, starting at the outside and working toward the center.
Julie: That doesn’t look too hard.
Instructor: It’s not. Just remember to spread the cheese evenly and try not to go beyond the sauce, because that would burn and look bad. We wouldn’t want that.
Adding Toppings
Instructor: Now, this order is for a medium pan pizza with pepperoni and green pepper. What do we put on first?
Julie: I don’t know.
Instructor: Oh! Look on the spec chart.
Julie: Right. Let’s see. Medium pizza—pepperoni—two columns: single and multiple. Which do I look under?
Instructor: The single column is for single-topping pizzas, like a medium pepperoni pizza. The multiple column is for pizzas with multiple ingredients, like the one we’re making.
Julie: Okay. Let’s see. Here it is. I’ll let you do this part.
Instructor: Notice how I started at the outside and worked my way towards the center, placing the pepperoni evenly.
Julie: Got it. Green pepper’s next?
Instructor: Yes. Did you check the spec chart?
Julie: Uh-huh. Do I measure it into here?
Instructor: Yes. Now place the green pepper on the pizza, starting at the outside and working your way towards the center, just like I did with the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. That’s good.
Instructor: We’re always careful to avoid center-loading the topping because it could cause the pizza to be undercooked in the middle.
Julie: I wouldn’t want that if it was my pizza.
Finishing Touches
Instructor: What’s next? Well, there are two more ingredients: the top cheese and the world-famous fairy dust.
Julie: Fairy dust?
Instructor: That’s right! Pizza Hut fairy dust is a little magic ingredient we have for “making it great.”
Actually, it’s a careful blend of cheese and spice, but it really does give our pizzas that extra delicious touch. We’re careful about the number of shakes we use—check the spec chart for the right amount.
