Review: Domino's pizza versus the sad one I made

I love Domino's pizza.period. And no I wasn't paid to say that. We have been big fans of Domino's from the time we were in India, since Saturdays are usually pizza and movie days and I totally look forward to it. We used to get the cheese stuffed crust back in India, something I miss out here, but I have a whole lotta other varieties to choose from.

So when I was given an opportunity to make my own pizza and compare it to the Domino's pizza, I didn't think twice, but jumped at it. Neat huh? Well yes, till I made my own pizza and figured out Id never be doing that again!

Other than the fact that I love their flavours, what I love even more is the fact that I can order the pizza online from Dominos and the deed is done in a matter of a few clicks. We have saved our info on their website and the next time we just have to log on and place our order. You get a confirmation number and if you are not comfortable giving your credit card details online, you can pay them on delivery. We have personally never had a bad experience with them; as in we didn't have to call and confirm or there is no delay in delivery. In fact they are scarily on time. You tell them you want it delivered at 8.15 and you'd be surprised when they land up exactly at that time, as opposed to a certain other pizza chain (lets just say the name starts with P) never delivered our pizza till an hour later. While we are on the pizza subject, I must also add that I have tried almost every pizza delivery place nearby, but we end up being loyal to Domino's just because their delivery is to the dot. You don't want to order for pizza and keep the movie and beer waiting just to realize that its been over 30 minutes and the pizza guys are still nowhere to be seen and even worse, you call them up and find out they are accidentally at the wrong place, or stuck in traffic (lame).

So we ordered 3 pizza's from Domino's over the weekend: 

The new Spanish Sizzler which has roast chicken, green peppers, chorizo sausage and roquito peppers. It was alright, except I didn't really like the sweetness of the peppers that much. 

The Tandoori Hot which was basic except that I love the hot jalapeño peppers in them

And my favourite the Mighty Meaty which has all those gorgeous toppings I love- pepperoni, ham, beef, sausage and mushrooms. 

And what I made at home a few days later was a Pepperoni and cheese pizza and my version of the Tandoori Hot. If I were to compare the pizzas, I'd say mine were horrible (no I'm not sucking up to Domino's..I mean it), except I was quite generous with the topping. Other than Mighty Meaty, I thought all the other pizza's were a big meagre when it came to the topping. I could find bits of chicken here and there, but not as much as I would have liked- an issue I've always had with Pizza chains. Taste-wise I must add, Domino's' any day kicked my pizza's butt. The cheese, the sauce, the spice everything was brilliant. I always end up burning the cheese and the topping and if I want to keep that consistency right, I end up under cooking the pizza base. Well its cos of hopeless amateurs like me, that chains like Domino's thrive I think :)

So without boring you any further, here's my recipe:

For the base:

All purpose flour- 145 gms + extra for dusting

Active Dry Yeast- 1 tsp

Salt- a pinch

olive oil- 1 tsp

Warm water- as required (I used about 100ml)

(or like me, just buy the ready made pizza base mix add enough water and make the dough)

Mix the yeast into the water, stir to dissolve and keep in a warm place for 10 minutes

Mix the AP flour and salt together in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and oil to form a slightly sticky mixture. You can keep adding water till you get the deserved consistency.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and pliable.

Place it back into the mixing bowl, cover and keep in a warm place for up to 2 hrs. It would double in size by now. Punch the air out and knead for another 2 to 3 minutes and then roll out into a size (and shape) you prefer.

Topping:

Red pesto (I used that instead of pizza sauce)

Grated parmesan cheese

Grated mozzarella cheese

Cheddar cheese (optional)

Pepperoni slices

For the tandoori chicken:

Chicken breasts- 1 medium

Yogurt- 2 tbsp

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Lime juice- 1 tbsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Tandoori masala- 1 tbsp (If you have this, omit coriander and cumin powder)

Salt- if required

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the chicken. Keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Grill in the oven at 176 for about 15 to 20 minutes on each side

Slice into strips and use for the pizza.

Assembling:

Generously spread the red pesto on the pizza base, leaving about half an inch from the sides.

Grate some parmesan cheese on the top

Cover with enough pepperoni/ tandoori chicken

sprinkle some mozzarella and cheddar on top and bake in an oven preheated at 220 for about 15 to 20 minutes.

I sprinkled some coriander leaves on top of the tandoori chicken pizza and it tasted good.

If anyone in UK is interested in taking part in this challenge, please do let me know and I can pass on the necessary details. You can make your own vegetarian pizza and compare it to a veg one as well..whichever suits you.

With thanks to Dominos Pizza for a gift voucher to pick up the pizza