Little Caesars is one of the largest pizza chains in the United States. Founded in 1959, the chain is known for offering affordable pizza at a price of $5 per pie. Their tagline “Pizza! Pizza!” emphasizes their focus on selling pizza quickly and cheaply.
One question that often comes up about Little Caesars is whether they make their own pizza dough fresh in-house, or use pre-made frozen dough. For a big chain focused on convenience and low prices, fresh-made dough from scratch would be more expensive and time-consuming compared to using frozen dough.
So does Little Caesars really make their own dough, or is it pre-made and frozen?
Little Caesars Pizza Dough
According to Little Caesars, their pizza dough is made fresh every day in each of their restaurant locations. They state that their dough is never frozen or made beforehand. The dough is made at the store daily from a dry mix that contains wheat flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and other ingredients. Water is added to this pizza dough mix, then the dough is kneaded, proofed, and portioned into balls to be used for pizzas throughout the day.
Little Caesars says this process makes their crust flavorful, light and airy on the inside, and crispy on the outside. They claim that fresh-made dough is the secret behind their signature tender-crisp crust. This is different from many pizza chains that use frozen dough balls that are pre-made in a factory then shipped to locations. The fresh-made dough allows Little Caesars to serve hot-out-of-the-oven pizza with a softer crust immediately after baking.
Key Points about Little Caesars Pizza Dough:
- Made fresh daily in each restaurant location
- Never frozen or pre-made
- Made from a proprietary dry dough mix
- Dough mix contains wheat flour, yeast, salt, sugar, etc.
- Water is added to the mix at the store to form the dough
- Dough is kneaded, proofed, and portioned into dough balls
- Fresh dough enables a crispy yet tender crust
Dough Making Process
The pizza dough making process used in Little Caesars restaurant kitchens generally follows these steps:
- Add water to the dry dough mix as specified and blend thoroughly to form a loose, shaggy mass.
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl and allow it to proof until doubled in size, usually 1-2 hours.
- Punch down the risen dough to release air and divide into dough balls of the proper weight.
- Place dough balls on lightly oiled trays and allow to rest/relax for 15 minutes.
- Dough balls are now ready to be pressed/stretched into pizza crusts and topped.
This dough making process must be completed at least twice a day in each Little Caesars to ensure there is always fresh dough available for pizza orders throughout the day. The dough is generally made in the morning before opening and again halfway through the day.
Tips for Little Caesars Dough Quality:
- Water temperature should be warm, around 80-90°F, to activate the yeast properly.
- Kneading helps develop gluten for a chewy, elastic crust.
- Proofing time impacts the crust flavor and bubble formation.
- Portioning the dough balls consistently ensures even baking.
- Resting the dough balls allows the gluten to relax before stretching into crusts.
Dough Making Equipment
To produce fresh pizza dough efficiently in the volume needed for a busy Little Caesars location, specialized equipment is used. This includes:
- Dough mixer – A large spiral dough mixer makes mixing large batches of dough quick and hands-free. The spiral action kneads the dough gently and thoroughly.
- Proofing cabinet – After mixing, dough is placed in a humidity-controlled proofing cabinet to rise. Consistent temperature and humidity ensures proper, even rising.
- Portioning scale – Weight scales accurately divide dough into same-size balls after proofing so each pizza bakes evenly.
- Oiling system – An automated oiling system lightly coats dough balls so they don’t stick together during resting.
Investing in the right equipment allows each Little Caesars location to efficiently produce fresh dough from raw ingredients while maintaining quality and consistency.
Dough Delivery to Stores
While Little Caesars states their dough is made fresh in-store every day, that doesn’t mean each location necessarily mixes the dough completely from scratch. Most Little Caesars restaurants get deliveries of the centralized dry dough mix and simply add water to create the finished dough.
There are two main ways the dough mix gets delivered:
Raw Dough Mix Delivery
Many stores receive bags of the raw proprietary dough mix with the flour, yeast, oil, etc. pre-blended. At the store, employees simply:
- Open the bags and pour the mix into the dough mixer
- Add water per the instructions
- Mix and knead the dough
- Continue through the proofing and portioning steps
This allows locations to make fresh dough daily while outsourcing the weighing and blending of the complex dough recipe to an offsite central facility.
Par-Baked Dough Delivery
Some Little Caesars locations utilize par-baked dough that has gone through the mixing and proofing process already at a central facility. The stores receive trays of unbaked, proofed dough balls that they simply press out and top to make pizzas. While not mixed completely from scratch on-site, the dough is still made fresh and not frozen.
The par-baked dough process provides added consistency and efficiency for high-volume locations. But Little Caesars confirms all their dough is pressed and baked in-store, never baked off-site.
Consistency Across Locations
With thousands of Little Caesars locations worldwide, maintaining consistent quality and taste across different franchises, regions and countries can be challenging. For their pizza dough, key factors Little Caesars focuses on include:
- Centralized dough facility – Many stores source raw or par-baked dough from dedicated regional dough facilities to ensure correct formulation.
- Standardized recipes & protocols – All stores follow the exact recipes and processes to meet specifications.
- Supplier quality control – Flour, yeast and other ingredients are sourced from suppliers with stringent quality control.
- Staff training – Employees that make and portion dough are trained extensively on following procedures.
- Spot checks – Surprise audits and inspections verify if protocols are being properly implemented.
Maintaining dough quality and taste consistency across geographical regions and independently-run franchises is an ongoing effort that relies on supplier quality, employee training, and corporate oversight. When executed properly, the result is dependable dough and pizza quality customers expect from Little Caesars.
Dough Production Cost Savings
Producing fresh pizza dough in-house rather than using frozen, pre-made dough provides several potential cost benefits for Little Caesars:
- Ingredient savings – Buying ingredients in bulk is cheaper per pound vs pre-made dough.
- Reduced shipping – No costs and emissions associated with transporting frozen dough to each store.
- Lower wasted dough – Fresh dough stays usable longer than frozen.
- Greater flexibility – Stores can adjust dough production based on sales.
However, there are also added costs associated with in-store production:
- Labor – Paying employees to mix and portion dough adds to labor costs.
- Equipment – Dough mixers, proofers, etc have significant capital costs.
- Training – Employees must be thoroughly trained to follow dough protocols.
Little Caesars has determined the benefits outweigh the costs long-term. Producing fresh dough in-house improves the quality and taste their customers expect while supporting their low-cost operating model.
Pre-Made vs Fresh Dough Comparison
| Factor | Fresh Dough | Pre-Made Dough |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Better flavor from fresher ingredients | Less fresh taste from being frozen |
| Texture | Tender and airy inside, crispy outside | Can be doughy or dry depending on freezing method |
| Cost | Higher ingredient but lower shipping costs | Lower ingredient but higher shipping costs |
| Convenience | More time and labor intensive | Just thaw and use frozen dough |
| Quality Control | More training needed for in-house production | Easier to control at a central facility |
In summary:
- Fresh dough offers superior taste and texture
- Pre-made dough is more convenient and consistent
- Little Caesars prioritizes the quality benefits of fresh-made dough in-store
Nutritional Information
Little Caesars dough contains the following key nutrition facts per serving:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 130 |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 170 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
The dough is relatively high in carbohydrates as expected given the main ingredients are wheat flour and water. The protein provides some helpful nutrients but the crust is not a significant source of protein, vitamins, or minerals on its own.
When topped with veggies, cheese, and meat, the whole pizza can provide a more balanced nutritional profile. But the crust makes up a high proportion of calories from carbs for each slice. Those looking for a healthier pizza can opt for thin crust or lower-carb cauliflower crust options.
Allergens
Little Caesars pizza dough contains the following major food allergens:
- Wheat – The flour is wheat-based, so the crust contains gluten.
- Soybean oil – Used to coat the dough and add flavor, contains soy.
- Milk products – Some dough recipes may use small amounts of cheese or whey.
The dough is made in facilities that also process corn, peanuts, tree nuts, and other allergens. Cross-contact is possible for highly sensitive individuals.
Those with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or soy allergy should avoid Little Caesars crust and opt for a gluten-free or allergy-friendly crust instead. There are many pizza chains now offering alternative crusts to accommodate dietary restrictions.
Taste Reviews
Overall, customers seem to enjoy the taste of Little Caesars fresh-baked pizza dough:
- Chewy and airy crumb while still being thin and crisp.
- Has a yeasty, bread-like flavor.
- Oil and spices in the dough add flavor.
- Bakes evenly into the iconic Little Caesars round shape.
- Stays crispy even when cooled.
Some criticisms of their crust include:
- Can occasionally be under-baked and doughy.
- Not as thick and bready as some like.
- Cornmeal on the bottom can be overdone.
- Edges and bottom can over-brown or burn.
Overall though, their fresh-made dough process results in a crust that customers find to be tasty and delivers the texture they expect in a Little Caesars pizza.
Copying the Recipe
Little Caesars dough is made with a proprietary blend that is secret, but copycat recipes try to replicate it by combining:
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Salt
- Sugar or honey
- Active dry yeast
- Oil
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
Similar to the real Little Caesars process, the dough must be proofed after mixing to develop the unique flavor and bubble structure. Baking on a pizza stone will mimic their crispy crust style.
While copycats may come close, replicating exactly the same dough as Little Caesars requires their proprietary techniques. The secret dry mix shipped to stores likely contains special additions not publicly known.
Conclusion
Little Caesars takes pride in making their pizza dough fresh daily right in their store locations. Though the dry ingredients may be supplied by central facilities, the dough itself is mixed, proofed, and portioned on-site rather than using frozen, ready-to-use dough.
This allows Little Caesars to serve hot pizzas with a freshly baked crust that customers expect from their signature Pizza! Pizza! experience. Maintaining consistency and cost-efficiency across thousands of stores requires careful coordination in the dough making process, but the results deliver affordable pizzas with a tasty, homemade-style crust.