I am happy to announce that a three-quarter-year-long hankering was satisfied tonight. After a whole fall and partial winter of drooling over various pizza chain’s pretzel crusts, I finally got to try it while at my parents’ house over winter break. If I had it my way, I of course would have run down to the local Pizza Hut first day of break to claim a pretzel-crusted pizza for my own, but, being my frugal father’s daughter, I had to wait for the world to present me with the special ticket first: the coupon. 2015 rolled around, our annual coupon book arrived, and alas, a large 2-topping pizza was promised to my family for the hot price of $7.99 (price before tax, folks). Without further ado, I put in my request of a green olive-salami combo on pretzel crust.
Before I deliver my verdict, I have to comment on the popularity that pretzel-based bread products have received in the past few years, because what was once a mere ball-game treat has now hit a home run into the heart of the food-eating world (that is to say, everyone)! The fad first came to my attention in 2011, when a high school friend introduced me to a pretzel roll that she had bought from the recently opened Costco (Fargo is sometimes a little behind on the times). I loved it, and am happy to say that pretzel rolls now frequently grace our family holiday meal tables, along with delicious homemade jams. Since the pretzel roll, various other pretzel products have emerged on the scene, such as pretzel crackers, which my roommates and I like to dip in Nutella. Recently, I have noticed that some restaurants have picked up on the trend and are now offering burgers and sandwiches on pretzel buns. If you ever find yourself in small-town Wadena, Minnesota, I would recommend dining at the Uptown and ordering “The Sheena,” which is a burger served on a pretzel bun that has been smeared with peanut butter- it may sound a little funky, but it is very pleasing to the taste buds. Definitely a new twist on an old small-town favorite!
Now, the pretzel crust has received some heat for having too much salt, and I cannot deny that, like a pretzel, the salt is applied very liberally. However, if you are a salt fanatic like me (and when I say that, I mean I am a HARD CORE salt fanatic- I actually used to mix up salt and water to drink when I was little (but I won’t say what age that ended, because it is probably embarrassingly older than one might think)), you will probably be all about this crust. I loved it, and would definitely order it again. And the good news is, if you’re not a huge salt fan, it is easy to brush off.
I have to say I was a little disappointed in the flavor of the crust beneath all of the salt. It is not very pretzel-y, and not nearly as dark brown as it is advertised (see images). Without the salt, it basically just takes like your average pizza crust. However, though I am putting my opinion out there, don’t take it too seriously. I think that if you’re interested, it is worth giving it an honest try, and then you can form your own opinion. Also remember that I cannot speak for Little Caesar’s pretzel crust, though it has received similar reviews for how off-the-charts-salty it is.
Overall, the fact that there is a special crust waiting for you at the end of the pizza has some novel to it, but I do wish that it came with cheese or some other kind of special dipping sauce. If it were stuffed with cheese, I think that would also add a lot to the overall satisfaction. And maybe pizza companies will hear the reviews and move in that direction!
If you’re not big into the pretzel trend, remember that Pizza Hut has nine other new crusts to offer, among them being a honey sriracha that I am anxious to try! (Caitlin, let’s get this).
And with that, I leave you to watch the Golden Globes the start of what is quite possibly my favorite time of the year: Awards Season. So far Reese Witherspoon and Emma Stone have donned my favorite ensembles, and I absolutely love Amal Clooney’s white gloves and sleek black dress. Classic Hollywood at its finest.
Enjoy the show, and whatever will be left of the pretzel trend. Maybe this new crust will be the end of the pretzel’s popularity. Maybe it will only accelerate it further. Maybe be known as a mere bump in the road of what is destined to be an everlasting empire of Pretzeldom. Only time will tell.
World-altering fact of the day: Reese Witherspoon’s name is actually Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon. The “Laura Jeanne” part, which she dropped for her career, is very close to my name, Laura Jane. Wonder why she dropped it?
ljschott 
I have to disagree about the ‘easy to brush off’ part. When I, regrettably, ordered a Pretzel crust pizza from Pizza Hut, a section of the cheese and toppings closest to the crust, about an inch into the pizza, had been hit with the giant salt pellets too. And, by the time I got to it, the salt had dissolved a great deal into the cheese and oil. I guess it works for salt lovers, but it was really terrible for me.
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Thank you for sharing your experience! I can see how that would be greatly displeasing for someone who isn’t crazy about salt…even for a salt lover like me, the amount was overwhelming! And I can see what you mean by saying that there is no going back once it has fused with the pizza’s toppings. At least we gave it honest try! 🙂
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