DOMINO’S: CRUNCHY THIN CRUST CHEESE PIZZA

SAVE: 159 CALORIES, 17 G FAT, 6 G SAT. FAT

As a kid, we celebrated many of our birthdays at a pizza place called Showbiz Pizza. It was very much like Chuck E. Cheese’s. They had video games and animated cartoon characters who sang birthday songs and entertained. They would give the birthday girl (or guy) plenty of video game tokens, and we’d eat plenty of pizza that was like no other we ever ate—they cut it into squares instead of wedges. Though I always loved Pizza Hut pizza crusts, I definitely don’t consider myself a “crust person.” In fact, the reason I most loved to go to Showbiz was that I thought it was so cool that some of the pizza slices were crustless. They cut their pizza into 16 almost-square pieces instead of wedges, so all of the center slices were really gooey with cheese. I can’t even look at Domino’s Crunchy Thin Crust Cheese Pizza without thinking about those fun days. And, of course, I still can’t wait to get my hands on a center slice.

1 recipe Domino’s Crunchy Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Flour for work surface

1 recipe Domino’s Pizza Sauce

5 ounces (about 1½ cups + 3 tablespoons) finely shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

PREPARE the dough. Set aside to rise.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. When the dough has doubled, gently punch it down and place it on a lightly floured surface.

With a lightly floured rolling pin or hands, roll or pat into a 14" round (if you’re new to making pizza, see “How to Form a Perfect Crust” for more advice on how to do this). Transfer to a 14" nonstick round deep-dish or flat pizza pan. With a fork, poke about 20 times to evenly perforate the dough.

Bake for 5 minutes. Check for any air bubbles. Press gently with a fork to deflate them. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisp. Remove the pan and set it on a heatproof surface. Spread the sauce evenly over the surface of the crust. Top with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Allow the pizza to sit for 5 minutes. Cut into 16 rectangular pieces.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS (¼ PIZZA)

Each serving: 217 calories, 9 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 3 g fiber

Original Domino’s Crunchy Thin Crust Cheese Pizza (¼ pizza): 376 calories, 14 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 7 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber

DRIVE-THRU Need dinner in minutes? This pizza crust is similar to a crisped tortilla. So when you’re on the run, make this pizza using four 7" low-fat flour tortillas. Follow the instructions for crisping the tortillas in the recipe for Taco Bell Mexican Pizza. Then add the sauce and cheese to taste.

Also, you can use a low-fat, jarred pizza sauce. Just make sure you choose one that you like, because it’s a major flavor component of the dish.

BEFORE YOU START For the crispiest crust, select a pizza pan that is black or dark gray or has small holes in the bottom.