Pizza Hut Breadsticks: What To Know Before Ordering
Whether you're a fan of the classic Original Pan or a lover of the gooey, melty crust of the Stuffed Crust, there is no denying that almost everyone has a soft spot for Pizza Hut's famous breadsticks. There's something about those fluffy, chewy, golden brown sticks covered in Pizza Hut's "fairy dust" blend of Parmesan and seasonings — or topped with hot bubbling layers of cheese — that makes you just want to rip into them and drink them down with the savory, sweet marinara sauce they come with. Having appeared on menus since 1958, breadsticks with warm marinara sauce have always been a fan-favorite of customers everywhere.
But, let's just say you've never been to a Pizza Hut before. In fact, you've never heard that Pizza Hut even has breadsticks. What do you expect? Over-seasoned half-baked sticks of bread that are more gummy than chewy, or soft on the inside and crispy on the outside cheese sticks? How are they made? What's their secret? Just relax, reader, and perhaps after this, you'll want to try some piping hot breadsticks right from the unbeatable (or so they say) Pizza Hut.
How are Pizza Hut breadsticks made?
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an exact recipe or process given by Pizza Hut in regards to how they prepare their breadsticks. Perhaps it is a closely guarded secret to ensure no one can out-breadstick the Hut. There are, however, many copycat recipes out there on how to make something as close to the original deal as possible. On Reddit, this recipe from Brown-Eyed Baker was described by one user as "really tasting like Pizza Hut."
The recipe itself follows the procedure for making bread — requiring rapid-rising yeast, non-fat dry milk powder, and bread flour with warm water, olive oil, and salt. The recipe also includes the procedure for marinara sauce and the breadstick seasoning for topping the warm breadsticks with. Reviews for the recipe have been outstanding, although some seem to report different results due to changes in elevation.
It may not be the exact recipe used by Pizza Hut, but many reviewers who have worked at a Pizza Hut before have claimed that this recipe follows the "breadstick procedures" almost exactly the same.
How much do Pizza Hut's breadsticks cost?
Breadsticks at Pizza Hut can cost up to $4.79 for five breadsticks, while their counterparts, cheese sticks, cost up to $5.79 for five sticks, according to Pizza Hut's online ordering system. That means, in order to feed a family of four (assuming each person would get at least two breadsticks), one would have to spend $9.58 on two orders of breadsticks, or $11.58 on two orders of cheese sticks. While not the most terribly expensive thing in the fast-food world, one would be surprised to find they cost this much.
Why do these breadsticks cost so much? We already covered a reason for this in a previous Mashed article from June 20. To summarize, the reason these humble-looking sticks cost between $4-5 (according to Fast Food Menu Prices) is due to a price mark-up. According to Forbes' report, the ingredients to make a pizza are incredibly cheap — 21 cents being the average cost of flour for the crust, with yeast nearly 1 cent. While the breadsticks are made from this cheap dough, its high price is to cover certain costs, such as seasonings, cheese, and labor. To sell it cheap wouldn't be enough to make the cost of other ingredients back.
You can't make a pizza without beating out some dough, after all.
How good are Pizza Hut breadsticks?
Even if they are a bit pricey, the old saying is you get what you pay for, so these breadsticks ought to be good for 5 bucks, right? According to Thrillist's review on different breadsticks from pizza chains, they described Pizza Hut breadsticks as being "super soft" and "having that same distinct, "personal pan pizza" flavor." They also praised the cheese sticks, describing them as much more "girthy" than the originals with the extra layer of cheese.
The breadsticks' flavor comes mostly from the seasonings (known either as "breadstick seasoning" or "fairy dust," if this '90s training video is to be believed). The topping mostly consists of Parmesan, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and salt, allowing you to get that "pizza crust" flavor in every bite. All across the Internet people proclaimed their love for the warm, chewy breadsticks. Resetera users, on a thread about breadsticks surprisingly, gave reviews ranging from "Pizza Hut cheese sticks are the true golden path. Nothing else matters," to "Pizza Hut does have bomb diggity breadsticks." A poll on The Top Tens ranked Pizza Hut as having the breadsticks, above Little Caesars, Dominos, and Olive Garden.
While a bit pricey, the breadsticks at Pizza Hut are certainly nothing to be ignored and have proven themselves to have found multitudes of fans.
How healthy are Pizza Hut breadsticks?
Fast-food pizza joints aren't known for being the healthiest places in the world — serving up salty, cheesy, buttery, and greasy dishes each and every day. But, we all enjoy a good pizza from time to time. Fortunately, the average amount of calories in a Pizza Hut breadstick is 150 calories and includes 5 grams of fat and 22 grams of carbohydrates, so they aren't the most fattening thing in the world (via CalorieKing). The cheese stick, oddly, is also 150 calories with 4.5 grams of fat and 20 grams of carbs.
Breadsticks, for what their worth, aren't actually the most unhealthy item on the Pizza Hut menu. Jenn Fillenworth MS, RD, explains that since they are lower in fat and calories than any other side dish on the menu, they're a comparatively healthier choice to get rather than wings or fries (via Eat This, Not That!). Dr. Fillenworth also adds that breadsticks have the benefit of being baked rather than fried, avoiding the grease and oil that may be found on certain other menu items.
Now, of course, this isn't an excuse to indulge yourself on breadsticks each day, but they aren't the most offensive thing to order and you can at least enjoy something delicious while still keeping yourself informed on your health.
How does Pizza Hut stand out from competitors?
Pizza Hut has been around for a long time now, so it's only natural for them to have competitors. While it's true that certain other places such as Olive Garden and Applebees have breadsticks of their own, the focus here is on how Pizza Hut compares to other big-name pizza chains and their bread selection. Domino's version of breadsticks comes in the form of bread twists, which are breadsticks twisted into ribbons and covered in garlic and parmesan cheese. Bread twists are priced at $5.99 bread twists for eight via Fast Food Menu Prices — compared to Pizza Hut offering you five for nearly the same cost.
Little Caesar's serves Crazy Bread, which is their pizza dough soaked in butter and cheese. For $2.29, you could order eight breadsticks (via Real Menu Prices). Despite their low cost, they've been described as very greasy (via Brand Eating) and having 800 calories from just eight sticks (via CalorieKing), though are still said to be a bit addicting. Papa John's garlic parmesan breadsticks cost $6.50 and you get 10 to an order (via Menu Prices). It's a slightly higher price than paying for a single order of breadsticks at Pizza Hut, but you do get more bread for your buck.
While indeed a bit pricey, many people find the pillowy soft, cheesy breadsticks at Pizza Hut to be quite addictive, and it's no wonder they have found a place among people who call Pizza Hut their Pizza Home.