Domino's Bread Bowl: What To Know Before Ordering
Panera Bread is not the only restaurant with a bread bowl. Though the chain may have the most famous one, Domino's has its own version to satisfy your carby cravings. But unlike Panera's bread bowl, which usually contains our favorite soups (hello Broccoli Cheddar), Domino's serves the purpose of holding pasta. Customers can choose from creating their own pasta dish or selecting one of a few premade options on its menu. In addition, Domino's bread bowl is made very similarly to its pizza crust, according to LancasterOnline, transporting you straight to carbohydrate heaven.
Many know Domino's for serving quick, convenient pizza that's the perfect way to end a late night out, so is it really worth venturing from your typical pepperoni pie when ordering from the chain? And if you do decide to give these pasta bowls a try, will your Domino's location even carry them? We're here to break down what exactly you need to know about the dish.
What is the Domino's bread bowl?
Domino's bread bowl is simply an add-on customers can choose when ordering its pastas. As stated above, Lancaster Online reports that the menu item is made from nearly identical dough to its iconic pizza crust, which is "stretched and pounded" before being loaded with whatever pasta the customer requests. The dough and pasta concoction is then put into the oven to be warmed together.
The outlet shares that Domino's bread bowl is wider and less deep than what you might expect form your typical soup-style bread bowl. Though ultimately Domino's bread bowl acts as a dish to serve the pasta, there are more ways to eat it than you might think. You could (of course) eat all the pasta first and then move on to the bread, as you likely would with soup, or you can eat both simultaneously with a fork and knife. A Domino's ad for the menu item, uploaded to YouTube, seems to suggest customers can also use their hands to rip off chunks of the bread bowl, using it to scoop up the pasta and dip into the sauce as they eat.
How much do Domino's bread bowls cost?
The price of Domino's pasta bread bowl varies depending on what type of pasta you order. Lancaster Online notes that the chain charges an additional $1 for the pasta bread bowl compared to the standard pasta dish. When Domino's first released the bread bowl in 2009 it cost $5.99, while the pasta without the bread bowl cost $4.99 (via The Impulsive Buy). Since then, costs have gone up, but the dish (like Domino's pizza) is still fairly affordable.
According to Real Menu Prices, the current cost of Domino's Chicken Alfredo bread bowl and the Italian Sausage Marinara bread bowl is $6.99, while the Chicken Carbonara, Pasta Primavera, and the Build Your Own Pasta bread bowls all cost $7.99.
Though the chain's bread bowls aren't really designed to be shared between friends in the same way a Domino's pizza is, the dish could definitely be split between two people or be a very filling meal for one, making it a decent value for the price.
What's Domino's bread bowl made of and how does it taste?
According to the Domino's website, the bread bowl is made out of the chain's hand tossed crust and a garlic oil blend. In addition to the obvious garlic and oil, this blend also includes parmesan cheese, salt, and parsley, among other ingredients. It is essentially the hand tossed crust in bowl form, but as we can see from how people have a preference when it comes to pancakes versus waffles, shape really does matter.
Serious Eats gives the bread bowls a less-than-favorable review, likening the dish to an idea sprouted out of a boardroom meeting. The outlet compares the bread bowl to a baked ball of pizza dough with a hole in the center (which is fair, as that's basically what it is). They also take issue with the pasta itself, describing it as "simultaneously mushy and dry, like baked ziti that has been sitting out a day too long." Furthermore, they proclaim the dough to be "spongy, bland, overly sweet."
But the Domino's bread bowl also has its fair share of supporters. In a YouTube review, user PeepThisOut described the Chicken Alfredo Bread Bowl as much better than expected, praising the creamy sauce, chicken flavor, and the texture of the pasta. Likewise, food review sensation and Netflix star Daym Drops labeled the same dish in a YouTube clip as "something serious for your face," rating it a four out of five.
Is Domino's bread bowl a permanent menu item?
Right now, the bread bowl appears to only be available at select Domino's locations. As stated above, this dish was released in 2009 (via QSR Magazine), but there have been rumors of its discontinuation for quite some time. Back in 2017, one Domino's fan took to Facebook in an attempt to get some answers directly from the chain. In the comments, other Facebook users shared their dismay over the missing menu item or locations where it was still available.
A lot of people seem to be fairly upset that Domino's is no longer offering its bread bowl nationwide. There is at least one active Change.org petition, which has been signed by over 850 people. This number would likely be higher, but some customers are still able to get their hands on the item, like one Twitter user who was so excited about their September 2021 Chicken Alfredo Bread Bowl purchase they tweeted they were "winning at life."
We're not 100% sure why this dish was taken off select menus, as it appears to have been received mostly positively. The only real concern some seem to have is in regards to the dish's nutritional content. But, as stated by The Impulsive Buy, if you're ordering creamy pasta in a bowl made of pizza crust, "do you REALLY want to know?"
Domino's bread bowl nutritional information
According to the Domino's nutrition calculator half a Pasta Primavera Bread Bowl contains 660 calories, 18 grams of protein, 23 grams of fat, 92 grams of carbohydrates, and 910 grams of sodium. Though the number of calories and other nutritional information varies depending on what pasta dish you order, this menu item is high in carbohydrates no matter what. (This is probably not shocking information to most, as the dish is pasta in a bowl made of pizza dough.) It is also worth noting that one serving is only half of the menu item, so double these figures if you plan to eat the whole thing in one day.
This might also be a given, but if you are gluten or dairy-free this dish is not for you, as it contains both wheat and cheese. Perhaps less obvious, the bread bowl should also be avoided by anyone with a soy allergy. Although some of these bread bowls are not vegetarian (for example, the Chicken Alfredo Bread Bowl), you could easily make this dish meat-free by creating your own pasta or ordering the Pasta Primavera Bread Bowl option.
How You Can Customize Your Dish
No matter which Domino's pasta you prefer, the bread bowl can be a fun way to spice up your go-to order. The pastas you can request in the bread bowl are listed as the Chicken Alfredo, Italian Sausage Marinara, Pasta Primavera, and Chicken Carbonara on Domino's online menu. In addition, there is the option to build your own pasta from the available ingredients.
Reddit offers up some suggestions for the best DIY pasta at Domino's. One user recommends you "Build your own with chicken, bacon, spinach, Alfredo sauce, and top it with Provolone cheese." Another redditor (who is tagged as a Domino's employee) gives their winning formula of "primavera without mushrooms or tomato, and add feta and pineapple."
So the next time your craving Domino's, why try out one of the chain's bread bowls instead of your standard pie if it's available? After all, you might only spot the menu item once in a blue moon.