While we think mom-and-pop shops make the best pizza in the nation, we'd be remiss if we didn't keep abreast of what the chains are up to. Suit up, it's time for another Chain Reaction, folks.
Domino's began offering a gluten-free pizza crust to consumers on Monday, making it the first major chain to do so. That's the crust undercarriage above. Sorta looks like the burner on an electric stove, huh? Or a mosquito coil. Slice sampled one last night.
Order online and you get the warning above. Which is kind of a pay-your-money-take-your-chances crapshoot (bold emphasis mine):
Domino's pizza made with a Gluten Free Crust is prepared in a common kitchen with the risk of gluten exposure. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness supports the availability of Domino's Gluten Free Crust, but CANNOT recommend the pizza for customers with celiac disease. Customers with gluten sensitivities should exercise judgment in consuming this pizza. For more info, click here.
That's because the gluten-free pizzas are made in the same kitchen as the chain's flour-based pizzas, so there is a chance of cross-contamination.
As a whole, a gluten-free Domino's pizza doesn't look much different from the chain's regular thin-crust pizza—though it is a little darker in color.
Domino's says it has a gluten content of less than 20 parts per million ("That's almost zero," they say in the video above.) It's made from water, rice starch, rice flour, potato starch, and olive oil.
Overall it's got a slightly gritty, very chewy texture. It's not tough-chewy, more elastic-chewy. Kind of springy. You'll notice this as you try to pull the slices apart. You know how stubborn dogs can be when they're determined to hold on to their chew toys? Like that.
It has a slightly sweet flavor. Reminiscent of eating a thick, sweet Communion wafer. (Forgive me, Slice'rs, for I have sinned.) Though most people probably wouldn't notice the sweetness unless, like me, they've scraped off all the sauce and cheese.
It comes only in a 10-inch size. But unless there are multiple celiacs in your house, that should be fine. It's a good size for one person—or maybe two light eaters.
I didn't think it was horrible. Apart from the chewier texture and sweeter flavor, it wasn't that different from the regular thin-crust pizza. After all, people don't order Domino's for its amazing crust. They choose it because in the end it's a cheese-and-topping delivery system and it's cheap. Load on the dang toppings, like I did here (sausage, onion, jalapeño), and the gluten-free crust will do the same job as the regular thin crust.
The world of chain pizza is finally safe for celiacs who dare.
About the author: Adam Kuban is the founder of Slice. You can follow him as @akuban on Twitter.