Pizza Hut, Inc.

Valerie A Proctor

Steve Woodward

Deborah McDaniel

Patricia Scheibmeir

Karen Heidebrecht

A pizza pan receives and bakes a pizza to produce a pizza having a hearth-baked texture and appearance. The pizza pan comprises a base with a plurality of perforations therethrough, the perforations being disposed in first and second perforation regions. The perforation density in the first region, disposed toward the center of the pan, is greater than the perforation density of the second region, disposed toward the outside of the pan, to allow greater transmission of heat to the center of the pizza. A continuous, non-perforated rim extends circumferentially around the base of the pan to form an obtuse angle of intersection therewith. The pan evenly transmits baking heat through the base to the food product being prepared, resulting in consistent texture, appearance and doneness throughout the entire product. A pizza produced by using the pan has improved texture and coloration.

Pizza pan

A multi-layered pizza product includes multiple dough layers and multiple ingredient layers. A cheese or other ingredient layer is disposed between a first, bottom dough layer and a second dough layer disposed in a middle portion of the pizza. The cheese layer preferably includes a blend of different cheeses and has a relatively reduced moisture content in a desired range to reduce the amount of steam produced during baking. The second dough layer preferably includes at least one vent opening to vent steam that is produced by the cheese during baking. The second dough layer supports an additional ingredient layer that includes tomato sauce, cheese, and/or other traditional pizza topping ingredients. A method of producing a baked pizza product requires only a single, continuous baking step, greatly reducing the lengthy preparation time typically required for multi-layered pizza products.

Multi-layered pizza product, and method of making

A pizza pan receives and bakes a pizza to produce a hearth-baked texture and appearance. The pizza pan comprises a base with a plurality of perforations therethrough, the perforations being disposed in first and second perforation regions. The perforation density in the first region, disposed toward the center of the pan, is greater than the perforation density of the second region, disposed toward the outside of the pan, to allow greater transmission of heat to the center of the pizza. A continuous, non-perforated rim extends circumferentially around the base of the pan to form an obtuse angle of intersection therewith. The pan evenly transmits baking heat through the base to the food product being prepared, resulting in consistent texture, appearance and doneness throughout the entire product.

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Frisco, TX, United States of America

Valerie A Proctor