Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe (2024)

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55 minutes mins

42 Comments

5 from 1 vote

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Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe (1)

We have pizza every weekend! We live right around the corner from a Papa John’s and we eat there more than I probably should admit! I found a copycat recipe and knew we had to give it a whirl. It was so delicious and the sauce was amazing!

Serves: 3 pizzas

Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe

5 from 1 vote

I found a copycat recipe and knew we had to give it a whirl. It was so delicious and the sauce wasamazing!

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Print

Ingredients

  • 8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 Tablespoons sugar
  • teaspoons fast rising yeast
  • teaspoons salt
  • 3 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
  • 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Pizza Sauce

  • 3 cans tomato puree (10.34 ounces each)
  • ¾ cups water
  • 3 teaspoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon oregano
  • teaspoon basil
  • teaspoon thyme
  • teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl. On a lightly floured surface, knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Press out dough onto 3 pizza pans. Poke the dough randomly with a fork. Let rise again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. Brush crusts lightly with oil and bake them for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top as desired. Bake for 4-5 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Pizza Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 1754 kcal · Carbohydrates: 310 g · Protein: 48 g · Fat: 38 g · Saturated Fat: 24 g · Sodium: 1816 mg · Potassium: 1375 mg · Fiber: 20 g · Sugar: 37 g · Vitamin A: 888 IU · Vitamin C: 19 mg · Calcium: 101 mg · Iron: 19 mg

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

(Recipe from Food.com)

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  1. Happy Valley Chow says:

    Very Cool! I will definitely have to give this a try, I do love their pizza crust.Happy Blogging!Happy Valley Chow

  2. Amanda Beattie says:

    Hi, we make homemade pizza on friday nights but three is just to many for us...does this dough freeze well and when in the rising/resting process would you suggest putting it in the freezer if yes...

  3. Marin says:

    Have you tried freezing this recipe? Three would be too much for our family of 2 and a not quite pizza eating aged baby :)

  4. Celeste says:

    Is fast acting yeast the same as instant yeast?

  5. Andie says:

    Now that garlic dipping sauce and it'll be complete!

  6. Cyd says:

    We can totally help you there! We have the garlic dipping sauce recipe too!http://myrecipemagic.com/recipe/recipedetail/papa-murphys-copycat-gourmet-vegetarian-pizza-with-creamy-garlic-sauce-recipeHope you enjoy it! YUM! -The Six Sisters

  7. Cyd says:

    Yes, it is basically the same.

  8. Cyd says:

    We haven't tried freezing this, so not sure how it would turn out when thawed. Let us know if you give it a try. :)

  9. Melissa says:

    My husband LOVES Papa John's pizza. This would be fun for him for Father's Day. Thanks for sharing!

  10. Jessi @ Practically Functional says:

    Oh yum, Papa John's pizza is definitely my favorite, so I have to try this! Pinning it!

  11. buy facebook page likes says:

    Wonderful site. A lot of helpful information here. I?m sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks in your sweat!

  12. Margie T. says:

    This was an easy recipe. After letting the dough rise the first time for 15 min., I divided it into three, bagged them, and put them in the freezer. When I need one, I just take it out and let it defrost for a few hours. Now I don't have to buy the dough anymore. I can make my own :)

  13. Jill says:

    My favorite is the BBQ Chicken Hawaiian. Any recipes for the BBQ sauce?

  14. Cyd says:

    Not yet! We will definitely work on that! :)

  15. shannon says:

    what size pizza pans are needed for this ? Thanks

  16. shannon says:

    i also forgot to ask if highly active rapid rise yeast is the same as fast rising yeast and can you also use olive iol instead of veg. oil ? Thanks

  17. Cyd says:

    Both of the yeasts take about the same time to rise. We have only used vegetable oil in the crust. So not sure how olive oil would turn out.

  18. Cyd says:

    We used 12 inch pizza pans.

  19. Emily says:

    We made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious! I cut the recipe in thirds and used the Pampered Chef rectangle stone. It was just a little too big, so we used the extra dough as breadsticks and added garlic salt and butter....yum! Thanks for sharing, we will be making this again!

  20. DrTravis says:

    is far from Papa Johns crust. I used to manage a PJ restaurant and this is not the recipe or how to make it. Nice try though.

  21. Amber says:

    DrTravis, do you have a closer recipe of the crust?

  22. Kristie says:

    Sorry, but this was in NO WAY anything like Papa John's!But at least after all that mess we still could eat it.

  23. Tracy says:

    What kind of cheese did you use?

  24. Cyd says:

    We like mozzarella and colby jack cheese on our pizza.

  25. Valerie G says:

    I made this for dinner tonight and was very happy with the results. The crust turned out really well and wasn't soggy like my previous attempts at pizza crust. My husband really liked it and I am happy to finally find a great pizza crust recipe.

  26. Susan Robinson says:

    Wanting to know if your crust or sauce has any dairy products in it. Butter, non fat dry milk, whey, cheese? I cannot eat dairy but would love to try your pizza! Cheeseless. Thank you very much. Susan

  27. Cyd says:

    Hi Susan, the ingredients are listed on the recipe.

  28. Mark Middleton says:

    You know, we do sell the dough at the store....

  29. Jolene says:

    We keep the dough in the fridge and make breakfast pizza the next morning, and it works great!

  30. Karen says:

    This might be a dumb question, but is tomato purée the same thing as tomato paste? I just want to make sure I don’t mess it up. I would love to try this for pizza night this weekend! ?

  31. Cyd says:

    Tomato puree is a thick sauce of pureed, briefly cooked tomatoes that have been strained of seeds and skins; usually, there are no added herbs or seasonings (except salt). Tomato puree typically comes canned, and you'll find it with other canned tomato products. Hunts and Kroger both make tomato puree. I hope this helps.

  32. Karen says:

    Thank you so much!! ?

  33. Christy says:

    And I actually JUST made this and used "crushed tomatoes" and love it!

  34. Scout says:

    I’d try Sweet Baby Ray’s Original.

  35. Jess says:

    I know this one! It's Mark's Feed Store's Red sauce.

  36. Kelly says:

    Am I the only one that notices that this pizza recipe call for no cheese???

  37. Mia says:

    It says "top as desired." For most of us, I think that means cheese.

  38. Anzer says:

    Its a pizza DOUGH recipe idiot

  39. Alex Pressly says:

    Pizza was good but can out biscuitsy

  40. NikWig says:

    You're right, this recipe is so much better! I love this recipe ao much! Thanks!

  41. Eva says:

    I just made this for dinner and my husband said "No more Papa John's for us"

    Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe (2)

Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe (3)

About The Author:

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This post was written by a past contributor of Six Sisters' Stuff. We appreciate all of the creative contributions that make Six Sisters' Stuff an amazing resource for families!

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Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the six ingredients in Papa John's pizza crust? ›

Original Crust

Unbleached enriched wheat flour, water, sugar, soybean oil, salt, yeast.

What tomatoes does Papa Johns use? ›

Fresh vine-ripened Roma tomatoes.

What kind of peppers does Papa Johns use? ›

Pepperoncinis. Our signature whole pepperoncini peppers are subtly sweet, medium-heat chilies grown in the Mediterranean regions. They're packed in our tangy brine, and served on the side in every Papa John's Pizza box.

What kind of flour do you use for pizza dough? ›

The best flour for making Deep-Dish Pizza Dough is all-purpose flour. In bakeries and pizzerias, Pizza Flour is often used because it is a high-protein flour that produces a light and airy crust. However, all-purpose flour will also work well for Deep-Dish Pizza Dough.

How does Papa John's make their dough? ›

Our dough is prepared with the finest ingredients, like high protein flour and clear filtered water. Our dough is slowly proofed for 72 hours for perfect texture and taste. Our original hand-tossed dough is fresh, never frozen, and made with 6 simple ingredients you can pronounce and understand.

What are the little crumbs on the bottom of pizza? ›

That's cornmeal, hands down. The main reason you sprinkle cornmeal or flour onto the bottom of your pizza tray or pizza stone is so that it will stick to the bottom of the pizza dough. This way when it cooks it won't stick to the pan.

What is the best tomato for pizza? ›

SUMMARY – San Marzano are the tomatoes by excellence for classic red sauce pizza. Some other varieties include the Pomodorino del Piennolo- yellow or red. If San Marzano is impossible to find where you live, oblong peeled tomatoes are the best next choice.

What tomato is best for pizza base? ›

Plum tomatoes are ideal for making pizza sauce. Actually, the best tomatoes for pizza sauce are ones below Mt. Vesuvius' soil outside Naples in San Marzano, Italy. But, since everyone doesn't live around Vesuvius, canned San Marzano tomatoes are available in the supermarket.

Are Pepperoncinis and banana peppers the same thing? ›

Exterior: Banana peppers have a smooth, waxy skin whereas pepperoncini have a wrinkly, soft skin. Taste: Banana peppers are mild and zesty; the riper the banana pepper, the sweeter it is. Pepperoncini tend to be mildly spicy, tangy and have more of a sour taste when pickled.

What are the tiny peppers on pizza called? ›

Peperoncino (Italian: [peperonˈtʃiːno]; pl. : peperoncini [-ni]) is the generic Italian name for hot chili peppers, specifically some regional cultivars of the species Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens (chili pepper and Tabasco pepper, respectively). The sweet pepper is called peperone ( pl. : peperoni) in Italian.

How does Papa John's make their Pepperoncinis? ›

They start by opening the jar and then fishing some out. Hopefully they wear gloves, or use tongs. Papa John's buys those peppers already prepared. They don't make them.

What is the secret to making good pizza dough? ›

There are many tricks to achieving a tasty, homemade pizza dough that rises into a beautiful pizza crust, such as making sure your ingredients are at right temperature, using half bread flour for a stronger dough and half all-purpose flour for a nice rise, substituting honey for sugar to help caramelize the crust and ...

Which yeast is best for pizza? ›

Active Dried Yeast - Most Common

Active dry yeast is the most commonly used type of yeast for making baked goods. It is yeast that has been dried out so that it has a longer shelf-life.

How long should you let pizza dough rise? ›

If you're planning to make pizza today, then give the dough a rise. Clean out the mixing bowl, coat it with a little oil, and transfer the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

What are 6 things you could use as crust for pizza? ›

Here are some of my recommendations :
  • Tortilla Pizza Crust.
  • Pita bread pizza crust .
  • Naan Bread Pizza Crust.
  • Mashed potato pizza crust.
  • Carrot Pizza Crust.
Sep 30, 2021

What does pizza crust contain? ›

All of them have a variety of preparation methods. Crust: Traditional pizza crust is similar to bread dough. It's a combination of flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. The dough is mixed, kneaded, and allowed to rise.

What is special about Papa John's original crust? ›

Original Crust

The all-rounder that is always a crowd pleaser. Original Crust pizzas are the perfect mix of soft, light dough, not too thick, not too thin, but always made with 100% fresh dough, every time – just as they should be.

What are the ingredients in ready made pizza crust? ›

Ingredients. WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, PALM OIL, WHEAT GLUTEN. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, NATURAL FLAVOR, SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVE), DATEM, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, CITRIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, WHEAT STARCH, ASCORBIC ACID, YEAST.

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