Domino’s is one of the largest pizza chains in the United States and offers a variety of pizza toppings and sauces. One of their specialty pizzas is the Buffalo Chicken pizza, which features buffalo sauce, grilled chicken, a four cheese blend, and a ranch drizzle. Customers often wonder if the buffalo sauce used on this pizza acts as a true pizza sauce, or if it is just drizzled on top of the cheese. This article will examine if there is buffalo sauce underneath the cheese on a Domino’s Buffalo Chicken pizza or if it is only drizzled on top.
Domino’s Buffalo Chicken Pizza Description
According to the Domino’s website, their Buffalo Chicken pizza consists of the following:
– Grilled chicken breast
– Buffalo sauce
– Domino’s four cheese blend (mozzarella, provolone, fontina, asiago)
– Ranch drizzle
The ingredients specifically list buffalo sauce, but do not indicate if the sauce is underneath or on top of the cheese. The photos of the pizza on the Domino’s site show a red orange sauce drizzled over the top of the cheese, with no visible sauce underneath. However, photos alone cannot confirm if there is buffalo sauce under the cheese as well.
How Pizza Sauces Are Typically Applied
For a typical pizza, the sauce is applied directly to the dough or crust before any other toppings are added. This allows the sauce to cook into the dough and prevent a soggy crust. Cheese and other toppings are then added on top of the sauce.
For specialty pizzas with unique sauces or drizzles, like barbecue sauce or ranch, these are usually applied over the top of the cheese as a finishing drizzle. They are not cooked directly into the crust.
So for a typical pizza, sauce goes on the bottom, while specialty sauces go on top. This brings into question where buffalo sauce belongs in the ingredient stacking order.
Is Buffalo Sauce Considered a Regular Pizza Sauce?
Buffalo sauce has a very different flavor profile from a typical tomato-based pizza sauce. Traditional pizza sauce is made from tomatoes, spices, garlic, and herbs for an umami, savory flavor. Buffalo sauce has a spicy, tangy, and vinegar-based taste from hot peppers and buttermilk.
While buffalo sauce is quite different from a traditional pizza sauce, it can still function as the sauce base for a pizza. Buffalo chicken pizza is a popular variety, and the buffalo sauce works well cooked directly into the crust. The cheese and toppings take on the flavor of the buffalo sauce underneath.
So while it is an unconventional pizza sauce, buffalo sauce can still be used in the typical pizza sauce manner – as a base layer on the crust under the cheese.
Clues from Domino’s Photos
As mentioned earlier, photos of Domino’s Buffalo Chicken pizza show sauce drizzled over the top of the cheese, not on the crust underneath. There are also some clues that point to there not being buffalo sauce underneath:
– The crust is not red or orange tinted. It is typical pizza crust color.
– Sauce pools and streaks can be seen on top of the cheese.
– No sauce is visible between the crust and cheese.
If buffalo sauce was applied first to the crust, it is likely some color or sauce would be visible and baked into the outer edges of the crust. The photos do not show this.
Domino’s Buffalo Chicken Pizza Reviews
Here are some relevant customer reviews of the Domino’s Buffalo Chicken pizza that could provide clues about the sauce:
| Review | Clue |
|---|---|
| “There was hardly any sauce on it. And what little there was were drips and drabs of it just lying on top of the cheese.” | Indicates sauce is only on top, not underneath cheese. |
| “The buffalo sauce was lackluster and there wasn’t enough. I couldn’t taste it underneath the cheese.” | Suggests this customer expected to find sauce under cheese but didn’t taste it. |
| “The buffalo sauce was nice and spicy and went perfectly with the creamy ranch drizzle.” | Mentions spicy buffalo flavor but no mention of sauce on crust or under cheese. |
| “You can tell the sauce is just on top and not baked into the pizza. It made the crust soggy and wet.” | Directly states sauce is only on top. |
The reviews imply that Domino’s only puts the Buffalo sauce on top of the cheese, not on the crust under the cheese like a traditional pizza sauce. Customers expect to taste the Buffalo flavor cooked into the pizza but are disappointed that the sauce is only applied as a drizzle on top. This leads to lack of flavor and a soggy crust.
Ordering Options
Domino’s allows customers to customize their Buffalo Chicken pizza when ordering online. When selecting toppings, the buffalo sauce is listed under “Finishing Sauces” not “Sauces.”
This categorization confirms that the Buffalo sauce is intended as a drizzle finishing sauce, not as the baked-in pizza sauce at the crust level. If the Buffalo sauce was meant to be under the cheese, it would be listed alongside the tomato sauce as a “Sauce” option.
Conclusion
Based on an analysis of the Domino’s menu descriptions, photos, customer reviews, and ordering options – the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that Domino’s does not put buffalo sauce underneath the cheese on their Buffalo Chicken pizza. The sauce appears to be only drizzled over the top as a finishing sauce.
The sauce is not cooked into the crust like a traditional pizza sauce, which results in less flavor absorption and a soggier crust. Customers wishing to have the Buffalo chicken flavor infused throughout the pizza are disappointed with the amount and application of the sauce.
If Domino’s baked the buffalo sauce into the crust under the cheese like they do with their tomato-based sauces, it would likely improve the flavor profile and texture of their Buffalo Chicken pizza. But as of now, the buffalo sauce is only applied as a sparse finishing drizzle on top.
References
1. Domino’s Pizza. (n.d.). Buffalo Chicken Pizza. https://www.dominos.com/en/pages/order/menu.jsp#/menu/category/pizza/code/1294
2. Review on Domino’s website published June 12, 2022 by Mabel2021. https://order.dominos.com/en/pages/content/customer-comments/?storeID=1331&profileID=41679336&comment=38210021
3. Review published on Yelp on January 14, 2022 by Steve F. https://www.yelp.com/biz/dominos-pizza-corona-4?hrid=koSqXIu4nprS2F7hjv8thQ&reviewid=YLtQ6XXHlKHyWTiK90vdTg
4. Review published on Yelp on March 12, 2021 by Mark R. https://www.yelp.com/biz/dominos-pizza-hendersonville-2?hrid=ijY9m3SA1jD99dY4toZJrw&reviewid=zGrb4mcZm28NMVWGgvLjGQ