Kroger Vs Publix: Which Has The Better Premade Pizza Dough?

As a former managing editor of Pizza Today Magazine, I know a thing or two about pizza. I have traveled the country tasting the best of the best, and the top-caliber pies all start with a great crust. Pizza crust does not just serve as a delivery vehicle for impressive toppings; it is the foundation on which a great pizza is made.

So, I was shocked to find that my local Kroger offers its own fresh pizza dough. I knew I had to try it, and compare it to the offerings at my local Publix to see which grocery store made the better dough. Although I had to drive a good 20 minutes to the closest store to check it out, I was excited to put the two up against each other. 

I love a good pizza, but I also like cooking at home. Having fresh dough at the ready can open up the opportunities for homemade pizza. But would the store-bought pizza crusts taste the same as a takeout spot? Would it have a great, fresh taste and the correct texture for a workable dough, and could it offer a crispy crust and chewy yet dense center? These were my primary considerations for the taste test. Read on to find out which dough you'll want to add to your grocery list. 

Both Kroger and Publix offer 16-ounce balls, which can be found in coolers near the bakery and produce section of the stores. They are not incredibly easy to find, so I suggest getting directions from a staff member. Not only is the product size and location in the grocery store similar, but both dough balls are priced at $2.99. But that is where the similarities stop.

Publix dough is made fresh daily and only available while supplies last. The dough should be used within a day or frozen for up to a week. Kroger's dough, on the other hand, is sold under the Kroger Home Chef label. It looks to be mass-produced and did not come with a use-by date. This was my first clue that these doughs would perform very differently in the taste test.

I think it's also good to note that the Home Chef dough claims that it can make one or two pizzas. I feel like that is completely untrue. There is not enough dough to split and successfully make two thin-crust pizzas with. 

Kroger's Home Chef dough's first instruction is to set the dough out at room temperature for 20 minutes. However, even after that time, I found the dough was still very cold and stiff. It also didn't feel like pizza dough. Instead, it resembled the dough you would use for cut-out sugar cookies. While its consistency did make it easier for it to hold a circular shape, it also made it very difficult to stretch. 

Once shaped, the dough needs to par bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Once par-baked, you can add the sauce and toppings and bake it an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Sadly, I found you can't count on the color or height of the crust to tell you when it's ready. The crust didn't really brown, nor did it rise at all. When I cut into it, I felt that I was still getting the same consistency I started with. While the cheese was bubbly and melted, the dough was soft and I couldn't tell if it was cooked all the way through or not. The texture was completely chewy without any hint of crispiness on the outside. And as far as flavor, it was a little salty and very doughy.

The Publix dough needed to be set out at room temperature for an hour before shaping. After that time had elapsed, I found the dough to be soft and somewhat similar to pizza dough. It also smelled wonderful — like a fresh dough should.

However, it was still a bit tricky to work into a 12-inch circle. The dough had a lot of fermentation bubbles and tried hard to snap back into a ball as I worked it. So, it did take some time to coerce it into the desired shape. And while it wasn't exactly like doughs I've worked with in the past, it fared much better than the Kroger dough did. 

After the dough is shaped, sauced, and covered with cheese and toppings, it can go straight into the oven without any extra steps. In 18 to 20 minutes, the pie will start showing clear visual indications as to how done it is, since it rises and browns while baking. This dough definitely makes a proper crust!

The finished pizza offered a nice crunch. And while the dough's flavor wasn't robust, it was pleasantly salty with just a hint of sweetness. The texture was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside — exactly as it should be. And it also had a subtle, fermented sourness that was unexpectedly delightful.

Both doughs were given the same preparation and were baked on a lightly oiled baking stone with dusting of cornmeal. They were also both topped with a subtle tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese as not to obscure the flavor and consistency of the dough. Only one brand performed close to my expectations.

The Publix bakery Italian pizza dough was the clear winner here, hands down. It was, by far, the easiest to make and checked nearly all of the boxes for what I was looking for in a dough, including a great flavor, wonderful crispy and chewy texture, and a versatile foundation for a variety of toppings. The cons I found were minor. This dough has a very short shelf life, so it will need to be used the day of purchase or frozen and used within the week. And it may not make the perfect pizza shape. But, it's a small price to pay for a good pizza dough. 

Publix dough is so tasty that I will welcome it into my kitchen whenever I am in the mood for a homemade pizza, focaccia, or garlic bread. Not only is it better than Kroger, but it's also better than any pre-made or frozen crust I've had. Not to mention, it's easier to use than a homemade crust, and you can't beat the price.