I Tried King Arthur’s 2026 Recipe of the Year, and It’s the Most Delicious Thing I’ve Eaten Lately

Every new year, we stay on the lookout for King Arthur Baking Company’s “Recipe of the Year.” Last year The Kitchn’s Food Editor Andrea Wawrzyn reviewed their Big and Bubbly Focaccia; in 2024 it was their controversial super-sized chocolate chip cookies; in 2023 it was a game-changing coffee cake. The 2026 Recipe of the Year is flaky puff crust pizza. The part-pizza, part-laminated dough promises layers, crunch, and richness rather than chew alone.

To paraphrase King Arthur, this pizza is in neither the thin pizza nor thick pizza camp — it’s “in a category all its own.” The crust is crisp yet light, created through a simplified lamination process that incorporates frozen grated butter directly into the dough. 

It’s ambitious, yes (you have to dedicate about 2 hours of kitchen time!) — but very much on brand for a Recipe of the Year meant to teach bakers something new. After receiving the recipe, I made it almost immediately. Here’s how it went.

Get the recipe: Flaky Puff Crust Pizza

The process begins with butter: grated on the large holes of a box grater, spread onto parchment, and frozen solid. This frozen butter is key — it’s what creates the puff and flake later on. The dough itself comes together simply. Flour, yeast, salt, and sugar are whisked together, then mixed with water and olive oil until a rough, craggy dough forms. After a brief knead and a short rise, the dough is ready for lamination.

Rolling the dough into a rectangle, you’ll scatter most of the frozen butter over the surface, gently press it in, and fold the dough like a letter. After a second round of butter and folding, the dough rests briefly to relax before being rolled out to a generous 13-by-18-inch rectangle. It’s transferred to a sheet pan, nudged into the corners, and allowed to rise again until slightly puffy.

The topping is intentional and restrained: sauce spread nearly to the edges, Parmesan first, then a mix of shredded and cubed mozzarella. After baking until the cheese bubbles and browns in spots, the pizza is finished with more Parmesan and a generous drizzle of garlic-basil oil. A short rest makes slicing easier — and helps the layers set.

There’s no question this crust is unique and not something you’ll find at any pizzeria — but as I ate it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d met before. By my third slice, it clicked. The texture is eerily similar to the Totino’s party pizza of my youth: thin, crispy, slightly cracker-like, with a deeply satisfying crunch on the bottom, layers of which inevitably flake off onto your shirt. King Arthur’s recipe balances crispness and chew in a way that feels instantly nostalgic, even if the method is anything but retro.

That said, this homemade version is worlds apart in how it eats. I felt noticeably better after eating it (no surprise there), and my adult palate absolutely approves. The butter-laminated dough creates delicate layers that puff as they bake — similar to croissant lamination, but less fussy. The instructions are extremely clear, which helps offset the fact that this isn’t exactly an effortless weeknight pizza. I also appreciated the precise topping quantities; there’s no danger of weighing down the crust or ending up with a soggy center. Everything feels calibrated for maximum payoff.

• Use 00 flour if you have it. This finely ground specialty flour makes pizza dough slightly easier to roll out and handle, and the baked crust is a bit lighter than the version made with all-purpose flour, although these differences are subtle.
• Split the process over two days. Make the dough using cool water (60°F to 70°F). Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight. When ready, proceed with the recipe starting at the lamination step.
• Read the tips section. If you want to add pepperoni or veggies, follow King Arthur’s precise instructions for how to adjust the recipe. (Remember, you don’t want to weigh down that flaky crust!) 
• Any half-sheet pan will do. The recipe calls for King Arthur’s crispiest crust pizza pan, but you can get results with a regular pan. Bake the pizza on the lower oven rack to encourage browning on the bottom. After baking, turn off the oven, remove the pizza from the pan, and slide it directly onto the lower rack for 3 to 5 minutes to further crisp the underside.

Get the recipe: Flaky Puff Crust Pizza

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: “It’s Perfect”: I Tried King Arthur’s 2026 Recipe of the Year, and It's the Most Delicious of All Time