I Just Tried King Arthur’s 2026 Recipe of the Year—Here’s Why It’s 100% Worth Making

Jessica Wrubel

Updated Wed, January 7, 2026 at 10:07 PM UTC

Every year, King Arthur names a Recipe of the Year, and every year, that recipe makes bakers like me swoon. In previous years, they've featured cinnamon rolls , a crusty white bread and (my fave) oversize chocolate chip cookies . But this year, they took a turn down a less familiar path with a fun, fresh take on pizza . The Flaky Puff Crust Pizza is more or less a traditional pizza, but with one huge twist: the crust is made of a flaky laminated dough.

Because of the more elaborate dough (it needs to rest, chill and get folded many times), I knew this wasn’t going to be a quick, toss-together weeknight dinner with five ingredients or less. This is a project pizza , a dinnertime commitment that requires a couple of hours and complete trust in the process, even when things get a little…difficult. Which, in my case, they did.

I’ll say this upfront: this is not a super beginner-friendly recipe. You’re not just making any old pizza dough. You're making a dough that borrows techniques from croissants, complete with butter pockets and envelope folds. But that extra effort is exactly what makes this pizza so special (yes, it's even delicious cold). The crust bakes up impossibly crisp and tender, with visible layers that shatter when you bite into them.

And my timing for this recipe couldn’t have been more perfect. Snow was falling in Paris (where I'm currently living), I had my French butter ready to go and I had a full afternoon to myself to do a deep dive on this recipe, read the reviews and remind myself that patience in the kitchen equals bliss in the dining room.

Related: We Baked Cookies With 10 Different All-Purpose Flours and the Winner Won By a Landslide

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What Is King Arthur's 2026 Recipe of the Year?

Courtesy Jessica Wrubel
(Courtesy Jessica Wrubel)

King Arthur's 2026 Recipe of the Year is Flaky Puff Crust Pizza, which consists of pizza dough that’s been laminated so it bakes up with visible layers and a pastry-like structure. The process is similar to croissant dough but a lot easier (in my humble opinion). Instead of a butter block, frozen grated butter is layered directly into the dough as it’s rolled and folded.

As the dough bakes, the butter creates steam, lifting the crust and creating crisp, delicate layers. The bottom stays golden and crunchy, while the inside remains tender. It’s rich without being heavy, and crisp without being dry. In short, it's perfect and you'll actually want to eat the crust.

But how did this pizza upgrade come about? The King Arthur team shares that they were inspired by the rise in popularity of thin-crust pizzas—particularly styles like Chicago tavern-style —but wanted to create something that could feed a crowd, be made at home and not require special equipment like a baking steel or pizza stone.

They were simultaneously testing sheet-pan pizzas, a Croissant Sourdough Bread recipe and biscuits in their Test Kitchen, which gave them the idea that incorporating butter into pizza dough through lamination may prove to be pretty magical.

Scrolling through the comments on King Arthur’s YouTube video for the recipe (which is immensely helpful, by the way), people are in agreement and super excited to make this one to start their new year off right: "And just like that, my weekend plans changed," shared one person. "I'm going to make this, the flaky, the crispness…that's my kind of pizza😊 thank you for showing us💯💯💯," added another.

Ingredients for King Arthur's Flaky Puff Crust Pizza

For the dough, you’ll need flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, olive oil and cold butter. King Arthur offers the option of using their ‘00’ pizza flour or all-purpose flour (the ‘00’ flour makes the dough slightly easier to roll and results in a lighter, more delicate crust).

The toppings are up to you, but King Arthur recommends pizza sauce, two kinds of mozzarella (cubed and shredded), Parmesan cheese and a garlic-basil oil made with olive oil, fresh basil and garlic. This pizza is all about the delicate crust, so choose your toppings carefully and apply them to your pie sparingly.

Related: What Is Brooklyn-Style Pizza? A Born-and-Bred Brooklynite Explains

How To Make Flaky Puff Crust Pizza

The process starts with prepping the butter, which is grated and frozen ahead of time. Cold butter is the entire point here, so it’s grated while still firm and stashed in the freezer until the moment it’s needed. This makes it much easier to distribute within the dough and helps create those flaky layers once the pizza hits the oven.

The dough itself comes together simply enough at first. The dry ingredients are mixed, then combined with warm water and olive oil until you have a shaggy dough. At this stage, the dough won’t be smooth or stretchy like a classic pizza dough. A brief knead brings everything together just enough before the dough rests and begins to puff slightly. Don’t expect it to double in size; you’re just looking for some life and elasticity before moving on.

Once the dough has rested, the lamination process begins. The dough is rolled into a rough rectangle (about 10-by-13 inches), then topped with most of the frozen grated butter. The butter is gently pressed in, then the dough is folded over itself like a letter.

This first fold creates the initial layers. After a quick roll to widen the dough, the remaining butter is added, followed by another fold—this time from top to bottom—creating even more layers. At this point, the dough is pressed into a thick rectangle and prepared for its final rollout.

Folding the grated butter into the doughCourtesy ofJessica Wrubel
(Courtesy ofJessica Wrubel)

The rested folded doughCourtesy ofJessica Wrubel
(Courtesy ofJessica Wrubel)

Rolling the dough to fit the sheet pan takes a tiny bit of patience. The dough will resist and snap back, which is your cue to stop and let it rest a bit. Short breaks allow the gluten to relax and make rolling much easier. But it's a delicate balancing act: if the butter starts to soften too much, a quick chill in the refrigerator will firm everything back up. Eventually, the dough stretches to fill the pan, reaching into the corners and slightly up the sides.

After one last rest in the pan, the dough is topped with sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings. Bake at 475° until the cheese is bubbly and browned and the crust is deeply golden, which should take about 15 minutes. Remove the pizza from the sheet pan and let it cool on a wire rack.

While the pizza bakes, make your garlic-basil oil by combining olive oil, chopped fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Set aside and drizzle over the pizza when it comes out of the oven. Mangia!

Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
(Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel)

My Honest Thoughts About King Arthur's 2026 Recipe of the Year

Wow! I thought nothing could top the smell of this pizza coming from my oven—and then I took a bite. It was crisp (but not in a bland, Midwest cracker-crust kind of way), savory, salted and not what I was expecting at all. The combination of grated mozzarella, fresh mozzarella and Parmesan was rich without being overwhelming and perfectly blistered on top.

And can we talk about that garlic-basil oil?! Ah-mazing. That final drizzle brings a basil-y freshness and balance to your pie that ties it all together with a pretty pop of color to boot.

For this recipe, I chose all-purpose flour, because that's what I had on hand. My dough mixed up a bit tougher than expected (pizza dough and I haven’t been on the best terms lately), but I kept going. And I’m very glad I did because this pizza is unlike anything I’ve ever made at home, and unlike any pizza I've ever eaten.

Even though I followed the instructions exactly, I learned two lessons: one, that what you have on hand isn't necessarily the best, and two, the short rests made a difference (for both me and the dough). What came out of the oven was a puffy, crisp, cheesy pizza cloud of deliciousness. I can't wait for the next snow day to make this one again (this time, with '00' flour!).

5 Tips for Making Flaky Puff Crust Pizza

1. Pick the right day

This recipe rewards patience, and rushing it will make it more frustrating than fun. Watch the YouTube video, follow the directions and rest easy knowing you're going to have a seriously satisfying dinner.

2. Go easy on the toppings

The King Arthur team emphasizes that lighter toppings allow the crust to shine, and they’re absolutely right. If you want to add vegetables, cook them first. If you add meat, consider scaling back the cheese.

3. Use a sheet pan

King Arthur recommends using their "Crispiest Crust Pizza Pan," but if you don't have it, don’t panic. Baking on a sheet pan on a lower oven rack and finishing the pizza directly on the rack after baking helps achieve that all-important crisp bottom.

4. Freeze your butter

The King Arthur recipe didn't say to do this, but if you freeze your butter before grating it, you're going to have a much easier time, especially in a warm kitchen with the oven on and the heat blasting.

5. Consider using '00' flour

I thought my crust turned out well, but I think it would have been easier to work with if I'd used the '00' flour the King Arthur team prefers. If you have time to source the special flour, it's worthwhile.

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.