Secrets to the Perfect Pizza

Who doesn’t love a delicious, delectable, cheesy pizza? As one of the world’s most popular food items, it seems as though everyone has their own take on what the best type of pizza is or what their favorite pizza creation may be.

When you know the secrets to what makes a pizza a truly perfect pizza you know the secrets to enjoying the best pie out there.

The Dough

The first thing to look for when it comes to making or ordering a pizza is the style. The style of the pizza can completely change the flavor, consistency and taste of the pizza. Here is a basic breakdown of some of the main types of pizzas. The style all has to do with the dough.

The right crust really starts with the right dough. There are some pizza chefs that will try to keep their dough plain and simple, and others that may try to infuse it with garlic, cheese and other Italian flavors. There are even some recipes that call for beer in the crust to help make it lighter and springier.

Here are the three basic types of dough that are used to create the three basic types of pizzas.

Neapolitan Style– Basic, dough made with just flour, water, salt and yeast. It is very lean and typically stretched out so that it rises a great deal in the oven.

New York Style- This dough is simple like Neapolitan, but is stretched to be thinner than its predecessor. While most still classify it as a thin-crust pizza, it is folded while in dough form and comes out to still have a thicker rise than standard flat crusts.

Sicilian Style- When you see pizzas that are cut into squares, you are looking at Sicilian style pies. This pizza is made with garlic and is ultra crisp and flavorful.

There are, of course, variations to all of these. The right crust really starts with the right dough. There are some pizza chefs that will try to keep their dough plain and simple, and others that may try to infuse it with garlic, cheese and other Italian flavors. There are even some recipes that call for beer in the crust to help make it lighter and springier.

The Crust

The right crust really starts with the right dough. There are some pizza chefs that will try to keep their dough plain and simple, and others that may try to infuse it with garlic, cheese and other Italian flavors. There are even some recipes that call for beer in the crust to help make it lighter and springier.

A great crust, whether you like it think crust or thick, all starts with the dough. However, how you bake that dough is just as important. Most pizza experts will agree that nothing can match the smoky flavor that comes from a real wood-burning pizza oven. However, that doesn’t mean others won’t try other cooking techniques to perfect their crust.

Grilling pizzas has recently become a popular option, while oven baked crusts are always a beloved standby as well. Ultimately, the key is to create a crust with a crispy exterior and a light fluffy interior that melts in your mouth with every bite. 

The Sauce and The Toppings 

The toppings on the perfect pizza are about more than pepperoni vs. sausage. The perfect pizza will have the perfect blend of toppings that work together to create a delicious end result. This all starts with the sauce.

The perfect pizza sauce should be hearty and flavorful, without being overwhelming. It should be designed to compliment everything else in the pizza so that the person tasting it focus on the final product, not just on the taste of the sauce. There should be plenty of sauce on the pizza to help blend together the crust, cheese, and toppings, but not so much that it makes the pizza soggy or too sauce-heavy.

As for the actual toppings on top? This is where pizza can get fun. Today, you can find pizza toppings of virtually any style imaginable from classics such as pepperoni and sausage, to anchovies, seafoodand even more exotic fare. Toppings can be light and subtle, bold and spicy or anywhere in between. What matters is that you find toppings that are cooked well and spaced out evenly on the pizza so that they are present on every slice, but not so overwhelming that they take over the entire dish.

The Cheese

If there is one thing that makes pizza so beloved by so many people, it has to be the amount of cheese that makes it way on to this dish. Just like with other elements of the pizza, the cheese can vary from pie to pie. Cheese can range from classics like mozzarella, cheddar and Colby to virtually any other cheese in between. There are even some styles, such as St. Louis style pizza that call upon Provel in order to achieve a completely unique look.

However, most pizzas will use a blend of cheeses. Typically, only certain cheeses, similar to cheddars and mozzarellas are used because they don’t bubble up as much and ruin the consistency of the pizza. Make sure to pay close attention to the cheese used on your pie, as it can make all of the difference in the taste of your pizza.

There are so many different elements that can make up the perfect pizza and so many different preferences when it comes to enjoying pizzas. Perhaps this is why pizza continues to be one of the most popular foods in the entire world—virtually any pizza can be the “perfect” pizza depending on who is enjoying it. So, whether you enjoy thin crust or thick, pizzas loaded with exotic toppings or just plain cheese, there is a pizza out there that is sure to be the perfect pizza for you.