Topping order – what goes on when
Sauce, cheese, meat, herbs – in the wrong order the basil burns and the salami swims. Here is the order, how much to use and what goes on after the oven.
Quick answer: Sauce and cheese go on before baking, together with anything that actually needs cooking (raw sausage, vegetables). Delicate ingredients – fresh basil, prosciutto crudo, rocket, extra olive oil – go on after the oven so they don’t burn, dry out or wilt.
The order, step by step
1) Tomato sauce (see tomato sauce), spread thinly. 2) Cheese – mozzarella in moderation, without too much liquid. 3) Anything that needs cooking in the oven: raw salsiccia, vegetables that need to soften (see salumi for what goes in and what goes on afterwards). 4) After baking: fresh herbs, ready-cooked cured meats, a drizzle of olive oil.
Common mistakes
Basil added before baking burns into black, bitter flakes. Prosciutto crudo baked the whole time turns hard and crinkly instead of silky. Too much cheese or sauce gives a soggy, heavy pizza that never gets crisp – see soggy pizza if it has already happened.
A recipe to practise the order on: capricciosa (several layers to keep track of).
