LESSON #5

TOPPING THE PIZZA

Ladle about 7 to 8 oz. of pizza sauce into the middle, bottom of the dough shell. Spread the sauce evenly over the surface of the dough. Spoon the sauce out to the edge of the dough sheet, leaving "un-sauced" about 3/4" to 1" of the dough crust.

This exposed "margin" of dough around the circumference of the pizza will allow the crust to rise and crisp more quickly than the covered dough; creating the classic, puffed up edge of the pizza.

The sauce, melted cheese and toppings will be better retained on top of the pizza, not over its edge, seeping under the pan causing burning or over the pan edge into the oven.

Next, layer the shredded cheese, about two (2) cups, over the sauce, creating an evenly distributed bed of cheese on which to arrange your toppings. (Reserve the third cup of cheese for finishing off the top of the pizza.)

From this point on, let your eyes, nose, creativity and taste buds take over. The following are some basic recommendations for quantities and combinations of toppings for your pizza.

Naturally, the more kinds of toppings you use, the smaller the quantities of each you'll want to add to the pizza. Some toppings, (fresh vegetables, certain cheeses and fatty meats), are higher in moisture and fat content. Those liquids will be released quickly during the baking process. If the liquid contents are too high and do not evaporate during baking puddling and pooling will occur in the middle, bottom of the pizza. This often results in preventing the dough bottom from fully cooking through and causing a soggy pizza center.