Doing This Will Make Your Homemade Pizza Way More Flavorful
What makes a perfect pizza is always up for debate. Which type of cheese is best? How should you concoct the ideal homemade pizza sauce? And, of course, the pineapple on pizza debate rages on with the likes of Paris Hilton and Justin Bieber weighing in. Gordon Ramsay even entered the debate in 2021 to respond to a viral meme about the controversial topping.
The folks at In Fine Taste think the key to a perfect pie largely lies in the crust and its flavor. A cohort of Italian food scientists from the University of Naples Federico II apparently agrees, taking the time to research and develop the consummate crust without yeast.
No matter the type of crust you choose to use as the foundation for your sauce, cheese, and debate-worthy toppings, the bottom line is that achieving that crucial crunch and interior fluffiness is as important as building flavor. So what is the secret to the best homemade pizza crust?
Cornmeal and olive oil make all the difference
In Fine Taste says that the best crust packs a punch both in terms of texture and flavor. Inspired by the pizza crust often found in delivery pizzas, the publication points to cornmeal as the key to a quality texture and suggests basting the dough with an oil-based spread to enhance the color and flavor.
According to PMQ Pizza Media, pizza makers often use cornmeal to help the pizza lift more easily from its cooking surface. To employ this technique, simply dust the pan or pizza stone with cornmeal before putting the pizza on top. Once cooked, the pizza should easily slide off, and you should be left with the textured goodness imparted by the cornmeal.
As for basting, olive oil is a solid base for adding any of your favorite flavors, from garlic powder or Italian seasoning to parmesan and simple salt and pepper. However, you can use whichever high-quality oil you prefer. Using a basting or pastry brush, apply the oil-based sauce to the crust to get great color and that crispy crunch that makes a pizza perfect.