Discovering Delicious Pizza Toppings

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal preferences for pizza toppings, favorite pizza places, and experiences with making pizza at home. Participants share their favorite combinations, unusual toppings they've tried, and anecdotes related to pizza-making and dining experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express their favorite pizza toppings, such as pineapple, chilies, salami, and various vegetables.
  • Others share experiences with unusual toppings, including walnut, lamb, and goat cheese, which one participant found unpalatable.
  • Several participants discuss their attempts at making pizza, noting variations in crust texture and toppings, with one participant mentioning a cake-like crust.
  • There are differing opinions on the inclusion of chicken as a topping, with some expressing surprise or disapproval.
  • Participants share their favorite pizza places, highlighting specific locations and unique offerings, such as a gourmet chicken pizza and a pizza with eggplant.
  • One participant describes their homemade pizza sauce preparation, emphasizing the use of fresh ingredients and techniques to enhance flavor.
  • There are questions about the effects of different ingredients and methods on pizza crust texture, with suggestions for improving homemade pizza.
  • Some participants mention their dislike for certain toppings, such as mushrooms and anchovies, while others celebrate their inclusion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features multiple competing views on pizza toppings and preparation methods, with no consensus reached on preferences or techniques. Participants express a variety of opinions on what constitutes a good pizza, leading to a rich exchange of ideas.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various techniques and ingredients without resolving the effectiveness of each method. There are also references to personal experiences that may not apply universally, such as specific pizza places and regional preferences.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in culinary experimentation, pizza-making techniques, or exploring diverse topping combinations may find this discussion engaging.

TheStatutoryApe
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Pizza Pizza!

What kinds of pizza toppings are your favourite? What is your favourite pizza place? What are the strangest pizza toppings you have tried?


Right now I am waiting for my first ever attempt at making a pizza to finish baking. Made the dough myself with some rosemary and honey in it. It has alfredo sauce with chicken breast, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and bellpeppers. I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
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The crust came out a bit odd. Kinda cake like. Otherwise very good.
l_87b3c224971b3370c0d118cbc14388d3.jpg
 


That is a fine looking pizza SA, i like mine with pineapple chilies and salami.
 


chicken on pizza? Where are you from again?
crust-tomato-mozzarella-basil

When I went to Chicago I ordered a pizza and the guy was going down the list of ingredients and I'd say yes or no. Stupid pizza cost me almost fifty bucks.
 


Pizza is the only time I like gorgonzola cheese, then I really like it.
 


nine six seven, eleven, eleven
 


I love veggie pizzas. Piled high, with tons of melted cheese right to the edge of the pizza. If the cheese goes over the edge and gets kind of crunchy, I give bonus points!

The worse pizza I ever had was walnut, lamb and goat cheese It smelled and tasted like old gym socks.
 


My favorite place (Oregonians listen up!) is Giovanni's Mountain Pizza in Mill City, OR. Second to that is Zax in Moab, UT.
 


Hey, not bad looking at all for a first attempt at making your own pizza. My first attempt was certainly much soggier. :rolleyes:

I love pizza with mushrooms, green peppers and onions on it. I used to hate any kind of meat on my pizza, but recently have come to enjoy pepperoni, and have also discovered chicken parmesan pizza, which is to die for if you find a place that doesn't overcook the chicken and dry it out! Once in a while I get pizza around here, but usually I wait until I'm in NYC and get it there. There's a little hole-in-the-wall place in an alley near where my boyfriend works that has great pizza and since it's off in an alley, doesn't get too overcrowded at lunch time, though certainly they have steady business.
 
  • #10


Got crust? :bugeye:
 
  • #11


tribdog said:
chicken on pizza? Where are you from again?
crust-tomato-mozzarella-basil

When I went to Chicago I ordered a pizza and the guy was going down the list of ingredients and I'd say yes or no. Stupid pizza cost me almost fifty bucks.
My roomie loves pizza with everything on it, except pepperoni, and often will spend large sums just so he can get it the way he likes it.

There's a pizza place called Round Table (I think they have them all over the US) that makes a "gourmet chicken" pizza made with creamy butter garlic sauce. I didn't have the heavy cream to make the garlic sauce so I just used some jar alfredo I had. It would have been good with some artichoke hearts too.

wolram said:
That is a fine looking pizza SA, i like mine with pineapple chilies and salami.
Thank you Wooly. Is brit pizza like US pizza or more like Italian pizza?

Moonbear said:
Hey, not bad looking at all for a first attempt at making your own pizza. My first attempt was certainly much soggier. :rolleyes:

I love pizza with mushrooms, green peppers and onions on it. I used to hate any kind of meat on my pizza, but recently have come to enjoy pepperoni, and have also discovered chicken parmesan pizza, which is to die for if you find a place that doesn't overcook the chicken and dry it out! Once in a while I get pizza around here, but usually I wait until I'm in NYC and get it there. There's a little hole-in-the-wall place in an alley near where my boyfriend works that has great pizza and since it's off in an alley, doesn't get too overcrowded at lunch time, though certainly they have steady business.
It turned outpretty well. I paid close attention to the recipe I found online. I found a tip some where that says you should brush the rolled out dough with olive oil to prevent sogginess.

I was careful with the chicken. I cooked it in some chopped garlic and olive oil and then let it simmer in the sauce. I spread it out on the pizza with the sauce and covered it with the cheese and other toppings to keep it from getting dried out.

Cyrus said:
Got crust? :bugeye:
I under estimated the amount of toppings necessary to cover the pizza. :-/
The crust is really moist and tastey though. Even the leftovers I am eating for breakfast are still nice and moist.
 
  • #12


TheStatutoryApe said:
Pizza Pizza!
Pizza! Pizza! = Little Caesers. Yum!
 
  • #13


There is a place here that used to offer about any toppings that you wanted. I'd order 'em with crushed garlic, saurkraut, and hot sausages, with a little grated Romano over the top. Mmmm!
 
  • #14


Looks like a great deep dish pizza!
 
  • #15


The best pizza that I ever had was the all dressed from Jerry Pizzeria in Lennoxville Quebec. I used to have it delivered every Saturday night. I suspect at least one other PFer has had this pizza. I'm dying for one right now.
 
  • #16


George Jones said:
nine six seven, eleven, eleven
Is this the number for that pizza place?
I think I may be too far away for delivery.

turbo-1 said:
There is a place here that used to offer about any toppings that you wanted. I'd order 'em with crushed garlic, saurkraut, and hot sausages, with a little grated Romano over the top. Mmmm!

The Bullgoose Looney Special. Does it come with a side of rolaids?


Does anyone know why the crust I made may have turned out with a cakey texture? I used unbleached flour but I didn't think that would make a very big difference. The recipe I used called for twice as much yeast as others do since apparently the man posting it prefers yeasty bread. I don't have a roller so I just pressed and streched it by hand.
 
  • #17


TheStatutoryApe said:
The Bullgoose Looney Special. Does it come with a side of rolaids?
I have to make my own pizzas now (severe reactions to food additives) so I make my own sauces starting from scratch with tomatoes, chilies, spices, etc, and simmer for hours. I prefer thin-crust pizzas, and either hand-throw my own lightly-leavened dough or (if I'm pressed for time or lazy) even make them on soft flour tortillas.

Tip: when you are simmering down home-made pizza sauce, it can get foamy on top. To suppress this, use some olive oil in each batch. The flavors of some herbs and spices are oil-soluble, so the olive oil makes the sauce taste richer, as well as reducing the foaming.
 
  • #18


TheStatutoryApe said:
Does anyone know why the crust I made may have turned out with a cakey texture? I used unbleached flour but I didn't think that would make a very big difference. The recipe I used called for twice as much yeast as others do since apparently the man posting it prefers yeasty bread. I don't have a roller so I just pressed and streched it by hand.
After you let it raise, did you punch it down and let it raise a second time, then punch it down and roll it?
 
  • #19


George Jones said:
The best pizza that I ever had was the all dressed from Jerry Pizzeria in Lennoxville Quebec. I used to have it delivered every Saturday night. I suspect at least one other PFer has had this pizza. I'm dying for one right now.

Sounds like good stuff...pizza in Canada...good stuff
 
  • #20


Evo said:
After you let it raise, did you punch it down and let it raise a second time, then punch it down and roll it?
Even with my lightly-leavened dough, I let it rise, punch it down, rise again, punch down again and throw it. Nice flavor, thin, and it crisps up easily. I always brown my crust first in the oven, then release any gases that might swell the crust by piercing, then spread the sauce, add cheese, toppings, and top with a little Romano and ground pepper before cooking the pizza.
 
  • #21


Has to be thin with pepperoni and ham. I hate mushrooms
 
  • #22


Pizza with pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms...food of the gods!
 
  • #23


pizza with anything except anchovies.

There is a pizza place here that makes an incredible pizza with eggplant. it's one of the favorites at work when we have pizza ordered in.
 
  • #24


damn, now I can't think of the name of the place, but I bought a pizza a while back and it was about 13-14 inches across but at least three inches thick. The thing weighed probably 7 pounds. It was great
 
  • #25


tribdog said:
damn, now I can't think of the name of the place, but I bought a pizza a while back and it was about 13-14 inches across but at least three inches thick. The thing weighed probably 7 pounds. It was great
Sounds like a big piece of bread with toppings. Ewww...
 
  • #26


no it was layered and it was great.
 
  • #27


The other day I had a thin crust pizza made with tomato sauce, spinach and feta cheese at a neat little cafe/coffeehouse I go to sometimes for a treat. It was really good. I love all kinds of pizza, the only things I refuse to eat on pizza are olives and anchovies. Usually when I made my own pizza I put on tomatoes, onions, green peppers, ham and/or sausage, bacon, and mozzarella cheese...shrimp if I am splurging.
 
  • #28


scorpa said:
The other day I had a thin crust pizza made with tomato sauce, spinach and feta cheese at a neat little cafe/coffeehouse I go to sometimes for a treat. It was really good. I love all kinds of pizza, the only things I refuse to eat on pizza are olives and anchovies. Usually when I made my own pizza I put on tomatoes, onions, green peppers, ham and/or sausage, bacon, and mozzarella cheese...shrimp if I am splurging.
My basic pizza MUST have Bell peppers and onions, and a little grated Romano over the toppings. Other than that, anything in the larder is fair game. Shrimp, hamburg, ham, mushrooms, minced garlic, thin-sliced steak... When I was a kid, I used to go to my uncle's grocery store after school once a week and my cousin and I would break down all the cartons, mark jars and cans with his prices, and stock the shelves. We didn't get paid, but we had free run to raid anything in the store to make ourselves some pizzas. Usually, we had pizzas with several cheeses, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and the best steak in the cooler. Unc was happy - the store got stocked and we worked for peanuts (OK, great pizzas).
 
  • #29


Evo said:
After you let it raise, did you punch it down and let it raise a second time, then punch it down and roll it?

Yeah. I punched it down twice but I don't have a roller. I was thinking that might have been part of it. I pressed it and streched it by hand but made sure to make it only a half inch thick (or less) per the recipe. I'm also thinking that I may not have allowed it to rise as long as I should have the second time.

Turbo said:
I always brown my crust first in the oven, then release any gases that might swell the crust by piercing,
I was thinking that was something I ought to do but none of the recipes I found called for it. It didn't seem to have any bubbles in it but it became rather thick, only slightly dense though and not sure if the unbleached flour may have something to do with that.
 
  • #30


turbo-1 said:
Tip: when you are simmering down home-made pizza sauce, it can get foamy on top. To suppress this, use some olive oil in each batch. The flavors of some herbs and spices are oil-soluble, so the olive oil makes the sauce taste richer, as well as reducing the foaming.

I almost always use olive oil in anything italian I cook. I at least use it to cook the garlic a bit before adding anything else.
What kind of tomatos are best do you think? And about how long should a good batch or tomato sauce cook?
 

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