Round, rectangular or rustic?, thin crust, deep pan or stonebaked?, hot and spicy or extra cheesy?
The truth is, no two pizzas are the same. Earlier this year, polling company YouGov commissioned a study into the pizza-eating habits of hungry Brits, with surprising results. Mushrooms, for example, were the UK’s favourite pizza topping, followed by ham, then peppers, then pepperoni. Anchovies topped the list of the UK’s least favourite toppings, with olives and tuna not too far behind.
The study also found that while 84% of Brits like pizza and 82% like pineapple, only 53% like pineapple on pizza. And it found that men are much more likely than women to like meat on their pizza, and more likely to enjoy chillies and jalapenos. Women, meanwhile, are noticeably more likely to enjoy spinach.
Top pizza tips.
While cool, fresh ingredients are the key making the perfect pizza, there are a few other things you can do to take them to another level, including:
- Use a pizza stone – A pizza stone is the only sure-fire way to ensure that your pizza will get cooked evenly and thoroughly all the way through. It’s important to preheat the stone in the oven so that the dough gets the full benefit of its instant heat. Even frozen pizzas can benefit from being cooked on a pizza stone.
- Oven temperature: While True is normally concerned about keeping things in the kitchen as cool as can be, once your pizza is ready to cook, the hotter the better is the general mantra, especially if you’re working with a more traditional thin-crust pizza. Quick, hot cooking locks in flavour, melts your mozzarella to a puddle of cheesy goodness and ensures a crunchy, golden exterior rather than a doughy, undercooked mess.
- Think small: Individual pizzas are easy to bake on a pizza stone, easy to cut and serve, and easy to eat, great for groups where tastes vary.
- Think beyond tomato sauce: Although traditional tomato-based sauce is the classic pizza topping, experimenting with flavours can really bring your pizza to life. Tangy barbecue sauce, fruity chutney, fiery salsa or creamy carbonara can all add depth to your pizza, especially if paired with complementary flavours.
- Finish with a flourish: Just because the pizza has stopped cooking, doesn’t mean it’s done. Adding flavoured oil, lemon zest, fresh herbs or chillies can add a final bit of zing before service.
Confidence is key.
With myriad ingredients going into the perfect pizza, not to mention the creativity, passion and care of the person making it, it’s no wonder that during busy service, keeping track of who ordered what can be a major challenge for pizza chefs and takeaway owners.
Not only do you need confidence that your ingredients are a fresh as you can be, you also need confidence that your workspace is as optimised as it can be, so that it works with you rather than against you when the heat is on.
Reliable refrigeration is key.
All of our chilled pizza prep tables use our innovative, patented air-flow system, which guides cooled air around pans and storage areas consistently, to maintain constant food-safe temperatures of between 0.5°C to 5°C. They come in a range of sizes and layouts, they can be configured to maximise any space, working with the chef to enhance the flow of the operation according to the menu.
