Pizza Today - May 2024 - 33

Balancing Act
Topping combinations that turn pizza into a winning symphony of flavor
By John Gutekanst
" We can form a single united body, while the enemy must spit up into fractions. Hence there will
be a whole pitted against the separate parts of the whole, which means we shall be many to the
enemy's few. "
Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 5th Century B.C.
M
aking pizza is art. Each pizza is a
song that starts with techniques
to turn time, temperature, water,
bacteria and grain into gasses, which,
in turn, creates a textural wonder that is
enjoyed with the allegro of toppings that play
fast, quick and bright across the palate. The
sensory memory that sets this pizza apart is a
song that people seek out again and again, be it
folded in your hand, on a piece of foil, cardboard
box or porcelain plate. Pizza transforms inspiration,
imagination and insight into a symphony of
human creativity. Combining toppings is essential
to building these perfect tastes, but to create these
masterpieces, you just need to know how.
Usually, when someone asks me about pizza
toppings, my pizza mind automatically goes to
my makeline menu mix. I see that shiny monster
and lift the lids to see the same-old 12 toppings.
If you're like me, you can't help it - these are
the backbone of my pizzeria, the most favorite
pizza toppings that my customers order over
and over. Our customers' memories are all about
that great experience they had before with these
toppings, but these flavor memories can also be
replicated in the present tense using creative and
well-thought-out combinations. We all must
agree that customers are becoming increasingly
adventurous with their pizzas. This means that we
need to be ahead of the culinary curve and know
how to pair toppings in new and innovative ways.
Taste Treatment Plant
There are several ways to think about topping
combinations that make for terrific pizzas. One is
the flavor history of cooking and pizza, followed
by the quality of toppings on hand, and lastly
how these toppings interact with others and the
platform that they are presented on. Here are a
few questions to ask yourself before engineering
a new pizza.
Taste: Is it Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Acidy/Sour or
Umami/Savory?
Texture: Is it Dry, Crunchy, Soft, Gooey, Wet
or Chewy?
Aroma: Is it Sweet, Smokey, Vegetal, Pungent
or Wheaty?
Color: Does it have eye appeal?
Pairing: Is there a feeling of completeness? Do
all the topping players embrace each other by
complimenting or balancing each other?
When thinking about pairing toppings on
pizza, think about the last time you've experienced
a new combination. That taste starts with
color stimulating your eye in an introduction to
the whole experience followed by aroma, which
consists of 80-90 percent of the flavor experience.
The textural crunch of a brilliant cornicione, or
crust, releases the salty wheatiness that stimulates
your appetite, while the sweet umami of the
cheese satisfies your need for pleasure. Perhaps
the sourness, acidity or spiciness of an ancillary
topping adds sparkle and brightness to the finish.
You marvel as every bite combines the five elements
in a symphony of taste.
Pairing Blender
Many pizza makers swear by adding only
2-3 toppings to a pizza. But depending upon
whether you're adding flavor vs. enhancing flavor,
this may not be enough to bring the flavors to
the pinnacle of taste. Your choice of heightening
flavors can take two avenues: Adding flavor or
enhancing flavor.
HarirKobanb/AdobeStock

Pizza Today - May 2024

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