The Real Reason Your Homemade Pizza Is Too Soggy
While pizza restaurants across the U.S. generated close to $45.59 billion in sales in 2021 (per Statista), Americans are slowly but surely shifting to homemade pizza. This became more evident during the pandemic as sales declined from the previous year's $46.24 billion.
Although delivery seems super convenient, nothing beats eating a piping hot pizza fresh out of your own oven. After all, it seems impossible not to fall in love with that heavenly slice of goodness with a stretchy cheese pull. And hey, you can throw all kinds of stats and trivia out there to prove why restaurant pizza tastes better. However, there's no denying homemade pizza can taste and feel like the real deal if you invest in quality ingredients and have a little patience and experience.
Moreover, pizza-making at home doesn't have to be as intimidating as it seems, especially if you avoid the mistakes everyone makes with homemade pizza. One common mishap is ending up with a soggy mess, mainly in the middle. So, what causes a sad, soggy pizza?
Cooking mistakes that make homemade pizza soggy
Deciding on the best pizza toppings is fun because there are plenty of popular options out there to customize your pie according to your taste buds. However, you have to resist the temptation to add too many toppings. Aside from the fact that using too much sauce can make your pizza soggy, overtopping can also result in a similar mushy mess. It's because toppings have a wet consistency and give up their water when baked. Moreover, overtopping traps moisture and makes it hard for the heat to reach the base, according to Real Simple. Roasting or sautéing a pizza topping like mushrooms can ensure they're dried out and don't release too much water. If you're using jarred artichokes or peppers, dry them using a paper towel to reduce moisture.
Other reasons can make your pizza soggy, too. For instance, not cooking the pizza long enough, undercooking it, or making the base too thick can impact the crispiness of your homemade pizza. Another common problem people face when making pizza at home is a hard and dry crust due to baking it for too long at a lower temperature. Simply Recipes recommends preheating your oven to 475 F for at least 30 minutes before baking. You can drastically cut the cooking time by cooking pizza on a pizza stone.