Seasoned oils, vegetables, fish and other delicious toppings for your homemade pizza

What is the best order for topping a pizza?
For a well-balanced pizza, the classic order is dough, tomato sauce, cheese and then toppings. Adding the cheese directly on top of the sauce helps protect the dough from excess moisture and allows it to melt evenly. Delicate ingredients such as thinly sliced ham, fresh basil or high-quality oils are best added after baking as a fresh finishing touch.

How much topping should go on a homemade pizza?
Less is often better. If a pizza is overloaded, the centre may not bake properly and the individual flavours can get lost. Two or three well-chosen toppings are usually enough to create a balanced flavour while keeping the base crisp and allowing each ingredient to stand out.

Which toppings go on before baking, and which are added afterwards?

• Before baking: Anything that needs heat to cook or develop its flavour should go into the oven. This includes raw vegetables, firm salami, mushrooms and, of course, melting cheese.
• After baking: Premium or heat-sensitive toppings such as finely sliced ham, delicate smoked fish, fresh rocket, Parmesan shavings or a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil should be added once the hot pizza comes out of the oven.

How should pizza toppings be prepared?
Good preparation makes pizza night much easier and fun. Cut all ingredients into thin, bite-sized pieces before baking. Pizza ovens reach very high temperatures, so toppings have little time to cook through. Thinly sliced vegetables or meat heat up more quickly and evenly. Watery ingredients, such as pickled vegetables or seafood, should be drained well on kitchen paper first so they do not make the pizza soggy.