Hello all pizza friends!
Today we talk about a topic that is often overlooked, but which is essential to obtain a truly special pizza: the choice of sauces. Yes, just so! Sauce is the soul of pizza, the touch that can transform a good dough into a real delight.
The Base of Everything: The Dough
Before getting into the meat of the sauces, a small parenthesis on the preparation of the dough. A good dough is the basis on which to build your pizza. Without a well-made dough, even the best sauce in the world can't work miracles. In our Silvio Cicchi pizza school, we teach our pizza chef students all the techniques to obtain a perfect dough: from the choice of ingredients to the leavening, until the pizza is cooked.
The Classic Sauce: The Tomato
When it comes to pizza, the first sauce that comes to mind is certainly tomato sauce. But which tomato to choose? The answer is simple: the San Marzano tomato is the undisputed king of pizza sauces. Dolce, low acid and with a perfect consistency, it goes perfectly with any type of dough. Just add a pinch of salt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few fresh basil leaves to obtain a sauce for true connoisseurs.
Variety of Sauces for Every Taste
But pizza is not just tomato! There are many other sauces that can make your creation unique. Let's see some of them:
- Genoese Pesto: A basil-based sauce, Pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil. Perfect for those who love fresh and aromatic flavours. It pairs very well with fresh cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.
- Mushroom Cream: An excellent alternative for those who love stronger flavours. Prepared with porcini mushrooms, cream and parmesan, this sauce is ideal for an autumn pizza.
- White Sauce: Cream based, cheese and spices, the white sauce is perfect for those who prefer a pizza without tomatoes. It can be enriched with gorgonzola, speck or mushrooms.
- Spicy Sauce: For lovers of strong flavours, a spicy chili sauce, garlic and tomato can give that extra touch that you don't expect.
Perfect Pairings
The choice of sauce is important, but equally fundamental is combining it correctly with the other ingredients. Eg, Genoese pesto goes perfectly with fresh cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, while the mushroom cream is ideal with taleggio and cooked ham. For a white sauce, try adding some gorgonzola and walnuts for a surprising result.
The Secrets of the Pizzeria
During our pizzaiolo courses, that we organize in our Silvio Cicchi pizza school, we also teach how to make custom sauces, adapting the recipes to the seasons and customer tastes. Eg, in summer it is possible to use fresh tomatoes and freshly picked basil, while in winter you can opt for richer and more full-bodied sauces.
Non Solo Pizza
The sauces you learn to prepare in our courses are not only useful for pizza. They can also enrich other restaurant dishes, like bruschetta, pasta and second courses. The important thing is to experiment and always find new combinations.
Sign up for our courses
If you want to become a real pizza expert, do not miss the opportunity to sign up for our pizza maker courses. In our Silvio Cicchi pizza school, you will be able to learn all the secrets of dough preparation, the choice of sauces and cooking of the pizza. Our courses are open to everyone, from beginners to catering professionals.
Greetings from Silvio Cicchi
Thanks for reading our blog! If you liked this article, visit and subscribe to my YouTube channel, where you will find more of 300 videos of pizza recipes prepared by pizza chef students who enroll in our courses. I can't wait to share my passion for pizza with you!
Happy pizza everyone and see you in the next post!
Silvio Cicchi