Do You Prefer Your Pizza Plain or Loaded?

[The Late Night Gourmet]

In the wake of National Pizza Day, I'm once again reminded of a disconnect between what I like and what seemingly everyone else likes. When I order pizza, it's always with one topping: pepperoni. Pizza is a communal food, after all, and I can't go contaminating someone else's experience with the things I like.

In particular, anchovies (maybe my favorite) are a divisive topping. Some people have gone so far as to say that they won't eat a pizza if there are anchovies anywhere on it. So, what I do is order that pepperoni pizza, and then add my ingredients later.

And, in my case, I like EVERYTHING on a pizza. I love the symphony of flavors coming together in every bite. In my latest creation, I added oven-dried tomatoes, anchovies, ham, bacon, pickled onions, pickled peppers, mushrooms, green olives, and black olives. I actually don't mind doing this: if I were to order a pizza with all these ingredients, I'd have to almost double the price, since you pay for each topping.

In a weird way, this is also a sort of dietary tactic: I don't want to eat a pizza with just one topping, so rather than stuffing my face with everyone else, I wait until later to add my ridiculous number of ingredients.

What do the rest of you do?

 

[Karen W]

I went with 3-5, since I am partial to vegetable or salad-like toppings on flatbread/naan. No meat. Tomatoes instead of sugary tomato sauce.

For the Oscars, it might be an everything bagel pizza, w Lox, cream cheese, red onion, capers.

ETA:
Everything Bagel Pizza with Salmon and Cream Cheese

https://foxeslovelemons.com/everything-bagel-pizza-lox/

Grilled Cobb Salad Flatbread Pizza

https://foxeslovelemons.com/grilled-cobb-flatbreads/

 

[detroitdad]

I voted 3-5 toppings. If it's good pizza I'll eat it plain, loaded, doesn't matter!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Usually 3 or 4 toppings.

 

[Morning Glory]

@The Late Night Gourmet - what counts as the basic topping before the 'toppings' in the poll. I realise now that cheese is in the 'basic topping' so not included in the poll as a topping (despite the fact a 'Marinara' has no cheese!). What about tomato? Is that a topping counted in or out of the poll?

Not sure I voted correctly...

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

@The Late Night Gourmet - what counts as the basic topping before the 'toppings' in the poll. I realise now that cheese is in the 'basic topping' so not included in the poll as a topping (despite the fact a 'Marinara' has no cheese!). What about tomato? Is that a topping counted in or out of the poll?

Not sure I voted correctly...

You're right: the idea of what a pizza can be has evolved considerably. Some don't have sauces, or cheese for that matter, and they're still great. I do think tomato slices are a topping (I counted my oven-dried tomatoes as a topping) even though tomato sauce is part of what I consider a basic pizza.

 

[medtran49]

I voted 3-5, but I'm really more of a 2-5. My favorite is a Margherita with garlic oil drizzle, thinly sliced ripe tomatoes, shredded basil and fresh moz. Next favorite is a sauteed spinach and mushroom (separately please) with a garlic oil drizzle and smoked moz. I'll eat pepperoni now and again. I like it with black olives, Craig not so much, so I usually add those after the fact or put them on a few slices if we are making it at home. There are a couple of specialty pizzas we make sometimes that I like, 1 with crawdads and another with a cantaloupe chutney and prosciutto that I really like that have quite a few ingredients in small amounts.

 

[Morning Glory]

My favourite is a Fiorentina - which is spinach, cheese and eggs (the yolks must be runny!). But anchovies and chillies rate high too.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

You're right: the idea of what a pizza can be has evolved considerably. Some don't have sauces, or cheese for that matter

Curiously pizza never originally had cheese on it.

When I could eat dairy products my favourite pizza was a Soho and despite disappearing from the menu, if they had the ingredients in, Pizza Express would still make it for you. If fact our local restaurant actually never bothered taking an order from us, it was just a quick question as we were shown to our table, "the normal?", "yes" and that was it. A Soho with extra mozzarella.

Now, obviously I can't have cheese (or any dairy) on a pizza so it is more interesting. There are places with a set vegan pizza and I'll usually order than because I reckon they have probably found a reasonable balance.

If I make it at home, then it's tomatoes pureed, mushrooms sliced , garlic minced, red peppers sliced, and if I'm feeling like it, an egg. Sometimes I'll throw wild rocket on it afterwards and drizzle a touch of garlic olive oil or mountain pepperberry olive oil over it just before serving. Olives also add a nice touch, so I guess I better go with loaded? Just minus cheese .

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Of of curiosity , just cheese on a pizza base. Isn't that cheese on toast?

 

[MrsDangermouse]

2 for me, in addition to base sauce and cheese - but in truth it varies (a lot!)

I do love a classic pizza Margarita or a Fiorentina, but my current favourite is Nduja with mozzarella.

When making them at home we tend to throw on whatever we have to hand that needs using up: a mix of cheeses, brie, ham, leftover roast meat - if the flavours work together then why not try them on a pizza?
A little drizzle of chilli oil over the top when cooked is really nice too.

I also like to have a pizza bianca occasionally - you need something creamy in place of the tomato sauce though so ricotta or quark work well for this. We either then to stick to a simple mix of cheeses or I take my inspiration from Alsatian tarte flambée and add thinly sliced shallots and lardons.

 

[oddduck]

It all depends...cheese is fine and i wouldn't it down but i prefer a white pizza with spinach and tricolor peppers. I'm a vegetarian so no meat for sure but i am also allergic to black olives so i can't do those and i hate mushrooms so forget them. The other night i had artichokes on my pizza...i can't say they added to the experience at all as i didn't notice much of a taste difference.

 

[oddduck]

I also like to have a pizza bianca occasionally - you need something creamy in place of the tomato sauce though so ricotta or quark work well for this. We either then to stick to a simple mix of cheeses or I take my inspiration from Alsatian tarte flambée and add thinly sliced shallots and lardons.

I had a yogurt based sauce the other night, it was not my favorite white pizza but if someone handed me a slice i would eat it again.

 

[CraigC]

I've mentioned the two homemade pizzas I like before.

 

[medtran49]

Oh, I forgot another fave. Fresh moz with a light dusting of pecorino romano, topped with gently sauteed leeks, then topped with very thinly sliced porchetta,cooked, then topped with a raw egg(s), yolks broken and tilted to let egg spread out. You can omit either the porchetta or the egg(s). It's good either way.