Ingredients That Make Pizza Better

Pizza is a simple food. It really comes down to three components: crust, sauce, and cheese. The better these components, the better the pizza should be. So what ingredients should you be on the lookout for? Which ingredients suggest a pizza is going to be fantastic? Take a look.

Semolina Flour

Most of the flour used in the United States is made from soft wheat. Semolina is a different kind of wheat that is popular in Italy and sometimes imported to the U.S. It's harder, and when ground, it has a coarser texture. Semolina flour makes for an excellent pizza crust with the perfect balance of crunch and chewiness. If you see a pizza shop advertising that their crust is made with semolina flour, then you can bet that will be a great crust.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pizza crust is made with oil. If the shop does not advertise what kind of oil they use, they probably use either standard olive oil or vegetable oil. There's nothing wrong with these options, but they are definitely not as delicious as extra virgin olive oil, which has a really fruity, herbal flavor that complements the other pizza components well. Whether it's in the crust or drizzled over the final product, extra virgin olive oil makes for an excellent pizza.

San Marzano Tomatoes

These tomatoes are named after a specific region in Italy where they grow. They're an oblong tomato, similar to a Roma tomato. They are often said to have the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity to make a good sauce. When making sauce out of San Marzano tomatoes, chefs do not need to add as much seasoning, so you get more of that pure tomato flavor. You may also see Margherita pizzas topped with slices of San Marzanos rather than a sauce. These are also delicious.

Fior Di Latte

Fior di latte is a semi-soft mozzarella-style cheese made in Italy. It's made from cow's milk and has a lovely balance of milkiness and saltiness. If you see a pizza topped with this cheese, you can expect every slice to please you with its cheesy goodness. 

Since pizza is such a simple food, it's only as good as its ingredients. You can make a decent pizza, or you can make an amazing pizza. If you see one being made with the ingredient above, you can bet it will be on the amazing side.