# Making pizza at home: Is there a way to better bind the toppings to the crust?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 14, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726 "2009-10-14T00:49:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/1 "2009-10-14T00:49:41Z")
You know those pizza crusts you buy in the market, which are usually hanging near the bags of pepperoni slices. You add your own tomato sauce and whatever toppings you want, and then throw the crust in the oven for ten minutes at 450F. Usually, I’ve started with the tomato sauce, then added the non-cheese ingredients, and then laid thin slices of mozzarella over all.
The pizza comes out very good taste-wise. But the toppings keep sliding around in a mass when we try to eat it. I assumed this is because the baking temperature is less than what they use in a real pizza restaurant, but is it possibly something else? Would shredded cheese work better, put on before any other ingredients?
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/2 "2009-10-14T01:19:13Z")
You may be putting to much topping on it, especially sauce. Use thicker sauces and more spices so you don’t have to spread it as deep. Buy low moisture mozzarella. Don’t use high grease releasing meat. Precook the greasy meats and drain them. Try italian or french bread. The cheese doesn’t have to all go one top. Throw some of the meat on top.
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### Author:  [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/3 "2009-10-14T02:18:08Z")
I’d bet on too much sauce as well. If you watch New York pizza makers, they use the sauce very sparingly.
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### Author:  [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/4 "2009-10-14T14:17:19Z")
Well, those shells are pre-baked, so they absorb much less of the sauce than an unbaked shell, and don’t mingle as much with the ingredients. That’s probably the root cause of your problems. Try an unbaked dough?
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### Author:  [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/5 "2009-10-14T14:36:32Z")
Use shredded cheese instead of sliced, and put the cheese down first, then the toppings, then more cheese if you desire. The toppings are moving since there is nothing holding them in place.
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### Author:  [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/6 "2009-10-14T14:45:41Z")
I worked in a pizza shop for four years. Beyond what the others have said (shredded cheese, possibly too much sauce) I thought I would mention that at the shop I worked at we always put a thin layer of olive oil down on the dough before adding the sauce. I’m not sure what effect that had on the makeup of the pizza, though.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/7 "2009-10-15T01:44:12Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#):
>
> I’d bet on too much sauce as well. If you watch New York pizza makers, they use the sauce very sparingly.
This is right. Thin layer of sauce on the bread. Then, and this is important, a thin layer of cheese. That will help the toppings stick.
Then the whatever toppings, and cheese.
If you just put sauce down and then the meat, and then the cheese, it will just slide off the crust.
Crust, sauce, cheese, toppings, more cheese.
The key is putting half the cheese under the toppings, and half on top.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/8 "2009-10-15T01:54:50Z")
> [@cckerberos](#):
>
> I worked in a pizza shop for four years. Beyond what the others have said (shredded cheese, possibly too much sauce) I thought I would mention that at the shop I worked at we always put a thin layer of olive oil down on the dough before adding the sauce. I’m not sure what effect that had on the makeup of the pizza, though.
It waterproofed the crust so it absorbed less water from the sauce, which led to a stiffer crust that could hold up to manhandling and folding.
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### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/9 "2009-10-15T22:30:38Z")
Cheese after the toppings? HEATHENS! They don’t call them TOPpings because they’re in the middle.
You people probably like your steaks well done.
😉
Another thing to prevent sliding around is make sure the pizza sits for a minute or two after coming out of the oven but before cutting/serving it.
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### Author:  [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/10 "2009-10-16T02:11:14Z")
Cheese is a topping as well.
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### Author:  [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/11 "2009-10-16T05:31:24Z")
I make Boboli crust pizza all the time (partner says I can serve it in a restaurant, but also loves Hamburger Helper 😉 ) and what I usually do is put the sauce, top it with the meat mixture and any pre-cooked toppings like sauteed mushrooms and onions, then cheese and top it with the “extras” like herbs, peppercinis, pine nuts, etc… I bake the pizzas for 10 minutes and then switch the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes so the top gets it’s own crust, which keeps it all together IMHO.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/12 "2009-10-16T12:18:50Z")
Pop Rivets
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/13 "2009-10-16T12:25:57Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Pop Rivets
Or a thin layer of Crazy Glue.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/14 "2009-10-16T12:34:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Or a thin layer of Crazy Glue.
Naaah – the tomato sauce keeps it from sticking. And it detracts from the flavor.
You need a good mechanical fastener.
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/15 "2009-10-16T12:53:39Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Naaah – the tomato sauce keeps it from sticking. And it detracts from the flavor.
> You need a good mechanical fastener.
Well, I guess another advantage of a mechanical fastener is the added iron. . .
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### Author:  [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/16 "2009-10-16T18:31:00Z")
> [@TBG](#):
>
> Another thing to prevent sliding around is make sure the pizza sits for a minute or two after coming out of the oven but before cutting/serving it.
No doubt, especially if you’re using straight mozzarella. In my experience, mozzarella turns into soup when melted, and if you don’t let it cool and set up after the pizza comes out of the oven, it’ll flow like water. Rest the pizza, then cut, and you’ll get less slide-off. I’d go three minutes or longer, but I understand that, with the smell of fresh-baked pizza in the house, that may not be possible.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/17 "2009-10-16T19:12:57Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> You need a good mechanical fastener.
[BillMurray]Have you tried staples?!?[/BillMurray]
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### Author:  [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/18 "2009-10-16T19:20:10Z")
I worked in a pizza place and the only toppings we put on before cheese were sauce then sausage. The sausage was pressed into the dough just a little. Of course this is uncooked sausage so it deforms into the dough very well. I wouldn’t use precooked sausage on my pizza.
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### Author:  [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/19 "2009-10-16T19:23:55Z")
> [@TBG](#):
>
> Cheese after the toppings? HEATHENS! They don’t call them TOPpings because they’re in the middle.
Mmmmmm… middlings… ahhhhhhhhhggggglllllllaggghhhllllaggghhhllll!
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### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-pizza-at-home-is-there-a-way-to-better-bind-the-toppings-to-the-crust/513726/20 "2009-10-17T01:20:59Z")
Thanks for all the tips. The common theme that I take away from this is to use shredded cheese and not to use too much tomato sauce. I realize now that too much tomato sauce was almost certainly a major reason for the problems I was having, because it WOULD. NOT. COOL. DOWN.
I will be trying this again tonight. Additionally, I’m considering scoring or stabbing the crust here and there to give it more grip.
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