The sauce
The second component of your pizza construction is the sauce. Daunting though it may be, it is as easily taken on as making your own dough. The process can be as complicated or as simple as you choose. And never forget that there is no dishonor in using pre-made pizza sauce. All that matters is what tastes good to you.
Fresh tomatoes can certainly be used to make a good sauce. There are, however, some drawbacks. First, unless you are at the peak of the local season, it will be difficult to get a consistent quality. Canned tomatoes are generally vine ripened and processed very quickly to lock in that flavor. Also, because of the high water content of fresh tomatoes, a long simmering period is required in order to thicken the sauce; so long that the flavor may be lost or altered. I strongly urge the use of canned tomatoes in your sauces. Your options of tomato products can be broken down into a couple of basic categories.
Basic canned tomatoes come in any form from whole to diced, chopped or ground. They have also received a minimal amount of heating before they were canned. Whole tomatoes are generally packed in either tomato juice or puree. They will need to be crushed either by hand or in a blender. These will naturally produce a heavier, chunkier sauce. If you would prefer to not have to deal with this step, there are several options. Diced tomatoes are cut into uniform sized squares. Chopped tomatoes are cut into irregular strips so that from a visual perspective appear more hand cut. Crushed or Ground tomatoes are cut into even smaller pieces. One is not inherently better than the other. You should choose what best suits your taste.
Another factor to look for is whether or not the tomatoes are peeled. The peeled tomatoes will produce a smoother sauce. On the other side of the equation, since a lot of the flavor of the tomato is right under the skin, unpeeled ground tomatoes can be more flavorful.
Concentrated Tomato Products such as purees or pastes can be used as a base for pizza sauces. Mature tomatoes are crushed and skins, seeds and other substances are removed. The remaining liquid is reduced to a highly concentrated state. Pastes and purees are cheaper, but because of the heating process, the flavor of the tomatoes has been dramatically changed. Concentrated products can be used to thicken a single strength tomato product but use care. Too much and the concentrated product is all you will taste.
Combination Tomato Products simply mix single strength tomatoes with a concentrated product. Commonly, these will be ground tomatoes packed in a heavy puree.
There is a certain amount of disagreement on the subject of whether or not the tomatoes should be cooked or heated beforehand. Many will simply open the can, add some salt and pour it directly onto the pizza. There are several reasons for this. First, since the tomatoes are heated before they are canned as well as in the oven while the pizza is baked, cooking them on the stovetop would be redundant. Also, heating the tomatoes can reduce the fresh flavor of the tomatoes. Prolonged heat can also cause the sugars in the tomatoes to caramelize, causing a burnt flavor.
Again, your taste is all that matters so you should not take this to mean that you aren’t allowed to cook your tomato sauce. Speaking for myself, I find that the flavor of the herbs I add don’t quite reach their full potential unless they are heated first. I have found that I prefer the flavor of a sauce that is simmered slowly before baking. Heating your sauce does not ruin the flavor of the tomatoes, it changes it. What you choose to do depends on what flavor you prefer.
Preparing your sauce is a simple process. You should not over think it and instead take it as an opportunity to find a flavor that is uniquely yours. The process I recommend is as follows. Take a small portion of your tomato product and add your herbs in very small quantities, carefully recording how much you are adding. Experiment with your flavor profiles until you find something you are happy with. If you are planning on cooking the sauce, you should heat up your small portion before you start adding herbs and tasting it. Then, when you find a combination you like, increase the amounts of each herb to flavor the entire batch of tomatoes.
What herbs should you use? You can take the easy route and use a basic Italian seasoning mix. There are also pizza seasoning mixes that are available. While these are perfectly acceptable, I recommend taking the time to find a combination of herbs to suit your tastes. Here are some ideas to get started.
**Oregano
**Basil
**Onion Powder
**Garlic Powder
**Salt & Pepper
**Ground & Crushed fennel
**Crushed red peppers
**Sugar
I like to add sugar as well to balance the bitterness that sometimes comes with tomatoes right out of the can.
If you are not cooking the sauce, all you need to do is mix everything and you’re done. If you are cooking, I would let the sauce simmer for about an hour. Be careful to not let the sauce get too hot – it should not be allowed to boil.
You can use the sauce right away or you can refrigerate it and allow the flavors to develop further. The process, although time consuming, is worth it and will ultimately help you develop your own secret sauce.
