The cheesy goodness of pizza is what makes it one of the most popular foods in the world. Did you know that you’ve been slicing pizza wrong your entire life? Let’s explore how to cut pizza correctly, and you can check out The Kitchen Warriors for more essential pizza-friendly tips and tricks.
Top Pizza Cutting Tips
There are two main things to consider when you’re learning when to cut a pizza for the perfect results. First, you’ll want to consider the utensil you’re using to make your ideal sized slices since it can determine when to cut. Also, you’ll need to consider the temperature of the pizza before you start digging in.
Choosing What To Use
You can cut your pizza using different items, including:
Pizza Cutter
The most popular option for cutting pizza is a pizza cutter, as the utensil is specifically designed for this purpose. However, not every pizza cutter is the same, and yours must be as sharp as possible.
Using a dull pizza cutter can result in jagged edges and pulled cheese as well as destroyed toppings. Like a traditional knife, you need to ensure that you sharpen your pizza cutting weekly for the cleanest slices.
Chef’s Knife
Another popular option for pizza cutting is a chef’s knife, especially since it’s incredibly versatile. This device can often be preferred, as it ensures you don’t need to buy a separate utensil for one meal.
Like your pizza cutter, you’ll want to ensure your knife is as sharp as possible; otherwise, the cheese can stick. It’s a good idea to have a paper towel readily available so you can wipe the knife in between cuts. The easier the knife can go into your perfect crust, the higher-quality your cuts will be.
Rocking Blade
Although it might sound foreign at first, you’ve likely come across a rocking blade at least once before. It’s a higher-class version of pizza cutting utensils with a sharp blade that rocks back and forth. They take a little bit of practice before knowing how to get the perfect slice, but they are very efficient.
Also, a rocking blade is most likely to preserve your toppings. If you’re someone who prefers a vegetable-loaded pizza, a rocking blade can be the best option.
Knowing When To Cut
The key to knowing when to begin cutting into your pizza is highly dependent on the cutting utensil you’re using. Some devices are better adapted to cutting fresh slices, while others are best to use once the pizza has cooled.
Pizza Cutter: Fresh and Hot
Pizza cutters are often preferred when cutting pizzas also because you can use them immediately. As long as the blade is sharp, you’ll find the utensil’s circular motion will slice through cheese and toppings effortlessly. You’re also far more likely to get a clean-cut, as you won’t have to apply as much pressure when slicing.
Chef’s Knife: Five Minutes of Cooling
A chef’s knife is a convenient option thanks to its sharpness, but it’s best if you let your pizza sit for a few minutes before cutting. Since you don’t have the benefit of a rolling blade, you’ll want to make sure your cheese is settled. Otherwise, it will stick to the room-temperature blade, causing the toppings to fall off as well.
Rocking Blade: Either Temperature
You have heightened versatility with a rocking blade since you can use it when pizza is hot or once cooled down. You have the benefit of the sharpness of a kitchen knife as well as the semi-rotating motion of a traditional pizza cutter. Since you won’t be pulling at the toppings, it will slice through everything perfectly, even if the pizza is piping hot.
Common Pizza Serving Mistakes
There are other faux-pas when learning when and how to cut the perfect slice of pizza. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can serve restaurant-quality pizza to your family and guests every time.
Skipping Cooling
It’s commonly agreed that eating hot food is best, especially with foolproof recipes. With pizza, though, it can cause disastrous results since the heat can be trapped under the surface. There’s nothing more painful than biting into a steaming hot slice of pizza only for the sauce to burn your mouth.
Ensuring that you give the pizza five to six minutes to cool can save your guests. Also, letting the pizza cool is a fantastic way to preserve the toppings, especially when cutting with a knife.
Avoiding Anti-Stick Coatings
Have you ever made a pizza only to find that the dough has stuck to the pan and is impossible to move after baking? This issue is familiar with home chefs that create artisan-quality pizzas in their ovens.
A traditional trick is to coat your baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal to serve as an anti-stick layer. Not only does it help prevent the dough from sticking to the cooking surface, but it also adds flavor. You can also consider using cornmeal on your counters when you’re stretching out the dough.
As an alternative, you can use oils that work well at high temperatures or olive oil. Many pizza shops also use traditional flour as an anti-stick coating when kneading and stretching the dough.
Cutting the Wrong Number of Slices
It’s frustrating to have a perfectly crafted pizza with too many or too few servings for your guests. Planning how you’re going to cut your pie is one of the best prep steps you can take. You’ll have a good idea of how many slices you can get per pizza to ensure everyone gets their fill.
Our advice is to consider eight slices per pizza or to make a large rectangular party size pizza. With party-sized pizzas, they take longer to cook, but you can get a significant number of square-shaped slices. Eight-slice pizzas are typically cut diagonally and ensure every person gets a sufficient amount of toppings.
Conclusion
Having a good idea of when to cut your pizza can make or break your favorite recipe. You’ll want to make sure you’re plating the perfect slice of pie after putting so much effort into assembling it. Using these tips, you’ll be able to serve restaurant-quality results for parties and special family dinners.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Look delicious !!!!!!!!