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8 - Pizza Sauce

CONTENTS
The Ready-to-Use Option
Tomato Options
• Types of Canned Tomato Products
Single Strength Tomatoes
• Whole Tomatoes
• Diced, Chopped and Crushed/Ground Tomatoes
Concentrated Tomato Products
• Puree and Paste
• Pizza Sauce
• Two Kinds of Sauce
Combination Tomato Products
Tomato Misconceptions
Effect of Heat on Tomato Flavor

• Decrease in Fresh Flavor
• Increase in Cooked Flavor
• Vacuum Evaporation vs. Atmospheric Cooking
Tomatoes Used in Canning
Manufacturing Process

• Packing From Fresh Tomatoes
• Packing from Concentrate
• Factors Causing Poor Quality
Evaluating Tomato Products
• Evaluating Physical Properties of Uncooked Product by a Taste Test
• Baking Test
• Measuring Dissolved Solids with a Brix Refractometer
Purchasing, Handling, and Storage of Tomato Products
• Container Options
• Packed From Fresh Tomatoes or From Concentrate?
• Ingredient Label
• Consistency Over Time
• Receiving, Storing, Opening Cans
Spices & Seasonings
• Spices
• Pizza Spice Rankings
• Oregano
• Basil
• Fennel Seed
• Parsley
• Bay leaf
• Substitute Spices for Testing
• Purchasing, Storage, Usage
• Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper
• Hot Sauces
• Mustard Powder and Hot Paprika
• Garlic & Onion
• Fresh Garlic
• Fresh Onion
• Dehydrated Garlic and Onion
• Jar Garlic
• Frozen Garlic
• Concentrated Garlic and Onion Base
• Salt & Sugar
• Olive Oil
• Grated Hard Cheeses
• Vegetables
• Meat & Meat Bases
• Wine and Other Liquids.
• Flavoring Sauces
• Resins
Preparing and Storing Sauce
• Preparing Cooked Sauce
• Preparing Uncooked Sauce
• Measuring and Blending Dry Ingredients
• Dried Spice & Seasoning: Teaspoons Per Ounce
• Storing and Rotating Sauce
Recipe Development Questions
• Cost vs. Quality
Sauce Formulas
• Useful Information
• 1. Simple Sauce (but tasty)
• 2. Neapolitan Sauce
• 3. Sicilian Sauce
• 4. Hot 'n' Spicy Sauce
• 5. Mild 'n' Mellow Sauce
• 6. Rich 'n' Hearty Sauce
• 7. Fresh 'n' Tangy Sauce
• 8. Sweet 'n' Sassy Sauce
• 9. Chicago Deep-dish Sauce
• 10. Garlic 'n' Wine Sauce
• 11. Fennel 'n' Beer Sauce
Sample Production Procedure
• Introduction
• Recipe for One Batch (Simple Sauce)
• Set-up
• Scaling and Mixing
• Portioning and Storage



Sauce formula is a cherished secret of most pizze­rias, probably because it’s the main flavor compo­nent of pizza. Because it’s the smallest percentage of ingredient costs, it is the least expensive way to enhance pizza quality. There are two main parts to pizza sauce: (1) the tomato base and (2) spices and seasonings. This chapter exam­ines both and explains what to look for when purchasing ingredi­ents. It also describes how to design and produce a distinctive sauce and provides sample pizza sauce recipes.

Lengths, weights, temperatures, and volume measurements are given in inches, pounds and ounces, degrees Fahrenheit, and quarts and cups (U.S. version). The following abbreviations are used: lb = pounds, oz = ounces, F = Fahrenheit, and qt = quarts. For conversion to other measurement systems, refer to the chapter on Measurements and Conver­sions.  

 

The Ready-to-Use Option


Most pizzerias create sauce from scratch start­ing with a base of unspiced canned tomato product. However, ready-to-use or fully prepared pizza sauce with season­ings is available. The main advantage is that it saves handling spices. It also eliminates mixing. The main drawback is that it makes your pizza taste like everyone else’s pizza that’s made with the same product.

Pre-mixed spices are also available. This option elimi­nates having to measure spices, but gives you freedom to choose the type of tomato base.

In both cases the challenge—and possibly the excite­ment—of creating a unique sauce formula is eliminated. For those who want the challenge of designing (or enhanc­ing) a special sauce, the rest of this chapter is for them.

 

Tomato Options


The base for pizza sauce is tomato. It can be produced from fresh tomatoes, powdered products, and canned products.

FRESH TOMATOES can form the base for a fine sauce. Italian-style plum or pear tomatoes are generally consi­dered best for pizza. They’re normally peeled, de-seeded, and put through a grinder or cutter-mixer. However, it’s difficult to maintain consistency with fresh tomatoes because they vary from season to season and shipment to shipment. What’s more, nearly all fresh tomatoes are harvested green and then ripened in transit using ethy­lene gas—resulting in less than optimum quality. By contrast, canned tomatoes are vine-ripened and proces­sed within hours after picking, which yields a product of superior flavor and texture. Finally, because of its high water content, sauce made from fresh tomat­oes might need to be simmered for hours to thicken it—which is time-consuming and can cause flavor loss and distor­tion.

TOMATO POWDER or crystals can be used as an exten­der. But not many pizzerias have adopted it.

CANNED PRODUCTS offer a wide range of choices, consistent quality, and ease of preparation. For these reasons canned tomato products are, by far, the most widely used ingredient in pizza sauce. In recent years the poly bag, or bag-in-box, option has emerged as a container for tomato products. Essen­tially, everything we say about canned products can also apply to the poly bag.

From here on when we refer to tomatoes or tomato products, we’re talking about those that come in a can or poly bag.

Types of Canned Tomato Products

Broadly speaking, there are three categories of canned tomato products: (1) single strength tomatoes (2) concen­trated tomato products, and (3) combination products.

Single strength tomatoes include whole, diced, and chopped/ground tomatoes. They have not had water removed during processing, so they’re the same con­centration as fresh tomatoes. Because they receive only minimal heating, their flavor closely resembles fresh product.

To make concentrated tomato products—that is, sauce, puree and paste—tomatoes are crushed and screened to produce a fine consistency, then a large amount of water is evaporated off under vacuum.

As the name implies, combination products are a mix­ture of single strength tomatoes combined with concen­trated product. An example is ground toma­toes in puree.

We examine each of these three categories sepa­rately.

 

Single Strength Tomatoes


Because of their high water content, single strength tomato products normally aren’t used in straight form for pizza sauce. For most pizzerias these products must be combined with a concentrated product, such as paste, puree, or pizza sauce, OR must be boiled down to proper thickness. Single strength tomatoes are also used by Italian restau­rants for making chunky-style pasta and entree sauces.

Packers point out that concentrated products have more flavor than do tomatoes that are boiled down in the pizzeria to remove water. Why is that? Because to distill down a pot of watery tomatoes on a range, the mixture must be cooked at boil­ing point (212 degrees F) for an extended time in an uncovered pot. This, first of all, changes the tomato’s flavor and, second, causes much of the flavor and aroma to dissi­pate into the air. However, with concentrated tomato products the water is removed under vacuum, which allows evaporation to occur at a temperature much lower than 212 degrees. This result­s in less distortion and flavor loss.

In short, boiling down single strength tomatoes to produce a pizza sauce of proper thickness is not a recommended procedure. If maximum fresh tomato flavor is desired, the best approach is to blend ground tomatoes with puree, or buy a combination product that already consists of tomatoes and puree.

Single strength tomatoes come three ways: Whole, diced or chopped, and ground.

Whole Tomatoes

Whole tomatoes are packed either in tomato juice or in puree. For using in a pizza sauce, whole tomatoes must be either machine-ground or hand-crushed. Products are usually packed with calcium chloride to retain firm­ness. Various shapes of tomatoes—i.e., round, pear, and square-round—may be used. Some companies use round- and pear-shaped only, claim­ing that these products yield better flavor.

Diced, Chopped and Crushed/Ground Tomatoes

Tomatoes also come in diced, chopped, and crushed or ground forms.

Diced tomatoes are 3/4-inch by 3/4-inch cubes and, because of their uniformity, have a manufactured appearance. They usually come peeled and are packed in either tomato juice or puree.

Chopped tomatoes, sometimes called strips or filets, have an irregular, hand-cut appearance. They have a nice look for pizza and are gaining in popularity.

Crushed/Ground tomatoes have smaller pieces than chopped. This product is made either with peeled or unpeeled tomatoes. For a smoother sauce, purchase the peeled form. For a rougher, more natural look, purchase the unpeeled. In addition, since much of the tomato’s flavor is just under the skin, unpeeled ground tomato tends to be more flavorful than peeled. It’s also less expensive.

Some manufacturers make a distinction between crush­ed and ground tomatoes by noting that crushed tomatoes are made by pressing tomatoes between metal plates while ground tomatoes go through a grinder (such as might be used for grinding meat or cheese). Grinding tends to produce smaller pieces of skin than does crushing. Makers of ground tomatoes claim that their product receives less bruising.

 

Concentrated Tomato Products


Concentrated products are the most commonly used tomato base in pizza sauce. There are basically two kinds: (1) puree and paste and (2) pizza sauce (also called concentrated crushed tomatoes).

Puree and Paste

As defined by the FDA (Food and Drug Administra­tion) Standard of Identity, puree and paste are made by crushing mature red tomatoes, straining out the skins, seeds and other coarse substan­ces (called insolubles), and reducing the remaining liquid (which contains soluble solids) to concentrated form by heating under vacuum. Season­ings such as salt, spice and flavoring may or may not be added. Check the label to find out. For industrial consumers who purchase the product in drums, it can be obtained in either “coarse” or “fine” texture. Coarse tex­ture has a slightly granular finish. Fine texture has a smooth, uniform finish that is created by straining the product through finer screens.

From a manufacturing standpoint puree and paste are basically the same—the only differ­ence being their con­centration, or percent of natural tomato soluble solids (NTSS), referred to as soluble solids, for short. The USDA (U.S. Department of Agricul­ture) specifies that tomato puree must contain between 8.0 to 23.9 percent soluble solids and paste must contain 24 percent or higher. In addition, each one is divided into four levels ranging from light to extra heavy. The chart below shows the breakdown.

Some manufacturers also list the product’s specific gravity on the label. Specific gravity is a number that shows how the weight of a product compares to water. So, for example, a product with specific gravity of 1.10 would weigh 1.10-times greater than an equal volume of water. The higher the specific gravity, the higher the solids content of a particular tomato product. The following chart shows both percent of soluble solids and approximate specific gravity (S.G.) for each category of puree and paste.

         

PUREE              % Soluble Solids         Specific Gravity

LIGHT          =   8 to 10.1% solids            1.037-1.046

MEDIUM       =   10.2 to 11.2% solids       1.047-1.052

HEAVY         =   11.3 to 14.9% solids       1.053-1.069

EX. HEAVY  =   15 to 23.9% solids          1.07-1.11

PASTE              % Soluble Solids         Specific Gravity

LIGHT          =   24 to 27.9% solids          1.11-1.13

MEDIUM       =   28 to 31.9% solids          1.13-1.15

HEAVY         =   32 to 39.2% solids          1.15-1.17

EX. HEAVY   =   39.3% or more solids

 


For comparison sake it might help to know that single strength tomatoes and tomato juice have 5 to 6 percent soluble solids and a 1.025 specific gravity.

As described by specific gravity, the common puree products are 1.045 puree, 1.06 puree, and 1.07 puree—which means these purees have a specific gravity of 1.045, 1.06, and 1.07, respectively. A 1.045 puree has approxi­mately 10 percent soluble solids and, so, is a light puree. A 1.06 puree has 13 percent soluble solids and is called a heavy puree. And a 1.07 puree has 15 percent soluble solids and, so, just barely makes the extra heavy puree category.

Clearly, not all puree and paste is the same. What’s more, manufacturers are not required to specify light, medium, heavy, or extra heavy on the label. So in comparing brands you should ascertain the soluble solids percent or the specific gravity. Soluble solids can be measured with a Brix refractome­ter (explained in an upcoming section).

The higher the solids content, the thicker the product will be, and the higher the price and better the yield as well. When comparing brands and prices on puree and paste, be sure to note the level of concentration. The more concentrated it is, the more expensive it will be. Even within a level there can be a fairly wide range of concentration. To find out the exact percent of soluble solids, use a refractometer.

In addition to soluble solids, concentrated tomato prod­ucts are also measured for thickness, or Bostwick as it’s sometimes called, using a consis­tometer. There are several types. One type, called the Bostwick consis­tometer, measures how long it takes an amount of prod­uct to flow a certain distance down an inclined plane. The thicker the product, the longer it takes. Another version measures how far a certain amount of product flows within a certain time, such as within 30 seconds. On this device, a spreading-type pizza sauce of proper thick­ness should flow a distance of 3.5 to 4.5 centi­meters in 30 seconds. Less than 3.5 can be too thick for smooth spreading, more than 4.5 can be too watery.

Thickness or consistency roughly correlates with the level of soluble solids, but also is affected by the amount of pectin in the tomatoes and the tempera­ture levels used during certain stages of processing.

ADVANTAGES & DRAWBACKS OF PASTE AND PUREE. The main advantage of paste and extra heavy puree is that they usually provide the most product—that is, the most tomato solids—for the money. Because they’re highly concentrated, distri­bution costs are kept to a minimum (they aren’t trucking a lot of water). The main drawback is that the flavor can be distorted. To remove all that water the product must undergo a long heating period. The longer the heating, the greater the flavor distortion and loss. So, a pizzeria owner must decide whether to buy paste (or extra heavy puree) and dilute it with water, or buy a less-concentrated product such as a lighter puree or a pizza sauce at the exact solids level of the finished pizza sauce. The reason for buying higher concentration paste or puree and diluting it with water is that it’s cheaper. The reason for buying a lower-concentration puree or sauce is that it provides a more natural tomato flavor.

Pizza Sauce

In addition to puree and paste another type of concen­trated product is pizza sauce, also known as concen­trated crushed tomatoes. Simply defined, pizza sauce is the concentrated juice of ripe tomatoes. It is similar to puree except it’s processed through a coarser screen and, so, con­tains a certain amount of seeds and pieces of skin. The more skin and seeds it has, the cheaper it is to make. To judge the amount of skin and seeds in two brands of sauce, conduct a “wash test.” Do it by mix­ing two level tablespoons of each sauce into a half cup of warm water, then pour it onto a large aluminum pan or white dough tray. Compare the number and size of the pieces of skin and seeds. The brand with the lesser amount was made with a finer screen.

Pizza sauce also may contain additional ingredients such as salt, spices, sugar, citric acid, vinegar, onion, garlic, thickeners, and flavor­ings. Generally speak­ing, products labeled “pizza sauce” contain little or no spice; those labeled “fully prepared pizza sauce” contain a full spice load and, so, are intended to be used without fur­ther preparation.

Unlike puree and paste, there is no USDA specifi­cation describing how the product should be made or what minimum-maximum level of soluble solids is required (although it might be helpful to pizzeria owners if there was). Most pizza sauces that are labeled “heavy” contain 11.5 to 14 percent soluble solids, and those labeled “extra heavy” usually contain 14.5 to 17 percent solids. In terms of specific gravity number, a 1.06 sauce (13 percent solids) would be in the heavy range, and a 1.07 sauce (15 percent solids) would be in the low end of the extra heavy category. In buying pizza sauce it’s a good idea to check the ingredi­ent label. Some cheaper brands use stabilizers to create thickness, instead of using higher solids levels.

ADVANTAGES & DRAWBACKS. The main advan­tage of pizza sauce is that it can be purchased at a ready-to-use consistency, which produces maximum flavor in the final sauce. Second, due to its coarse texture, some people believe it has a more natural mouthfeel than paste or puree. The main drawback of pizza sauce is that it can vary widely from brand to brand in solids level and in added ingredi­ents. For example, some contain starch thickeners to offset wateriness. To insure a qual­ity prod­uct—whether it be pizza sauce, puree, or paste—you should conduct a baking test (like that described in the Dough-making chapter) to find out what works best with your pizza.

Two Kinds of Sauce

Sauce can be divided into two basic kinds depending on how it’s manufactured. They are:

  1.   Packed From Fresh Tomatoes

  2.   Packed From Concentrate.

Sauce that’s packed from fresh tomatoes goes through a single-stage manufacturing process in which crushed fresh tomato is condensed to the desired concentration (around 13 percent soluble solids for sauce), then canned and heated to 200 degrees F to sterilize it. Such product is some­times called “fresh pack” sauce.

Product that is packed from concentrate goes through a double-stage manufacturing process in which crushed tomatoes are condensed to a highly concentrated form (of about 32 percent soluble solids). It’s then heated to 200 degrees F to sterilize it and, instead of being packed into No. 10 cans for consumer use, is pumped into bulk containers. The concentrate is then shipped to regional canning plants. Later in the year stage two occurs. The concentrate is diluted with water, then canned and heated again to 200 degrees F for sterilization. The result is that the tomato product is heated twice. It’s sometimes known as “re-manufactured” sauce. (A complete description of the manufacturing process is contained in an upcoming section.)

The result of re-manufacturing can be a sauce with darker color and weaker tomato flavor. However, proponents of re-manufacturing point out that manufacturing methods are improving constantly and, so, they claim that the difference between “fresh-pack” and “re-man” tomatoes has been dimin­ishing.

So how do you tell which is which? Unfortunately it can be tricky because canners who pack from concentrate don’t indicate such on the label. However, the canners who pack from fresh tomatoes will oftentimes put “packed from fresh tomatoes” on the label or case. It would be nice if the government would require canners to indicate which type of product is contained inside the can. Such a move would be a big favor to pizzerias.   

 

Combination Tomato Products


Combination products combine single strength tomatoes with concentrated product—most typically, it’s ground tomatoes with puree. That gives the fresh flavor of single strength tomatoes in a product of thicker consistency.

There are a number of brands on the market, such as 6-in-l, 7/11, Tomato Magic, and all-in-one. They have a 10 to 11 percent soluble solids content. The products are used for both pizza and pasta sauces, and can be used straight or blended with heavy pizza sauce or puree to gain further thick­ness.

Combination tomato products are often used when a pizzeria owner wants to achieve maximum “fresh tomato flavor” in a sauce.

 

Tomato Misconceptions


At least three misconceptions about tomatoes have pervaded the pizza industry.

PEAR-SHAPED VS. ROUND. For years pizza experts have debated the merits of the pear-shaped tomato vs. the round—and have believed that the flavor and texture of the pear-shaped variety produced a superior pizza sauce. At one time that may have been true. However, with the advent of mechanical harvesting numerous tomato hybrids have been developed over the years. As a result, a particular hybrid may be square-, pear-, or round-shaped, and most canned products contain all of them. What’s more, flavor differences between tomato shapes is no longer significant.

SAN MARZANOS. The true San Marzano is an exquisite variety of pear tomato grown for many years in Italy. It has a sweet flavor, soft texture, and absence of a core, all of which make it ideal for hand-crushed marinara and other Italian sauces. Unlike domestic (e.g., Califor­nia) varieties which produce all the fruit at the same time—and, there­fore, can be machine harvested—San Marzano is an “indeterminate” vine that bears fruit over a period of several weeks. Such a tomato requires hand-picking on a continuous basis. This is an expensive process that is no longer done on a commercial level. As a result, true hand-picked San Marzano tomatoes are almost non-existent for commercial use. However, in absence of home-country label enforcement, some imported brands—which contain mechanically harvest­ed toma­toes—claim to be “San Marzano type” based solely on their oblong shape. Tomato experts point out that their quality is no better than domestic grown (U.S.) toma­toes.

COOKING TOMATO SAUCE. Another misconcep­tion is that tomato flavor is improved through cooking. In fact, heat causes both a loss and distortion of tomato flavor. The next section explains why.

 

Effect of Heat on Tomato Flavor


Heat is the single biggest factor affecting tomato flavor. The more heat that’s applied to a tomato product—whether in the cannery or the kitchen—the greater the loss and distortion of flavor. (Mathematically, heat is defined as cooking temperature multiplied by cooking time.) Heat affects tomato flavor two ways. First, it decreases “fresh flavor” compounds. Second, it increases “cooked flavor” compounds.

Decrease in Fresh Flavor

Fresh tomato flavor is derived from volatile com­pounds—specifically, C-3-Hexenal and Z-3-Hexenal. Heat increases their volatility. During heating, these compounds escape into the atmosphere, creating the wonderful tomato aroma that fills a kitchen when there’s a simmering sauce pot. Unfortunately this also results in a corresponding flavor loss in the sauce.

Both heating time and temperature affect flavor loss, but in different amounts. The relationship between time and flavor loss is arithmetic. For example, given the same temperature, a 10 percent increase in heating time will result in a 10 percent increase in amount of flavor loss. However, the relationship between temperature and flavor loss is logarithmic. Specifically, for each 18 degrees F (10 degrees C) increase in cooking temperature, the rate of flavor loss doubles. So, given the same amount of time, sauce that’s cooked at 198 degrees F will lose twice as much flavor as that cooked at 180 degrees, which will lose twice as much as that cooked at 162 degrees. (The theory that explains the compounding effect of temperature on flavor loss is known as the Q-10 theory.)

So to achieve a sauce of maximum flavor, the heating time and temperature—in both the cannery and the kitchen—should be kept to a minimum. And when there’s a choice of either reducing time or reducing temperature, reducing temperature will usually pro­duce the greatest positive impact.

Increase in Cooked Flavor

Prolonged heat causes tomato sugars to caramelize. In large enough quantities, caramelized sugar produces a burned flavor. In addition, heat causes other flavor compounds to change composition (by what is known as the Maillard reaction). The result is an increase in compounds—specifically, acetyl pyrolle and furfurals—which produce “cooked tomato” flavor.

Finally, continued heating turns sauce color from bright red to brownish red, which is why color is used as a key indica­tor of sauce quality, or “fresh­ness.”

Vacuum Evaporation vs. Atmospheric Cooking

To make concentrated tomato products such as puree, paste, and pizza sauce, water must be evaporated from crushed tomato pulp. To minimize flavor loss and distor­tion, canners perform the evaporation under vacuum in a device known as an evaporator, or vacuum pan. Under vacuum the product boils at 135 to 145 degrees F rather than at 212 degrees (boiling point at atmo­spheric pressure). As a result, to extract a certain amount of water a tomato processor does it with far less heat than can a pizzeria. So for optimum flavor the best tactic is to buy a concentrated product at ready-to-use consis­tency rather than purchase a single strength tomato and cook it down in the kitchen.

 

Tomatoes Used in Canning


Two major factors affect the quality of tomato products: (a) the type and quality of tomatoes and (b) how they’re processed. In this section we discuss tomatoes; in the next section we explain how they’re processed.

Over ninety five percent of domestic (U.S.) canned tomato products come from California. Tomatoes are harvested during a four month period that extends from July to October. This period is known as the packing season. The exact dates vary depending on weather conditions.

In a good year, California growers produce about 9 to 10 million tons of tomatoes but that will drop to 8 to 9 million with bad weather. For example, high heat and lack of water (drought) reduces leaf growth. This exposes the tomato to excess sun which causes sunburn, or yellow shoulders, on the tomato. Sunburn stunts a tomato’s growth, causing the ripened part of the fruit to rot.

A canning tomato measures 2 to 3 inches in diame­ter—much smaller than the typical grocery store type. Dozens of varieties are used in canning. Some packers restrict production to four or five varieties; others use twenty or more.

 

Manufacturing Process


To understand how various brands of pizza sauce can differ in quality, a person must understand how tomato products are manufactured and how process­sing meth­ods vary between canneries.

In making a concentrated tomato product such as pizza sauce or puree, a cannery has two processing options.

  1.   Pack from fresh tomatoes

  2.   Pack from concentrate.

Process #1—packing from fresh tomatoes—is a single-stage process. Process #2—packing from concentrate—is a double-stage process that subjects the product to additional heating. However both processes start the same. Here are the steps involved.

FIRST, tomatoes are harvested by a machine that cuts off the vine near the ground. The fruit is removed and the vines ejected back to the earth. Tomatoes then proceed through an optical sorter that discards much of the unripe fruit. Workers then inspect for color, defects, and Material Other than Tomato (called MOT) and discard unacceptable product. Finally, the tomatoes are conveyed into a double-trailer truck that drives alongside the harvester. It holds 25 tons.

SECOND, the loaded truck goes to a state-operated grad­ing station. A sample is pulled from the truck and inspected for under- and over-ripe tomatoes, moldy tomatoes, and MOT. In addition, samples are analyzed for soluble solids level and, possibly, pH or acidity. They are also given a color rating using an Agtron color measuring instrument. Depending on the analysis, the tomatoes might be tagged for use in making a certain type of tomato product.

THIRD, at the processing plant the truck trailers, or gondolas, are flooded with water and the tomatoes are floated from the trailer onto a conveyor belt and then carried to the processing plant by water flume.

FOURTH, the tomatoes are washed and then usually sorted by size. Larger units are used for whole and diced tomatoes; smaller ones go into concentrated products—sauce, puree, and paste.

FIFTH, the tomatoes go through an optical sorter that removes green units (however, some canneries only use manual sorting). After that, the product proceeds to a conveyor line where workers remove any remaining under-ripe tomatoes, defects, and MOT. There is wide variance from plant to plant in the number of inspectors used, so quality control at this point varies greatly.

SIXTH, tomatoes that will be used for peeled product go through a peeler. There are two types: steam and lye. In steam peeling the product is steam-heated under vacuum, which loosens the skin. In lye peeling, the skin is loosened by subjecting the tomato to a lye solution. Lye peeling was once preferred because it produced a better finish. However, due to its lower cost, steam peeling is now used by most manufacturers. One reason for the lower cost is that additional pulp can be extracted from skins after steam peeling, but with lye peeling the skins must be discarded. Another reason is the higher sewer cost of lye processing.

SEVENTH, tomatoes to be used for single strength prod­ucts are either crushed, diced, or left whole, and then go into the canning and sterilization process. Tomatoes to be used for concentrated products are crushed into pulp at this point.

EIGHTH, the crushed tomato pulp proceeds to a heat treatment called a break. During the break, heat de-activates tomato enzymes. If not de-activated, the enzymes destroy tomato pectin—the substance that gives concen­trated products a thick gel-like consistency. The higher the break tempera­ture, the thicker the product’s consis­tency will be.

A cannery will use one of two types of breaks: hot break or modified cold break. A hot break system takes the product up to 210 degrees F for at least ten minutes, which totally deactivates the pectin-destroying enzymes. A modified cold break system flash heats the product to 200 degrees for 15 to 20 seconds, which deactivates some of the enzymes but not all. As a result, when comparing two products of equal solids level, the product made by the hot break system will have greater thickness than that made by the modified cold break process. But, because of the extra heating it receives, the hot break product might have a slightly different color and flavor.

NINTH, the product is forced through a series of screens to remove seeds and skin pieces and to mash the pulp to desired texture or “finish.” For puree and paste, all skin and seed is removed. For pizza sauce, a small-to-large amount of seeds and peel may be left in the pulp, with the amount varying between brands.

In addition some manufacturers pulverize the seeds and skin in a machine called a fitzmill, and then add it back into the sauce for filler—thus, reducing product cost. Other manufacturers avoid this practice, claiming that the pulverized seeds intro­duce bitter tannins into the sauce which can detract from sauce flavor and also increase weeping, or bleed­ing.

TENTH, the pulp is evaporated down to desired concen­tration in an evaporator, or vacuum pan. In the evapor­a­tor the product is heated under vacuum, which causes it to boil at the low temperature of 135 to 145 degrees F. Evapora­tors vary in operating temperature, with some using a higher temperature than others do. Generally speak­ing, the lower the operating temperature, the better the flavor and color of finished product.

To make a thicker product, the concentrate is left for longer time in the evapora­tor. Unfortunately, the more heat­ing a product under­goes, the more flavor loss and distortion that occurs. So, paste—which requires a long evaporation time—under­goes greater flavor loss and distortion than puree; and extra heavy puree undergoes more than heavy and medium puree.

The determination of how much evaporation should occur for a certain product can be based on either soluble solids level or on Bostwick (i.e., thickness). Those who use Bostwick as a guide say they do so because consistent thickness from case to case is a higher priority to the pizzeria owner than is consis­tent solids level.

Most manufacturers add citric acid to increase product acidity. Based on USDA regulations, the higher acidity allows them to sterilize the final canned product at 200 degrees F rather than having to retort (i.e., pressure cook) it at a higher tempera­ture for a longer time. Sterilization is faster and less expensive than retorting. However, the canneries who avoid citric acid, and hence use retorting, claim that their product is less tart flavored than those products containing citric acid.

At this point the manufacturing process goes in one of two directions. The result is two distinctively different processes, which we call packing from fresh tomatoes and packing from concentrate.

Packing From Fresh Tomatoes

In the process called packing from fresh tomatoes, after evaporation the product is canned and then sterilized by heating the cans to 200 degrees F. The cans are then cooled, labeled, packed in cases, and shipped to market. Some canners air-cool the product; others use a water spray to speed the cooling process and, thereby, help preserve the product’s natural flavor.

Packing from fresh tomatoes is often called a single-stage process because it proceeds without interrup­tion from beginning to end. It subjects the product to the minimum possible amount of heating. A sauce made by this method is sometimes referred to as “fresh-pack” sauce.

ADVANTAGES & DRAWBACK. The main advan­tage of “fresh pack” sauce is that it has a bright red color and tangy, full-bodied fresh-tomato flavor. It also is less apt to bleed, or loose water. The main drawback is that it’s often more expensive than sauce packed from concen­trate.

Packing from Concentrate

In packing from fresh tomatoes the pulp is evapo­rated down to its final consistency—which is about 11 to 17 percent soluble solids for pizza sauce—and then immediately canned. However, in packing from concentrate the pulp is evaporated down to super-concentrated form, or about 32 to 36 percent soluble solids (the equivalent of heavy paste), then sterilized by in-process heating and, finally, packed in large drums or 500 gallon Scholle bags. It’s then shipped to plants around the country for canning later in the year.

As needed, the super-concen­trated pulp or paste is diluted back into sauce or puree—which is stage two of the process—and then canned. The steps of the process are these. First, the concentrated pulp is mixed with water. Second, it’s heated to about 180 degrees F and then homoge­nized. The purpose of homogenization is to help keep the water from separating from the pulp. Third, it’s canned and sterilized at 200 degrees F, and then shipped to market.

The outcome is a sauce or puree that has undergone more heating than product packed from fresh tomatoes. Where does the extra heating occur? First, it happens during the evaporation phase. To produce a super-concentrated pulp of 32 to 36 percent soluble solids more heat­ing is needed than to produce a sauce of 13 percent solids. Second, the product is heated to 180 degrees F during homogen­iz­ation. Third, it must be sterilized a second time by heating the cans to 200 degrees.

Sauce that’s packed from concentrate is sometimes called “re-manufactured” sauce. Essentially, it’s tomato paste that has been diluted and re-canned. In light of this, it’s cheaper for a pizzeria to buy paste and dilute it down on-site than to buy “re-manufac­tured” sauce or puree.

ADVANTAGES & DRAWBACK. The main advan­tage of “re-manufactured” sauce is, presuma­bly, lower cost to the manufacturer and, possibly, to the pizzeria as well. The main drawback, as compared to “fresh pack” sauce, is weaker fresh-tomato flavor, stronger cooked tomato flavor, and a darker or duller red color. In addition, it tends to bleed more than “fresh pack.”

Factors Causing Poor Quality

In summary, a number of processing factors can reduce sauce quality. Manufac­turers of quality products try to minimize them. Following is a discussion of each one.

•   EXCESSIVE TIME BETWEEN HARVESTING AND PROCESSING. Once a tomato is crushed, enzymes attack the sugar and pectin, causing a reduction in sweetness and thickness. This continues until the enzymes are neu­tralized by heating. The sooner tomatoes are processed after harvesting, the better. Sour overtones can come from tomatoes sitting too long before or during processing.

•   USING PULVERIZED SEEDS AND SKINS FOR FILLER. Such materi­als release tannins into the sauce, which can cause bitter flavor. It also makes sauce of lesser thickness, or greater tendency to bleed water.

•   EXCESSIVE HEAT DURING EVAPORATION. Color and flavor of finished product is largely a result of the degree of heating that the product receives. Evaporation can occur at different pressure levels and temperatures, depending on the type of evaporator used and the speed at which product is pushed through the system. Higher temp­erature produces a burnt off-flavor and darker color. The lower the temperature used in evaporation, the better.

•   RE-MANUFACTURING. “Re-manufactured” sauce is product that’s packed from super-concentrated paste or pulp. The additional heating involved changes its flavor, color, and texture. Generally speaking, the less heat­ing a tomato product receives, the better.

•   POOR PROCESSING METHODS. Some methods cause damage to the tomato’s cell structure, which results in moisture bleeding.

•   POOR TOMATOES, INADEQUATE SORTING. If an excessive amount of sub-standard toma­toes go into the product due to poor purchasing or sorting, it will result in sub-standard product. Generally speaking, premium quality tomato products undergo more hand-sorting than cheaper products.

•   POOR QUALITY CONTROL. During manufac­turing, compan­ies pull samples and test for such things as color, soluble solids level, Bostwick (i.e., thickness or consis­tency), and pH (acidity). Some manufacturers sample every ten minutes; others do it once an hour. So some employ tighter quality control methods than others.

•   UNUSUAL OR EXCESSIVE ADDITIVES. Because there is no standard for pizza sauce, manufacturers can add any­thing. For example, some brands contain stabili­zers which thicken a cheap product. Check the ingredient label for specifics.

 

Evaluating Tomato Products


Chefs and pizza experts have widely varied opinions regarding pizza sauce. For example, some recom­mend using low acid tomatoes, others high acid. Some believe the best sauce is made from whole or chunky tomatoes, others like concentrated products. Some say paste shouldn’t be used because it imparts a bitter flavor, others say it can be used, but sparingly, because it gives a sweet taste. Some say cooking brings out the spice and tomato flavor, others say it distorts and dissipates flavor. Some say the best tomatoes are imported San Marzanos, others say that with the introduction of mechanical harvesting methods, quality San Marzanos are largely a thing of the past and that top quality domestic products are just as good. Alas, contradic­tions abound.

So what guidelines should a pizzeria owner use in purchasing canned products? The answer: His or her own evaluation. In other words, compare different types and brands of products, then pick the one that works best for you, or comes closest to making the type of pizza that most of your customers prefer.

There’s three basic ways a pizzeria owner can evaluate and compare tomato products: (1) by examining uncooked product (i.e., taste test), (2) by a baking test, and (3) by solids level. We’ll describe each.

Evaluating Physical Properties
of Uncooked Product by a Taste Test

The best way to judge quality is compare two or more brands simultaneously. To do this, conduct a taste test. (The term “taste test” is a bit of a misno­mer because we also judge color, aroma, texture, and consis­tency.) This process works best for evaluating sauce and puree with­out spices and is most useful when compar­ing compet­ing products side-by-side. You’ll need a white plate and a spoon, and freshly opened cans of each brand of product. Here’s how to do it.

COLOR. To begin, pour two cups onto a white plate and examine the color. Good quality sauce or puree will be bright red color; poor quality will have a dull red or brownish color, or possibly an orange-ish color. The darker the color, the more heat the product has received. An orange-ish color indicates a product that was made with under-ripe tomatoes.

AROMA. Take a spoonful, hold it under your nose and take a deep whiff. The aroma of good quality sauce will be clean and pleasing and will contain the “aroma notes” of fresh tomatoes. Poor quality product will have little aroma, and what is there will often resemble stewed tomatoes.

FLAVOR. Put a spoonful into your mouth, hold it on the side of your tongue for 30 seconds, then swallow. Good quality sauce will taste fresh and tangy yet sweet to the tongue, both during and after swallow­ing. Poor quality tastes dull, mechanical, bitter, overly acidic, or sour.

TEXTURE. Put another spoonful of product into your mouth and move it around. Puree should feel velvety smooth and creamy, not gritty and mealy (an indication of pulverized seeds used as filler). Pizza sauce should have a pleasing, slightly rougher texture caused by a trace of whole seeds and skin pieces. To observe the amount of skin and seeds, mix two level tablespoons of each sauce into a half cup of warm water, then pour it onto a large aluminum pan or white dough tray. Com­pare the number and size of the pieces of skin and seeds.

CONSISTENCY. Pour a cup of sauce on a white plate and let it sit for 30 minutes. Good quality sauce will show little-to-no bleeding around the edge. The exact amount will vary with processing methods. Specifically, product made by the hot break process will show slightly less bleeding than that made by cold break. With either method, a poor quality sauce will show a large amount of tannish-pinkish liquid seeping away from the mound (this condition is called syneresis). Also, poor quality sauce or puree will sometimes be overly stiff, almost like gelatin, and will have no flow or spreadability (possibly caused by too high of a temperature during the break process).

Although it’s helpful to review all the above factors, the two main criteria for evaluating quality are COLOR and FLAVOR.

Baking Test

Evaluating physical properties of raw sauce is a good way to compare different brands. Another important evaluation is the baking test. Which sauce creates the best pizza in terms of flavor, color, aroma, and texture?

In the Dough-making chapter there’s a discussion of how to conduct a Baking Test. It describes how to compare dough recipes or ingredients by baking off multiple pizzas. The same process can be used for comparing two different tomato products or sauce recipes. The main idea is to make and bake two identical pizzas, with every­thing the same except for one ingredient—in this case, the tomato product. Then compare the end-result. In evaluating the sauce of each pizza, judge the following things:

•   Overall pizza flavor.

•   Overall pizza aroma.

•   Sauce color or appearance (in contrast with the cheese and crust).

•   Sauce consistency (i.e., thickness, wateriness).

•   Sauce texture (i.e., smoothness, roughness).

•   Any other apparent sauce-related factors.

After considering the above factors, select the sauce that makes the best pizza in your opinion or in the opinion of your taste panel.

Measuring Dissolved Solids
with a Brix Refractometer

A Brix refractometer is a tool that measures the percent of soluble solids—or sugar—dissolved in water. This percent of soluble solids is called a Brix reading or “degrees Brix.” For years the tool has been used in foodservice to measure the sugar content (or syrup/water ratio) of fountain soft drinks—for purposes of insuring that the drink meets industry standards. However, pizzerias also can use it to measure the tomato solids content of paste, puree, and sauce.

There are electronic models and hand-held versions. To use a hand-held refractometer, place a drop of the liquid being measured (ex., sauce, puree, or paste) on the refractometer, then look through a lens to get a reading of the percent of dissolved solids in the liquid.

Use it to compare various types and brands of tomato products, as well as different pizza sauce formulations. Generally speaking, the more solids content you get for your money, the better. However, of the three types of evaluations—taste test, baking test, and Brix testing—Brix testing is the least important. In other words, a good-tasting product with a slightly lower solids level would be preferred over a poor-tasting product with a higher solids level.

When comparing products, make sure they have no added sugar (or that both have the same amount of added sugar), as added sugar will affect the refrac­tometer reading.

A number of companies make a hand-held refracto­me­ter. One of them is Misco Products (800-358-1100), which sells a model called the “pizzometer.”

 

Purchasing, Handling, and Storage of Tomato Products


Basically there are three ways to obtain pizza sauce:

  1.   Without spices.

  2.   With your custom blend of spices mixed in (which can only be obtained by purchasing in large quan­tities).

  3.   With a generic spice blend mixed in—usually called fully-prepared or ready-to-use pizza sauce.

With unspiced sauce the spices are added by the pizze­ria. When custom blended, the canner adds the spices during processing and attaches your private label.

The advantage of adding your own spices is that it makes your sauce unique from competitors’ and, hope­fully, better. The advantage of having sauce custom-blended by the canner is that it keeps the spice formula a secret and also eliminates measur­ing errors within the pizzeria. Custom sauce, of course, can only be made for companies ordering large quantities. The advantage to a small operator in using a generic pizza sauce is conve­nience—no spices to handle, no mixing required. The disadvan­tage is that the sauce might be exactly the same as the sauce of one’s competitor down the street. Which option is best? It depends on the size and situation of your company.

Container Options

Typically, pizzerias buy tomato products in No. 10 cans packed six to a case. A can holds about 6 lb - 10 oz of product (which varies with the type product). So, a case of six cans yields about 40 lbs.

Recently some companies have started selling concen­trated products in a poly bag. Bag sizes are 25 lb and 6 lb-11 oz, known as a #10 pouch.

Packed From Fresh Tomatoes
or From Concentrate?

To many pizzeria owners it’s important to know whether the product was packed from fresh tomatoes or from concentrate. Most manufacturers who pack from fresh toma­toes put “packed from fresh tomatoes” on the label or case. However, re-manufactured products can carry similar statements that imply that they’re packed from fresh tomatoes when, in fact, they’re packed from concentrate.

The problem is further compounded by distributor, or “house,” labels. Some distributors order product from more than one manufacturer but sell it under the same label. So some of it might be packed from fresh toma­toes while some might be packed from concentrate.

If you want to know which process a manufacturer uses—packing from fresh tomatoes or packing from concentrate—ask your distributor. A good supplier should be able to tell you. If they can’t, then either they don’t know their product line or they’re lying. In either case you would probably be well advised to consider another supplier.

Ingredient Label

Because there’s no USDA standard for pizza sauce it’s a good idea to check the ingredient label when comparing brands. For example, does a brand contain starch or gum additives to create thickness, in place of higher tomato solids?

Consistency Over Time

Some manufacturers have better quality control methods than others. For those with looser controls, product qual­ity can vary from batch to batch. So it’s a good prac­tice to examine tomato product from time-to-time, espe­cially if you’re not the person who mixes the sauce. Also, when choosing a brand it’s a good idea to look to the reputation of the product’s packer with respect to quality as an indication of what to expect in terms of product consistency.

Receiving, Storing, Opening Cans

Store canned goods off the floor in a cool, dry place. A No. 10 can measures 7 inches high and 6-1/4 inches in diameter. This makes for a case that’s 12-1/2 inches wide. For maximum storage, use 24-inch deep shelves and arrange cases two-deep, or one in front of the other.

Keep the blade on your can opener sharp. Replace it as needed. A dull or notched blade (from opening too many cans) can scrape thin metal shavings into the sauce.

When emptying cans, be sure to scrape them clean with a rubber spatula. Without scraping, as much as 1/2 cup of sauce can be wasted per can. If purchasing product in a poly bag, be sure to squeeze it empty. This can be done with a rolling pin. There’s also a device on the market for emptying sauce bags.

To conserve dumpster space, grind both ends out of sauce cans and flatten the cylinders. Then flatten the cardboard boxes by cutting them at the corners.

When opening cans, be alert for defects. This includes dents, puffed ends, and leaks. Such cans should not be used, and should be returned to the supplier. If, when opening a can, it hisses or spews liquid, this indicates bacterial or chemical reaction in the can. Do not use it. Also, if the product looks or smells unusual, do not use it. Once you’ve opened a can of bad product, call the supplier and ask them if they want you to save it for them. They may say no, but if they’re conscientious they’ll tell you to save the label or lid with the production number so they can return it to the manufacturer.

 

Spices & Seasonings


Sauce flavor is enhanced with various ingredients. The most common are spices. However other seasonings can play a key role as well. This section examines the various types of spices and seasonings and explains how to use them.

We divide them into eleven groups:

  1.   Spices (of the non-hot variety, led by oregano and basil)

  2.   Pepper

  3.   Garlic & Onion

  4.   Salt

  5.   Sugar

  6.   Olive Oil

  7.   Grated Hard Cheeses

  8.   Vegetables

  9.   Meat & Meat Bases

10.   Wine and Other Liquids

11.   Flavoring Sauces.

The main flavorings of pizza sauce come from the first four groups—with oregano, basil, black pepper, garlic, onion, and salt being, far and away, the most important and popular ingredients. An excellent sauce can be made with only those six. However, other seasonings can be handy for enhancement and variety. We’ll examine each group.

Spices

Spices come from the leaf, seed, bark, bud, root, or flower of certain plants, most of which grow in tropical climates. The term herb is often used in referring to mild leafy spices.

The main spices used in pizza sauce are herbs that come from the mint family, which includes oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, savory, sage, and mint. Also finding use in pizza sauce are anise-flavored spices, comprised of fennel seed, tarragon, and anise seed.

Pizza Spice Rankings

Tied for first place, the two most important and popular spices for pizza sauce are oregano and basil. Many recipes use them in equal proportion.

Placing a distant second, the next three most popular spices are fennel seed, parsley, and bay leaf.

In third place are a potpourri of also-rans, which include thyme, marjoram, paprika, tarragon, savory, anise, sage, and rosemary.

Of course there are numerous other spices, many of which could impart a unique flavor to pizza sauce. The easiest way to get ideas is to visit the spice rack of a well-stocked deli or grocery store. Names that would probably show the most promise are caraway seed, celery seed, chervil, cinnamon, coriander seed, cilantro, cumin seed, dill seed, mint, and mustard powder.

We’ll discuss the five most common spices in pizza sauce—oregano, basil, fennel seed, parsley, and bay leaf.

Oregano

Along with basil, oregano—also known as origan and oreganum—is by far the most popular pizza spice. It’s a member of the mint family and has a piney-minty aroma and an assertive, pleasantly bitter flavor. It comes from small leaves about 1/2 inch to 1 inch long, olive-drab on top side and purplish underneath.

There are two groups: Mediterranean and Mexican. The Mediterranean group includes Greek, Turkish, and Italian varieties. Greek and Turkish versions have a distinctive flavor and “piney” aroma that many pizzeria owners prefer. Roman and Sicilian (i.e., Italian) varie­ties are milder, but some pizzerias prefer that. Mexican oregano—which, botanically speaking, is not true oregano—is mainly used in chili and Mexican dishes. However, some pizzeria operators swear by it for pizza sauce. Which is best? It’s the one that gives the flavor your customers prefer most.

Basil

Also known as sweet basil, it’s tied with oregano as the most popular pizza spice. In fact, some traditional recipes use basil only, no oregano. It’s a member of the mint family and has a sweetish flavor, not as strong or bitter as oregano. It comes from a bright green leaf, about 2 inches long.

There are several varieties, including imported and domestic (U.S. grown). Some people consider French basil to be the finest imported variety. Domestic basil is excellent also, with California stock being considered the best by some folks.

Fennel Seed

Although a member of the parsley family, fennel has a delightful, mild anise-like flavor. It’s a common spice in Italian sausage. When added to pizza sauce in small amounts it can impart a pleasant, distinc­tive aroma and taste. It’s imported from Egypt, India, and Argentina. Indian fennel seed is light colored; Argentine is dark. Use it in ground form.

Parsley

Being mild flavored, parsley must be used in relatively large amounts to affect a flavor change. Used in small amounts it adds a look of “fresh herbs” to a sauce with­out greatly changing the flavor. Parsley comes in two forms: curly moss leaf and flat leaf, also known as Ital­ian parsley. The flat variety has more flavor.

Bay leaf

Also called laurel, bay leaf comes in leaves about 3 inches long. It has a distinctive pungent flavor. Because it mostly comes in whole leaf form it’s mainly used in cooked sauces where it can be removed after­ward. It comes from Turkey, Greece, Portugal, and Yugoslavia.

Substitute Spices for Testing

As a partial substitute for basil or oregano, try other members of the mint family—namely, marjoram, thyme, savory, or sage. As a complement to or substitute for fennel seed, try anise seed or tarragon. As a substi­tute for bay leaf, try rosemary. And as a substitute for parsley, try chervil, celery seed or cilantro leaf.

Purchasing, Storage, Usage

Herbs, or leafy spices, can be purchased three basic ways: fresh, frozen, and dry. Most pizzerias use the dry form for pizza sauce. However fresh and frozen herbs offer an opportunity for creating a unique flavor profile. For example, many people feel that the flavor of fresh basil is distinctly superior to that of dried basil. Basil is domes­tically grown, so there’s a fairly plentiful supply of the product. An option (albeit unfeasible for most pizzerias) is to grow it in a greenhouse or hydroponic garden. To preserve large amounts, basil leaves can be pureed in a blender, mixed with a little vegetable oil to form a paste, and then kept refrigerated or, for longer periods, frozen.

Another plentiful fresh herb is parsley. If you’re using the dried form, consider testing the fresh variety to see if it improves flavor. When substitut­ing fresh herbs for dry, the general rule is to double the portion.

There are companies that grow herbs in greenhouses and ship them frozen in whole, chopped, and pureed forms. The product flavor in many cases is very good, making it an acceptable substitute for fresh herb. A couple such suppliers are Garden Herbs (800-388-9397) and SupHerb Farms (209-664-2222 and 800-787-4372).

When purchasing dry herbs, buy from a supplier who can deliver the freshest goods. Stock that sits a long time in a warehouse loses flavor and aroma. If possible, find an herb wholesaler and try to get what’s known as “freshly dried herbs.”

Most dry herbs come in both whole leaf and ground forms. The whole leaf form may be a whole leaf, as with bay leaf, or crushed into pieces or flakes, as with oreg­ano. Ground herb is a powder. Since the finer an herb is ground, the more aroma it loses, it’s usually best to go with whole or crushed rather than ground, as whole herbs retain flavor longer in storage.

Dry spices come packaged in many sizes, with 1 oz, 4 oz, 1 lb, 6 lb, and 10 lb packages being most common. To save money some pizzeria owners buy large quantities that last 6 to 12 months. For some goods that might be a wise prac­tice but for spices it’s foolish. Spice flavor and aroma comes from volatile oils that dissipate over time. Dissipation is speeded-up by moisture and heat. For best quality, buy only what will be used within a month.

For pizzerias that don’t want to stock and measure indi­vidual spices there are companies that sell pre-mixed spices. They offer generic blends and also will custom mix your formula. The spices are packed in airtight bags and can be portioned for one batch of sauce. A bag contains everything but the tomatoes.

To retard flavor loss, store dry spices in a cool, dry place in airtight, light-proof containers. Or, for long periods, freeze spices in a tightly sealed moisture-proof bag or container. In short, minimize contact with air, mois­ture, and heat.

Pepper

Pepper is a spice. However because of its unique flavor impact we separate it from other spices. There are two basic types of pepper: black and red.

Black Pepper

Black pepper is the kind most widely used in pizza sauce. It comes from a dry, dark brown berry known as a peppercorn. It’s imported from India, Indonesia, and Brazil. White pepper is black pepper that has had the dark hull removed before grinding. It’s used in white sauces and other foods where black specks are unattrac­tive. It’s less flavorful than black pepper. Since black specks pose no problem to pizza sauce—and, in fact, might be desirable—most pizzerias use the fuller-flavored black pepper.

Black pepper comes in whole and ground form. Freshly ground peppercorns have an aroma that pre-ground pepper lacks. When added to a pizza after baking, grind it fresh. However, grinding fresh peppercorns by hand becomes somewhat unfeasible when preparing, say, 200 lbs of pizza sauce.

Red Pepper

Some pizzerias also use red pepper. Strictly speak­ing there are two forms of red pepper—red pepper, which is hot; and cayenne pepper, which is very hot. Today many people don’t make the distinction, however we do. Cayenne pepper is prepared from the hottest chil­ies. They vary in color from red to yellow and are relatively small. Cayenne comes in ground form only. Red pepper, which comes ground and also in crushed or flakes, is prepared from some­what milder peppers that have a deep red color and are larger than the chilies used for cayenne. When­ever you see cayenne on the label, know that you’re deal­ing with the hotter variety. So use it sparingly. For pizza sauce, use the ground form, as large flakes of crushed pepper can sometimes get stuck in a pizza-eater’s teeth, which can be painful.

Both black and red pepper can impart great “heat” to a pizza sauce. However, black pepper provides other flavor and aroma as well and, so, is preferred over red pepper by most pizzerias. Although some pizzerias use both.

Hot Sauces

Along with dry pepper, hotness can be imparted to pizza sauce by any of dozens of cayenne-based “hot sauces.” Some of these sauces, such as Tabasco Sauce, come in institutional- or kitchen-size bottles that allow for quick, accurate measurement with measuring spoons. Along with imparting hotness, these sauces can add a slightly different flavor profile than that of black or red pepper.

Mustard Powder and Hot Paprika

Two other “heat-producing” spices are mustard powder, also known as mustard flour, and the hot variety of paprika. Paprika comes from the same type of plant as red pepper—the capsicum. There are two main forms of paprika: (a) mild or sweet and (b) hot. Although the mild kind is most common, the hot form is available. It mostly comes from Hungary and, so, has come to be known as Hungarian paprika. (Hungary makes mild varieties as well.) Test mustard powder and hot paprika as a partial substitute for pepper.

Garlic & Onion

Both garlic and onion are popular pizza sauce ingredi­ents, with many recipes using them in equal proportion. They come in fresh, dehydrated, jar, frozen, and concentrated base forms.

Fresh Garlic

Some people feel that fresh garlic provides a differ­ent and better flavor than dehydrated product, so we suggest it as an option for pizza sauce. If you can’t be bothered with peeling fresh garlic, try the jar and frozen forms. Some brands come close to delivering the flavor of fresh garlic.

There are several varieties of fresh garlic. Creole garlic is white in color, has small cloves and strong flavor. Italian garlic is similar to Creole but has slightly smaller cloves and is pinkish color. Tahitian garlic has large bulbs—3 to 3-1/2 inches in diameter—and is the mildest of the three. Quality garlic has a smooth head with no dark spots or bruises and is free of sprouting (green tips on the cloves). When shaken in the bag it should have a dry rustle. Purchase fresh garlic by the pound and buy only what can be used within two weeks. Store it in a dry place at room temperature. Trim waste is about 12 percent of purchased weight.

Fresh garlic and onion may be substi­tuted for dry. In recipe testing, substitute fresh for dry on a 1:1 ratio. If the flavor isn’t strong enough, increase the amount in small increments until the desired flavor is achieved. Keep in mind that different types of garlic and onion vary in flavor intensity. Once you find the flavor you want, stay with that type.

To prepare crushed garlic for pizza sauce: (1) peel off the paper skin, (2) separate the cloves, (3) cut off the root tip, (4) remove the clove skin, and (5) crush it in a garlic press or purée it in a blender with a small amount of liquid for about 60 seconds. To facilitate blending, cut the cloves into thirds before putting them into the blender. To easily remove the clove skin, crush the clove slightly by smacking it with a kitchen mallet or the side of a cook’s knife.

For flavor variation try lightly browning minced garlic or onion by sautéing for a minute in pomace or pure olive oil before adding to the sauce. Or brown the garlic cloves in an oven. If the recipe calls for oil, add the oil from sautéing to the sauce. (Sautéing is the process of frying food in a pan with a small amount of oil—about 1/16-inch—at a temperature high enough to make the food sizzle. It’s stirred occasionally and, to promote steam­ing, might be covered with a lid.)

The “chef’s secret” for removing garlic and onion smell from hands is to (1) wet the hands with cold water, (2) rub them with salt, (3) rinse off the salt, then rub with lemon juice, and (4) finish off by washing with soap and water.

Fresh Onion

There are many kinds of onions—some strong-flavored, some mild and sweet. The best for pizza are sweet vari­eties. For details on buying and storing onions, refer to the Onion section of the Toppings chapter.

Dehydrated Garlic and Onion

Because of the time, mess, and tear-letting that’s involved in peeling and processing fresh onions and garlic, many pizzerias opt for the convenience of dehy­drated product. Dried garlic and onion comes in minced and granulated form. Granulated is about the size of salt crystals and is most commonly used in pizza sauce. Minced form is slightly coarser. Sometimes granulated garlic is labeled “powdered garlic.” However, true pow­dered garlic is the consis­tency of flour and will clump when mixed directly with water. It also absorbs mois­ture and can cake during storage. Given a choice between granulated and powdered, choose granulated as it’s easier to work with.

Before adding dried garlic or onion to pizza sauce, first mix it with the pepper, salt, and other dry ingredients to insure even dispersion. Store it in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. Buy only what can be used within a month. Don’t confuse garlic salt with granu­lated garlic. Garlic salt is mostly salt with a little granu­lated garlic—it’s not for pizza sauce.

Jar Garlic

A recent development is “fresh” garlic in a jar. It comes in whole clove, chopped, minced, and crushed forms, and in roasted and unroasted (i.e., regular). Container sizes include 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-pound. Some companies also offer a 30-pound bucket.

Frozen Garlic

In recent years frozen garlic has come onto the market. It can be obtained in either pureed (paste) form or minced (chopped) form. The flavor profile closely resembles that of fresh garlic and, therefore, is a viable substitute for the fresh product. It comes in both roasted and unroasted forms.

Concentrated Garlic and Onion Base

Some manufacturers of meat bases also produce garlic and onion base. The products of quality producers, such as L. J. Minor Corp., closely resemble freshly prepared garlic and onion. Approximately one teaspoon of garlic base equals two cloves, and one teaspoon of onion base equals six teaspoons of chopped fresh onion. Since base contains salt, the salt portion of the sauce recipe will have to be reduced when switching from fresh or dry product to a concentrated base.

FRESH VS. PROCESSED. Some people feel that fresh garlic and onion offers better flavor than processed forms and, so, they recommend that only fresh be used in pizza sauce. However, others feel that 99 percent of pizza-eaters can’t tell the difference. You might test it for yourself to see if your customers prefer one over the other. Test dehydrated, jar, frozen, and base forms.

Salt & Sugar

The majority of pizza sauce recipes call for salt. How­ever, use it sparingly as most canned tomato products already contain salt. Plus, cheese and most meat toppings, especially pepperoni, have a lot of salt. If you’re interested in reducing your pizza’s sodium con­tent, you might try a 50:50 mixture of sodium chloride (salt) and potassium chloride in your sauce.

A few recipes call for sugar. Generally speaking, only a small amount, if any, is needed. Adjust the sweetness level to whatever satisfies the most customers. Some chefs say that sweetness prefer­ence varies by region, with the northeastern states preferring sweeter sauces, northern states liking it hot and spicy, and the Midwest preferring tart, thick sauce. However generalities often mislead, so it’s best to design formulas based on the prefer­ences of those people within a 2-mile radius of your pizzeria. An advantage of having little or no sugar in a recipe is that it lessens the amount of burning which can occur to sauce that’s spread onto the outer edge of the dough and isn’t covered by cheese.

For mild sweetening in a cooked sauce, onion and carrot puree can be used in place of sugar.

Olive Oil

Oil absorbs and holds flavors. About 2 to 3 percent oil added to pizza sauce helps retain flavor during cooking and pizza baking. This amounts to 2 cups of oil per 40 lb batch (or six No. 10 cans) of sauce.

Any oil will hold flavor, but olive oil is most commonly called for in pizza sauce recipes. To add a hint of olive flavor, use the greenish-colored virgin olive oil. For lesser olive flavor, use regular olive oil (also known as pure oil). For no flavor, use light pomace olive oil. Oil also has a smoothing, mellow­ing effect on sauce. For a detailed discussion of olive oil, see the Oil & Shortening section of the Dough Ingredients chapter.

In contact with air, oil undergoes oxidation, or becomes rancid. The process is accelerated by moisture, light, and high temperature. Unfortu­nately, rancid oil has a distasteful odor and flavor. To reduce oxidation and rancidity, store oil in an air­tight, light-proof container in a cool, dry place. In a pizzeria that place might be a refrigerator. A thin coating of oil, such as on the side of a large oil can, oxidizes rapid­ly. For this reason it’s not good practice to refill oil cans unless they’re thoroughly washed. Properly stored, olive oil will last up to two years.

Grated Hard Cheeses

A few sauce recipes call for grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. In pasta sauce, cheese imparts a rich flavor. However, because pizza sauce is covered by a thick layer of mozzarella or similar cheese, grated cheese added to the sauce usually goes unnoticed by pizza-eaters, so most pizzerias don’t bother with it. When used, it tends to offer more bang for the buck when sprinkled over the toppings, either before baking or afterward.

However, if interested in experimenting with cheese in sauce, try both the pre-grated form as well as freshly grated. You might also try concentrated cheese powder. To make an impact you need at least 8 oz of fresh Parmesan or Romano per 40 lb of sauce.

Vegetables

Although vegetables are mostly reserved for topping they can be added to sauce for flavor variation. Some ingredi­ents to consider are mushroom, black olive, green pepper, onion, celery, and carrot.

For a spreading-type sauce, vegetables must be puréed in a blender or food cutter. For a ladling sauce they can be minced. For flavor enhancement, try lightly browning the vegetable by sautéing in olive oil before puréeing or mincing. Save the oil for brushing on pizza crust or, if the recipe calls for oil, add it to the sauce.

Meat & Meat Bases

Ground meat or meat base—beef, pork, chicken—imparts a rich flavor to tomato sauce. For this reason it’s a common ingredient in pasta sauces; it’s less so in pizza sauce.

Nonetheless, a meat base can offer flavor variation. Because bases contain salt you will probably want to reduce or eliminate the salt portion of the recipe. For another idea try adding anchovy paste.

Also, try giving a bacony flavor to sauce by adding crushed, pre-crisped pepperoni. For crisping, spread pepperoni slices over a sheet tray and bake in an oven for several minutes until they become dry and crispy and taste like bacon. Then crush them fine and mix into the pizza sauce. You’ll need about 1 lb pepperoni per 40 lb batch of sauce.

Wine and Other Liquids.

If liquid is added it’s usually only water, for the purpose of diluting tomato paste or puree. However, a touch of red wine or a little beer can add a flavor twist. Also, if you desire a super-tangy sauce, try a small amount of red wine vinegar or lemon juice.

Flavoring Sauces

There are many types of strongly-flavored sauces that can be used for making a specialty pizza sauce or for providing a special “accent” to a regular pizza sauce. One type is the hot sauces such as Tabasco Sauce (previously mentioned in the Pepper section). Another type is the BBQ (barbecue) sauces which come in many flavor profiles. Some of these combine amazingly well with pizza sauce and, so, can be used for making a barbecue flavored pizza. A third type is various oriental-based sauces.

Resins

Although not practical for individual pizzerias, spice flavoring can be added to sauce by resins. There are two forms: oleoresins (fat soluble) and aquaresins (water soluble). Resins are extremely concentrated spice flavor­ings produced by extracting the flavor components from spices and distilling the liquid. Just a few drops is all that’s needed to flavor an entire case of tomato sauce with a certain spice. The flavor profile duplicates fresh product. The advan­tage over fresh ingredients is precise measuring, exact flavor consistency from batch to batch (which doesn’t occur with fresh spice), and unlimited shelf life (they don’t lose flavor as fresh spice does). Resins are commonly used by food manufacturers. For example, canners might use them in making custom pizza sauce for a company. They could also be used by commissaries that mix large quantities of sauce.

 

Preparing and Storing Sauce


Prepare sauce at least one day ahead of usage to allow spice flavors to be fully absorbed into the tomato product. But to avoid the chance of spoilage, don’t prepare sauce more than three days ahead.

If your sauce formula calls for diluting a tomato concentrate with water, rinse out the cans with water and then add that water to the sauce, thereby using the entire amount of tomato product. To insure uniform blending some pizzerias also mix the spices with a little water before adding them to the concentrate.

Pizza sauce may be cooked or uncooked, and mixed by hand or by machine. Although there’s not a precise sauce-making procedure—as various ingre­dients and equipment require different methods—we provide guide­lines for preparing both cooked and uncooked sauce.

Preparing Cooked Sauce

  1.   Typically, fresh tomatoes aren’t used for making pizza sauce. However if they are, you must blanch them in hot water for 10 to 15 seconds and peel off the skins (unless you want skins in the sauce, then don’t). Then cut out the core, and slice them open and scrape out the seeds (unless you want seeds in the sauce, then don’t). Then chop them in a grinder or cutter-mixer, or crush by hand.

  2.   Add the tomato products to a stainless steel stock pot (not an aluminum pot, as acid foods react with aluminum). Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then turn it to low. If its water content must be reduced, leave the pot uncov­ered. If not, cover it. Stir occasion­ally. Generally speaking, don’t simmer sauce more than 30 min­utes (unless more is needed to remove water). Extended cooking can result in flavor loss and distor­tion.

  3.   While the tomatoes are heating, weigh out the remaining ingredients. If using fresh vegeta­bles, chop, mince, or purée them as needed.

  4.   Optional: If using fresh garlic, onions, or other vegetables, you might mince them fine and then sauté them in olive oil for a few minutes until lightly browned—no longer. If the recipe calls for oil, use this oil in the sauce. Sautéing can be done in a frying pan or in a stock pot before adding the tomato products. If meat goes into the sauce, sauté it at this time.

  5.   During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the spices and remaining ingredients.

  6.   When done, let the sauce cool to about 120 degrees F. Then put it into plastic or stainless steel (not aluminum) containers and refriger­ate until cold. Once cooled, cover and date the containers. To speed cooling use smaller con­tainers rather than large ones.

Preparing Uncooked Sauce

  1.   Typically, fresh tomatoes aren’t used for making pizza sauce. However, if they are, prepare them as explained in step 1 of the previous procedure.

  2.   If mixing by hand, pour the tomato products into a 5-gallon bucket or, if mixing by machine, into a mixer—either a cutter-mixer or a planetary mixer with a beater agitator. For a planetary mixer, whole tomatoes will have to be crushed first.

  3.   Weigh out the remaining ingredients. If using fresh vegetables, chop, mince, or purée them as needed.

  4.   Add spices and remaining ingredients to the bucket or mixer. It’s important that the spices be uniformly dispersed. This requires thor­ough mixing. The mixing process can be performed manually or with a mixer. When performed manually, a large spoon, rubber spatula, stiff wire whip, paddle, or automatic hand-held stirrer can be used (of the type used for mixing mashed potatoes). Some pizzerias use drywall plaster stirrers. However we don’t recommend this because non-foodservice equip­ment may some­times contain harmful metals, solders, and other components. Stir the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Be sure it’s blended uniformly with no “spice balls.” Some folks simply use their arm for mixing (not necessarily recom­mended). With this method the sleeve is rolled up and the presumably-washed arm is inserted into the bucket of sauce and moved to and fro.

  5.   If using a machine, turn on the mixer. For a planetary mixer, mix on low speed for 10 minutes, stopping a couple times to scrape down the side of the bowl. Use either the beater or the whip attachment, whichever works best for your sauce. For a cutter-mixer, mix on high speed for 60 seconds. If you want a chunky sauce, add whole tomatoes the last 10 seconds of mixing when using a cutter-mixer.

  6.   Empty the sauce into plastic or stainless steel (not aluminum) containers, cover and date them, and put into a refrig­erator.

Optional: Although sautéing is not usually done with uncooked sauce, fresh vegetables and meat can be sautéed as described in step 4 of the previous procedure.

NOTE ON SAUCE GELLING: Although it happens only infrequently, when preparing uncooked pizza sauce it’s possible for a gelling reaction to occur if the recipe contains onion or garlic, particularly of the dehydrated type. This reaction happens within an hour or two after mixing and results in the sauce transforming from a semi-liquid form into a semi-solid, or gelatinized, form. The problem with this condition is that a gelatinized sauce is hard to portion and hard to spread, resulting in incorrect portioning and wasted time. The cause of the gelling is an enzyme in the onion or garlic that reacts with the natural pectin in the tomato, triggering the gelling reaction. Most types of onion and garlic lack the type (or sufficient quantity) of enzyme necessary to cause the gelling. However occasionally it turns up. So if one day you find your sauce turning into aspic, you can remedy the problem one of two ways: (1) Blend the onion or garlic with water and heat the mixture to boiling temperature, thereby neutralizing the gel-causing enzyme, or (2) switch to another brand, type, or grade of dehydrated onion or garlic.

For a detailed procedure on preparing uncooked sauce with a cutter-mixer, see the Sample Production Procedure section at the end of this chapter.

Measuring and Blending Dry Ingredients

Because spices vary in consistency it’s best to weigh them whenever possible. If weighing is impossible, use measuring spoons. Ingredients should be loosely packed, not pressed, into the spoon. Use level measures, not rounded. It sometimes helps to know that 3 teaspoons (t) = 1 tablespoon (T).

For measuring small portions of spices it often helps to create a large batch of ingredients blended together in the propor­tion called for by the recipe. Then, when making sauce, measure out one large portion of the blend instead of numerous smaller portions of individ­ual ingredients. This procedure improves portion accu­racy and minimizes mistakes. It can also be used for keeping a sauce recipe secret. When mixing the blend, make only what will be used within two weeks. Store it in an air­tight container in a cool, dry place.

For sauce, two blends are needed: one of the leafy herbs and one of the granular ingredients. The granular ingredients include such items as salt, sugar, pepper, fennel seed, dried garlic and onion. If leafy herbs and granular items are mixed together, the granular stuff falls to the bottom, making an uneven mixture.

Spice packets can also be used. To make them, measure the amount of spice that goes into a batch of sauce and seal it in a small plastic bag. Date each bag. With this method spice measuring can be done by one person, thereby reducing the chance of measuring error. Make only as many packets as will be used within two weeks. Rotate the stock so the oldest packets get used first. Store them in a cool, dark place such as in a refrigerator.

To aid in using measuring spoons, the following chart shows the approximate number of teaspoons per ounce. To convert teaspoons to tablespoons, divide the teaspoon number by three.

Dried Spice & Seasoning: Teaspoons Per Ounce

Ingredient          Teaspoons/oz

Anise                  14-1/2

Basil                   35

Bay leaves          136 leaves

Black pepper       15-1/4

Caraway seed      9-1/2

Cardamom seed  14-1/2

Celery seed         14

Cinnamon           17-1/2

Coriander            14

Cumin                14

Dill                     14

Fennel                14

Garlic, gran.        9

Marjoram            19-1/2

Mint                   50

Mustard              14-1/2

Onion, gran.        9

Oregano              26

Paprika               13-1/2

Parmesan, grated   12

Parsley               84

Red pepper         14

Rosemary           35

Sage                  22

Salt                    5

Sugar                 7

Savory                18-3/4

Tarragon             50

Thyme                20-1/4

Storing and Rotating Sauce

Refrigerate sauce in covered plastic or stainless steel containers. Don’t use aluminum. If using plastic, use a hard rather than soft plastic, as soft plastic absorbs tomato residue that’s difficult to remove from the micro­scopic pores of the plastic surface (although it doesn’t affect sauce flavor).

Properly sized, rectangular containers allow maxi­mum use of shelf space in a walk-in cooler. But round containers are easier to empty and scrape clean. You decide what’s most impor­tant.

Date containers and rotate them in the cooler so that the oldest sauce gets used first. Don’t mix old sauce with new sauce, as it can speed deterioration of the new sauce. Also, on the prep table don’t add new sauce to the prior day’s “closing” sauce. Instead use up the old sauce before bringing out new sauce.

Normally, refrigerated pizza sauce will keep for several weeks, but to be on the safe side don’t hold it over 3 to 4 days.

 

Recipe Development Questions


The sauce recipe plays a key role in pizza flavor. Obtain­ing a good recipe is a major challenge for those starting a pizza business. For those already in the business the challenge is often one of enhancing the current recipe along with designing additional recipes for new products and special occasions. In any case the goal is the same: To develop a unique formula that results in a taste that pleases the most customers.

The process of designing a sauce formula is basically the same as for designing a dough formula. This process is described in the Development Process part of the Dough-making chapter. Review it for design­ing a sauce recipe. Basically, the process calls for mixing test batches, test­ing them on pizza, keeping records and, step by step, progressing toward a better and better sauce.

To speed the development process it helps to have an idea of the type of sauce you want. This section describes some basic questions—and lists pros and cons to oppos­ing sides. Keep in mind that there are no hard-and-fast rules governing sauce formulas and methods. The best sauce is the one that fits your situation and pleases the most customers. Some experts recom­mend “fresh, qua­lity ingredients,” but the ultimate test is what customers think—and they don’t always share the opinions of chefs and experts.

COOKED VERSUS UNCOOKED. The first question to be answered is: Will the sauce be cooked or uncooked? Traditionally chefs have cooked tomato sauces, so cook­ing has carried over into pizzerias. People give two reasons for cooking a pizza sauce. First, if single strength tomatoes are used, cooking is often needed to boil off water and, thereby, thicken the sauce. Second, it extracts flavors from the spices and other ingredients, presumably making the sauce more flavorful. However, do the extracted flavors stay in the sauce, or dissipate into the air?

In a previous section we pointed out that concen­trated tomato products have more flavor than a single strength tomato product boiled down in a pizzeria. With concentrated tomato products the water is removed under vacuum at 135 to 145 degrees F instead of 212 degrees. This results in less flavor loss and distortion than with  a product that’s boiled at atmospheric pressure in a pizze­ria. Basic­ally, the more the tomatoes are cooked, the more flavor loss and distortion that occurs. Finally, cook­ing creat­es the risk of over-cooking, which can result in a burnt tomato taste and weak spice flavor.

What’s more, not only does cooking diminish and distort sauce flavor, it also results in a costlier product. Ultimately, it costs more money to buy a single strength tomato product and simmer it down to a sauce of 13 percent soluble solids than it does to buy a sauce of 13 percent solids in concentrated form.

In conclusion, we recommend uncooked sauce. How­ever, if you believe cooking can enhance your recipe, try both cooked and uncooked versions and see if cooking the sauce makes a better-tasting pizza. If it doesn’t, you might as well use uncooked sauce and save yourself the money and hassle.

DILUTE PASTE VERSUS READY-TO-USE CON­SIS­TEN­CY. To save money some pizzerias buy paste and dilute it down to make pizza sauce of the desired consistency. However, because paste is heated for a long time during evaporation, sauce made by dilut­ing paste has less fresh-tomato flavor than sauce purchased at a ready-to-use consistency. So we don’t recommend buying paste and diluting it down. And, as explained in the previous section, we also don’t recom­mend buying a single strength tomato product and cook­ing it to make it thick­er. Both diluting and cooking result in a sauce of lesser flavor than one purchased at the desired final consisten­cy. In conclusion, for the fullest flavor buy a product as close as possible to ready-to-use consis­tency.

“FRESH PACK” SAUCE VERSUS “RE-MANUFAC­TURED.” Packers of re-manufactured products state that there’s little difference between the flavor of “fresh pack” versus “re-manufactured” brands. However, packers of fresh-pack product dispute this. And some pizzeria owners feel that they can detect a difference, as well. In general, re-man products tend to have a darker-red color and more of a cooked-tomato flavor than fresh-pack products. Which flavor profile is best? That depends on the type of flavor you prefer. If you want a cooked-tomato flavor, consider using product packed from concen­trate (re-manufactured). If you want a fresh-tomato flavor, consider using product packed from fresh tomatoes (fresh pack).

WITH PEEL VERSUS WITHOUT. Some pizzeria owners want peel in their sauce, others don’t. For a smooth sauce you must purchase a product with all peel strained out—such as a puree. For a slightly coarser sauce, purchase product that has some peel left in—such as pizza sauce.

Peel also affects the product’s flavor. Some of the tangi­est flavor in a tomato is just under the skin. So for a little more fresh-tomato flavor, use a combina­tion pro­duct that contains unpeeled diced or ground toma­toes mixed with puree.

DEGREE OF THICKNESS AND TOMATO SOLIDS PERCENT. How thick of a sauce do you want? Will it be so thick that it’s spread with a spoon or spoodle, or a thinner one poured on with a ladle? Thick sauces tend to have a richer (although not necessarily better) tomato flavor. For a thick sauce you need 13 to 14 percent soluble solids content, which is 1.06 to 1.065 specific gravity. To get this you need a heavy puree, or a sauce of equivalent thick­ness. Or you can use a paste and dilute it down to that level, although we don’t recommend it. For a thinner sauce you need 9 to 10 percent solids content, which is a light puree of about 1.04 to 1.045 specific gravity, or a pizza sauce of equivalent thickness.

SMOOTH VERSUS SLIGHTLY COARSE VERSUS CHUNKY-STYLE. Are you looking for a sauce with smooth finish, or one with a slightly coarse texture, or one with small chunks of tomato? For chunky-style you need to go with a combina­tion product, such as ground or diced tomatoes blended with puree. For a smooth look you need a puree or puree/paste blend. For an in-between coarse appear­ance you would need to use a pizza sauce containing a small amount of seeds and skin, or would need to blend a concentrated prod­uct such as puree or pizza sauce with a combination product.

Sauce preferences vary regionally. For example, pizze­rias in the New York area prefer a coarse textured sauce, such as might come from mixing ground unpeeled tomatoes with pizza sauce. On the other hand, many Chicago area operators make a smooth puree-based sauce, and when they add ground tomatoes it’s usually the peeled variety.

MILD VERSUS MEDIUM-SPICY VERSUS VERY SPICY. What spice level are you looking for? Do you want to sell a pizza that’s milder than the compe­tition’s pizza, the same, or spicier? In addition, if you want a very spicy pizza, do you want the extra spice flavor coming from leafy herbs, such as basil and oregano, or from pepper, or both?

Low spice level doesn’t offend anyone, but it also excites fewer people. High spice makes an impres­sion, but it might be the wrong one with some pizza-eaters. There’s no one sauce recipe that suits all. One compromise is to offer a couple sauces—mild and spicy. Another one is to create a mild sauce and then sprinkle extra spice over those pizzas ordered “extra spicy.” Of course this requires asking customers if they want their pizza extra spicy.

FRESH VERSUS DRY SPICE. For years debate has raged over the merits of fresh vs. processed ingredi­ents. Both options have their benefits. Fresh-spice proponents say fresh spices impart better flavor. Dry spice advocates say that dry spices are more avail­able, easier to prepare, labor saving, and more consistent—plus they believe most customers don’t prefer the flavor of fresh over dry, anyhow.

If in doubt, try both, compare the advantages, and see if customers can tell the difference. If customers don’t rate one higher than the other, you might as well go with whatever is easiest and/or cheapest. Also, keep in mind that frozen spices provide a flavor profile similar to that of fresh spices, but without the hassle of fresh spices.

SALT, SUGAR, OIL. Salt, sugar, and oil are optional. Does your sauce need them—if so, how much? If one of them doesn’t enhance flavor, you might as well leave it out— and save money. Also there’s the “cleaning factor” to consider. An oil-free sauce washes easily out of aprons and uniforms. Whereas an oil-containing sauce tends to create permanent oil stains in clothing.

OTHER FLAVORINGS. A great sauce can be made with only basil, oregano, black pepper, garlic, onion and, possibly, a bit of salt. In fact some recipes don’t even have all those ingredients. However if you’re trying to achieve a different flavor you might need to add other ingredients, such as, for example, puréed vegetables, meat base, wine, or some different spices.

Cost vs. Quality

Food cost is an important consideration. Even more important, however, is product quality. When considering a possible food cost reduction move the pizzeria owner should first ask, “Will this cost reduction also reduce product quality and customer satisfaction and, if so, will the reduction in quality and customer satisfaction be justified by the cost savings?” If, in fact, the cost reduction move will reduce customer satisfaction, you probably would be well advised to not make the cost reduction move.

A good example of this pertains to pizza sauce. There can be as much as $3.00 per case difference in price between a high-quality and low-quality sauce. This may appear to be a large savings, especially if annualized. However the proper way to analyze the “cost vs. quality” issue is on a per pizza basis. It can result in an eye-open­ing discovery.

A case of pizza sauce yields about 40 lb or 640 oz of product. Assuming that the average pizza takes 5-1/3 oz of sauce, that means a case of sauce covers 120 pizzas (640 ÷ 5-1/3 = 120). So, what is the savings per pizza with the lower-quality sauce? It amounts to only 2‑1/2 cents per pie ($3.00 ÷ 120 = 2-1/2¢). This raises a number of questions. Is it worth 2-1/2¢ to have less than the best sauce flavor on your pizza? If it’s vitally impor­tant to increase your profit per pizza by 2-1/2¢, wouldn’t a wiser move be to raise the price by three cents rather than jeopardize the product’s flavor? Finally, wouldn’t any pizza-eater gladly pay three cents more to get a pizza with the best possible flavor?

 

Sauce Formulas


This section discusses sauce formulas and gives links to sample recipes. Each recipe name suggests its main feature. We recommend that you view each formula as a starting point for development, as opposed to treating it as a final recipe. Dozens of variations can be made on each one. Try varying the type of tomato prod­ucts and also type and amount of spice and seasonings. For example, if a sauce is too thick for you, try a thinner tomato product or add water.

We show batch sizes for 40 lb, 20 lb and, for testing, 3-1/3 lb of tomato product—or six No. 10 cans, three No. 10 cans, and half a can, respectively. We assume that a can yields 6 lb - 10 oz of product but, in reality, it can vary slightly.

To get accurate measures for a small batch it sometimes helps to blend a larger batch of spices in the proportion called for by the recipe, then measure out an amount equal to the total of all portions combined, rather than try to measure each spice individually.

Directions assume that sauces are prepared in uncooked form. However you may cook them if you like—simply follow the previous guidelines for Preparing Cooked Sauce. We also assume that the sauce is mixed in a cutter-mixer. However a plane­tary mixer will do it, too. A quick way to mix small test batches is with a domestic blender or food processor.

Useful Information

It may help to know that 3 teaspoons (t) = 1 table­spoon (T). Use level measures, not rounded. Spices should be loosely packed when measuring, not pressed into the spoon.

All spices are dry unless indicated “fresh.” Fresh spices may be substituted for dry, but double the portion amount. Frozen spices can be considered for substituting for fresh.

Garlic and onion are dry granulated (powder) unless indicated “fresh.” Fresh garlic and onion may be substi­tuted for dry. Substitute fresh for dry on a 1:1 ratio. If the flavor isn’t strong enough, increase the amount slightly. Keep in mind that different types of garlic and onion vary in flavor intensity. Once you find the flavor you want, stay with that type. Use sweet-tasting rather than pungent onion.

When a recipe specifies a can, it means No. 10 size can. To convert measurements into metric equiva­lents, see the chapter on Measurements and Conver­sions.

Sauce Recipes (a.k.a. Formulas)

1. Simple Sauce (but tasty)

2. Neapolitan Sauce

3. Sicilian Sauce

4. Hot 'n' Spicy Sauce

5. Mild 'n' Mellow Sauce

6. Rich 'n' Hearty Sauce

7. Fresh 'n' Tangy Sauce

8. Sweet 'n' Sassy Sauce

9. Chicago Deep-dish Sauce

10. Garlic 'n' Wine Sauce

11. Fennel 'n' Beer Sauce


Sample Production Procedure


This procedure is for making an uncooked sauce using a 45-qt cutter-mixer.

A key to consistent pizza flavor is consistent prepa­ration procedure. Ingredients, amounts, and times should be the same from batch to batch. If they aren’t, sauce will vary and so will pizza flavor.

The basis for consistency is a simple, clearly written procedure. With it, effective training and implemen­ta­tion are possible. Without it, they’re difficult.

There’s no one best production procedure. It differs from company to company depending on such things as type of sauce, recipe, equipment, space, and owner prefer­ences. So, the following procedure is not given as a recommendation but as an example. It’s meant to show how a procedure might be written, not how sauce should be made in every pizzeria. It covers a medium-to-high volume pizzeria that uses uncooked sauce and mixes it in a 45-qt cutter-mixer. (For more details see the section on Cutter-mixers in the Mixers and Food Processing Equipment chapter.) Keep in mind that times and proce­dures vary between brands of cutter-mixers. This proce­dure happens to be written for a Stephan, Westglen, or Berkel model.

Introductio­n

Sauce-making is simple, but to do it right you must work swiftly and measure ingredients exactly. By following these steps you will have consistent quality and minimal mistakes.

Recipe for One Batch (Simple Sauce)

INGREDIENTS FOR ONE BATCH

6   No. 10 cans (40 lb) Pizza Sauce

5 oz  Granular Spice Formula

1 oz  Leaf Spice Formula

40 lb  Total Batch Weight

GRANULAR SPICE FORMULA = 1 oz black pepper, 1 oz granulated garlic, 1 oz granulated onion, 2 oz salt

LEAF SPICE FORMULA = 1/2 oz leaf basil, 1/2 oz leaf oregano

Set-up

  1.   Obtain the production figures from the manager and set up the Production Sheet.

  2.   Clear the tables and work area of unneeded items.

  3.   Gather utensils:

•   2 tubs for dumping sauce

•   2 large rubber spatulas

•   2 spice formula containers

•   Portioning pan

•   Packaging for sauce (plastic bags and ties, or sauce tubs and lids)

•   Sauce crates and dollies

  4.   Gather ingredients:

•   Pizza sauce (six cans per batch)

•   Granular spice formula (mixed by man­ager)

•   Leaf spice formula (mixed by manager)

  5.   Assemble the cutter-mixer for sauce mixing:

A) Remove the kneading shaft, if not already removed.

B) Attach the cutting shaft. Be careful with the sharp blades. Screw down the locking nut snugly, but not overly tight. For tight­ening (or removing) the locking nut, use the spanner and peg wrenches.

C) Remove the mixing baffle, but leave on the plastic inspection cover.

D) Tighten the locking handle and insert the locking pin.

  6.   Open 6 cans of PIZZA SAUCE and place them on the table next to the cutter-mixer.

Scaling and Mixing

  1.   Weigh 5 oz (0.31 lb) GRANULAR spice formula into a spice container. Together, the container and formula should weigh exactly ____ oz on the spring scale or ____ lb on the electronic scale.

  2.   Weigh 1 oz (0.06 lb) LEAF spice formula into another spice container. Together, the contain­er and formula should weigh exactly ____ oz on the spring scale or ____ lb on the electronic scale.

  3.   Add 3 cans of PIZZA SAUCE to the cutter-mixer. Using the rubber spatula, scrape the cans clean.

  4.   Add both spice formulas by pouring them in a circle over the sauce in the mixer.

  5.   Add 3 cans of PIZZA SAUCE over the spices. Cover the spices with sauce. Using the rubber spatula, scrape the cans clean.

  6.   With a rubber spatula, make sure the spices are covered with tomato mixture. NOTE: Spices left on top of the mixture may fly to the sides of the bowl and the underside of the lid, and never get mixed in.

  7.   Prepare the cutter-mixer for mixing:

A) Close the lid and lock the bowl latch.

B) Close the plastic inspection cover.

C) Tighten the locking handle and insert the locking pin.

  8.   Mix on LOW speed for 5 seconds, then switch to HIGH speed for 1 minute. Turn on the cutter-mixer to low speed by pushing the handle one notch away from you (or by pressing the start button). Advance it to high speed by pushing the handle a second notch. Turn off the cutter-mixer by pulling the handle back fully.

  9.   While sauce is mixing, place a sauce dumping tub between the cutter-mixer legs.

10.   After 1 minute of mixing, turn off the machine.

11.   Turn the mixing baffle handle to the left side (9 o’clock position) and open the lid.

12.   With the rubber spatula, carefully scrape the sauce from the lid. Start at the bottom of the lid and scrape upward along the sides. Angle the spatula so the sauce falls inward and into the bowl.

13.   While holding the bowl latch with your left hand, remove the locking pin and loosen the locking handle with your right.

14.   Grasping the bowl latch in your right hand and the cover knob in your left, slowly tip the bowl until the sauce almost pours from it. Then, with your left hand, position the tub so it will catch the sauce. When ready, continue tipping and pour the sauce into the tub. After pouring the bulk of the sauce, upright the bowl, tighten the locking handle and insert the locking pin. (For a demonstration, ask the manager.)

15.   Move the sauce tub to the portioning station.

16.   Repeat the above Scaling and Mixing process for additional batches.

NOTE: When pouring out the last batch, scrape all sauce from the mixing bowl with a RUBBER SPATULA. Be careful around the sharp blades.

Portioning and Storage

This step is written for packing sauce in plastic bags for shipment to other locations. For strictly on-site prepara­tion, substitute food containers for plastic bags and crates.

  1.   Put two plastic sauce bags into a bucket.

  2.   Put the bucket and bags on the electronic scale.

  3.   With the ladle, weigh 10 lb sauce into each sauce package. Together, the package and sauce should weigh exactly ____ lb. (Or, if there’s a tare button, zero-out the scale with the tub on it and weigh out 10 lb of sauce.)

  4.   Seal the package tightly with a twist tie.

  5.   Pack 4 bags of sauce per crate.

  6.   Date the crate.

  7.   Stack 12 crates per dolly.

  8.   After you have a full dolly, push it into the walk-in refrigerator.

  9.   Always position the newly mixed sauce behind older sauce.

10.   When finished, clean up following the proce­dures in the Clean-up section of this manual.

11.   Dispose of empty cans by cutting out the bottoms, crushing the cylinders, and packing them into a discarded box. Dispose of the corrugated boxes by cutting the corners and stacking them flat, so we conserve space in the trash dumpster.

INTERIM CLEANING: If you will be using the cutter-mixer next for dough or cheese, use the following short cleaning procedure instead of the full Cutter-mixer Cleaning procedure. (For full cleaning procedure, see the Cutter-mixer section in the Mixers and Food Processing Equipment chapter.)

A) Fill the bowl half full with warm—not hot—water.

B) Add 1 Tablespoon (1/2 pump) non-sudsing all-purpose cleaner (e.g., Soilax All-purpose Clean­er).

C) Close the lid and plastic inspection cover. Tighten the locking handle and insert the locking pin.

D) To turn on, flip the switch handle on-and-off with a single momentary snap. Before the blades stop moving, turn the switch to low speed for 5 seconds; then advance it to high speed for 30 seconds. While running at high speed, turn the mixing baffle counter­clockwise. NOTE: Turning the cutter-mixer directly to high speed will cause soapy water to spray from the lid.

E) Turn off the cutter-mixer. Remove the locking pin and loosen the locking handle. Open the lid.

F) Pour the soapy water into a sauce dumping tub.

G) Repeat steps A to F using clear water.

H) Wipe clean the outside of the cutter-mixer with a clean cloth and clear water.


 

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