So the other pizza topic got me wondering: what do you all think is the most important part of the pie? The cheese, the sauce, or the crust. We're talking just a normal cheese pizza.

Without a doubt, I think sauce, and here's how I got there:

Cheese: Mozzerella is an almost flavorless cheese (at least as cheeses go), so other then adding the ooey gooey goodness, and the stomach filling protein, it doesn't make or break a pizza. As long as it's decent quality, it's fine.

Crust: This one is tricky- for many, it's all about the crust. But it's not the most important. The crust is just a vehicle for the sauce and cheese. And although the texture of the crust can make or break a pizza, texture, as a property of food, must take a backseat to flavor....which is where the sauce comes in.

Sauce: undeniably the most important part of a pizza. This is the pies flavor. You may like the texture of the crust, but its the flavor of the sauce that you crave, whether you know it or not. If the pizza's crust and cheese are great, but the sauce is garbadge, the pizza is garbadge. But a piece of carboard with cheap cheese will still taste good if the sauce is outstanding. It's all about flavor.

So what do you guys think? Lets talk pizza! Man, now Im hungry.

See, I LOVE the cheese, but it is hard to choose between cheese, crust and, sauce. If either of them are crappy, the whole thing it ruined.

I'd say crust and sauce, although, if the toppings are crap it doesn't matter

fresh REAL meat and veggies and a nice realy baked crust is what makes a pizza eatable right now  and 6 days later HOLD the anchovies(BLAH) who thought of bait as a pizza topping anyhow

All Three for me

1. Goat milk Cheese Wet Mozzarella; nothing tasteless about this! Your confusing mass produced balls of Plastic Like Cheese that most think is mozzarella!

Sprinkled with Fresh Pecorino (goat milk) Romano Cheese.

2. Sauce: Made with just good quality plum tomatoes REAL GARLIC,REAL FRESH BASIL and REAL OLIVE OIL, TOPPED WITH FRESH OREGANO!

3, Crust; I ain't giving up the family recipe and dough retarder temp but i will tell you that Pure Orange Clove Honey in the dough yields an incredible crunchy crust without burning it

We used gas ovens for most of our pies, for some reason many preferred it that way

For them more traditional crowd and our family WOOD BURNING OVEN was the only way to make a great pizza.

I am a big fan of St. Louis style pizza (not Imo's either).  We have a local mom and pop place that is my personal favorite pizza place.  St Louis stlye pizza uses Provel cheese which gives the pizza a taste unlike any other pizza. (seems like you either love it or hate it)  Plus this particular place uses high quality toppings bought directly from a local butcher.

So I guess I would have to say the cheese.

All Three for me

1. Goat milk Cheese Wet Mozzarella; nothing tasteless about this! Your confusing mass produced balls of Plastic Like Cheese that most think is mozzarella!

Sprinkled with Fresh Pecorino (goat milk) Romano Cheese.

quote]

Mozzerlla IS a mild cheese, no matter what the quality or age. So even though a fine, hand made, goat milk mozzarella IS superior in flavor to the mozz. most folks are familiar with, that flavor is still mild. I mean, the strongest mozz. I've ever eaten, although delicious, I would still say has half the flavor of say, parmesan. Its just not a strongly flavored cheese.

So It's hard to say that it's the most important part of a pie, considering it only accounts for a small part of a pie's flavor profile.

Gotcha! Yes when put that way it is milder than sharp grating cheeses

Give this a try

Start with some smaller goat milk Mozzarella Balls

Drain the water then in a bowl

Smother them with virgin olive oil

add a nice bit of sun dried tomatoes reconstituted with virgin olive oil

add some fresh Basil ( chopped fine)

Crushed Red Pepper

Pitted/oil cured black olives

Fresh Garlic,sliced paper thin or finely grated

sprinkle a bit of oregano on it  

mix it up till all coated with the oil, leave in fridge, at least overnight and enjoy!

If i am ever able to do this...i want to head down to Chicago to Gino's place.

I hear their deep dish pizzas are one of the best in U.S.  

Gotcha! Yes when put that way it is milder than sharp grating cheeses

Give this a try

Start with some smaller goat milk Mozzarella Balls

Drain the water then in a bowl

Smother them with virgin olive oil

add a nice bit of sun dried tomatoes reconstituted with virgin olive oil

add some fresh Basil ( chopped fine)

Crushed Red Pepper

Pitted/oil cured black olives

Fresh Garlic,sliced paper thin or finely grated

sprinkle a bit of oregano on it

mix it up till all coated with the oil, leave in fridge, at least overnight and enjoy!

Sounds like ambrosia...I will!

[For them more traditional crowd and our family WOOD BURNING OVEN was the only way to make a great pizza. /quote]

If you like it this way, there's a place in Ft. Lauderdale called "Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza" located on Rte. 1 near the airport.

They cook their pies at a ridiculously high temp for a short period of time. The ingredients are top notch. It isn't for everyone, but if your a fan of crispy crust pizza this one's a winner.

The crust.

The spicy sausage.

I am a big fan of St. Louis style pizza (not Imo's either). We have a local mom and pop place that is my personal favorite pizza place. St Louis stlye pizza uses Provel cheese which gives the pizza a taste unlike any other pizza. (seems like you either love it or hate it) Plus this particular place uses high quality toppings bought directly from a local butcher.

So I guess I would have to say the cheese.

Next time you're in St Louis, go to Rigazzi's on the Hill.. Best St Louis style pizza in the city.  

I say crust also. If the crust is too crunchy or doughy it ruins it for me.

We have a small chain pizza place that makes pies with provolone cheese. It is a refreshing change from the traditional mozzarella every once in a while.

When I order one from Domino's and tell them to be sure and come to the back door. They always go to the front and the dogs will chase them round and round the yard till they throw the pizza down and run like hell to the car. Then they sit there and blow the horn for me to come pay them. I usually give them a tip also. ;D

CRUST!

(And as far as toppings go gotta have MUSHROOMS.  Nothing makes a pizza quite like a solid layer of fungus topping it.  And I found out a thin layer of mashed potatoes or cut up perogies are pretty good as toppings when visiting my Irish born family members who insist that potatoes be included in everything)

Crust.

I used to work at Papa Johns when I was younger and you really have to kneed the dough and toss it right to get it even and free of air bubbles.

I agree with Brent though, too much sauce ruins a pizza for me.

Crust here as well.  As someone I believe said the crust is the vehicle, and the rest of the pizza wont make it down the hatch without a good crust.

 No offense meant.

 I know this is a long winter but someone put this thread out of its misery. J/K

 The sausage and the crust ( you don't eat cheese pizza that's like kissing your sister!) )

SuskyDude - it's hard to argue with that. I have to agree with you.

Although some may disagree, think of it this way: if you were to combine two of the three ingredients and omit one, which meal would be the least flavorful? It has to be the crust with cheese right? Sauce and cheese, although you would have to eat it with a spoon, would still be pretty delicious, and crust and sauce would also be delicious (like breadsticks). Moz cheese on a crust could still be delicious, but not as flavorful as the first two combinations  

I love the crust.  The thicker it is, the better.

But you find sauce and cheese on just about any Italian dish. Lasagna noodles make the Lasagna, why wouldn't the crust make the Pizza?

Sorry I'm bored at work...

SuskyDude - you should rename this thread "The Philosophy of Pizza"  ;D

SuskyDude - you should rename this thread "The Philosophy of Pizza" ;D

Thats more or less what I was going for. Everyone likes pizza, and everyone has an opinion on what makes a great one.

I guess it boils down to whats more important to you: flavor of texture.

For me, although both are important, flavor trumps texture.

I can deal with bad texture if it tastes good. For example, oysters feel like little balls of snot in your mouth...but they taste sooo good....know what I mean? Thats why I think the sauce is more important: most of a pie's flavor comes from the sauce.