For Restaurant-Worthy Pizza, It Matters When You Add Your Toppings

It's almost too easy to call up a local pizzeria and order your go-to pie, but sometimes the extra effort of making a homemade pizza is worth it. You have control over the kind of crust you use — and get to add your favorite ingredients and gourmet pizza toppings, such as artichoke hearts. But, even though the garnish of red chili flakes might be as essential as the crumbled sausage, not all toppings are created equal when it comes to when you should add them to your homemade pizza.

Certain ingredients need to be in the oven for the pizza's full cooking time to warm, crisp, or become tender, while other additions don't require much heat at all. When you go to make a homemade pie, the first ingredients that go on are the sauce and cheese, respectively. But one of the mistakes you might make with pizza toppings is to load up the pie with everything else you plan to add before it goes in the oven.

Here are some of the toppings that you should add to the pizza from the start: Any raw vegetables like bell peppers and tomatoes can go on from the jump so the ingredients have sufficient time to cook along with the crust and cheese. Meanwhile, thick veggies like mushrooms, root vegetables, and eggplant should be cooked first, then added, so their water content doesn't turn the pizza soggy. Raw meats like chicken should also be pre-cooked, while crumbled sausage and pepperoni can be spread on your pizza before it first goes into the oven.

Add cheese and pepperoni from the beginning, but there are a handful of toppings that need to be added just a few minutes before it's time for the pizza to come out of the oven. For example, if you like a fried egg on top, then add it when there are about seven minutes of cooking time left. Otherwise, it might overcook and the yolk won't stay runny. Other ingredients that cook rather fast, like sun-dried tomatoes and citrus-roasted broccoli, can wait until toward the end. And pre-cooked ingredients like shredded chicken should go on top within the last few minutes of cooking so they don't dry out.

Finally, some toppings should be used as a garnish after it comes out of the oven, just before you serve and eat it. Fresh herbs such as basil and greens like arugula do not need to be cooked with the pizza. A drizzle of hot honey or olive oil, dash of hot sauce, or squirt of ranch should also go on the pizza after it's been cooked. Finally, your go-to finishes, like red chili flakes, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, and even black pepper, can be sprinkled on just before the first bite, just like you would do at your local pizzeria. And to really step up your game, here are more tips for making the best homemade pizza.