Pizza toppings too wet?

I make pizza from scratch very often, maybe once a week. I've found that sometimes when I pull the pizza out of the oven, the middle/top of the pizza is wet, enough that it looks like a little puddle in the middle. My typical toppings are: red sauce, mozzarella, pickled jalepenos, marinated artichoke hearts, and pepperoni. I'm wondering if it's maybe that the mozzarella, jalapenos, and artichoke hearts maybe were not dry enough when I put them on the pizza. Anybody else experience this or have any insight on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks!

Sophia Kenyon
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6 Comments

Alyssa
Alyssa May 17, 2018
I pre-bake my crust in a cast iron pan at 425° for about 10 minutes before adding the toppings, and that seems to help. I also skip the sauce, and sauté my veggies before piling them on the crust. I bake the whole thing in cast iron to create a crispier crust.
 
Bevi
Bevi May 17, 2018
I slice my mozz cheese as thinly as possible, and also make a pizza sauce that is almost a paste. I find that applying the sauce with a rubber spatula and making scraping off excess keeps the pizza from becoming moist.
 
Corj
Corj May 17, 2018
My pizza game took an upturn when I started seriously reducing tomato sauce to an almost paste-like consistency. Ditto for any Veg that sweat / releases water. I just roast or pan sautée beforehand. Fixed my soggy middle problem.
 
Nancy
Nancy May 17, 2018
Another idea: if you're buying or making pickled jalapenos and marinated artichoke hearts, you're losing a lot of flavor if you drain them.
Consider serving them as optional garnishes at the table.
Or use raw jalapenos and artichoke hearts (fresh or frozen) in baking the pizza.
 
BerryBaby
BerryBaby May 17, 2018
I agree with Smaug. Too many toppings or too much sauce/cheese. A pizza place we go to will not put on more than two toppings, even if you ask for more.
Try cutting the amount you put on and, yes, make sure as much liquid as possible has been removed.
 
Smaug
Smaug May 17, 2018
Any moisture on top of a pizza is a potential problem- red sauces are often too wet, and your jalapenos and artichoke hearts could bring a lot of moisture. Low moisture Mozarella is ok, but fresh can be another source of moisture. The most common problem is probably tomatoes- I favor using halved cherry tomatoes, cut side up, and I reduce my sauce to more or less a paste consistency. A lot of makers like to put their red sauce on in a spiral pattern, so there are sections of dough not covered- this is said to reduce sogginess. I usually cook my pizzas low in the oven at max temperature, but finish them with about a minute under the broiler (about 4" away), and this too helps reduce surface moisture. Moisture is a cumulative problem you have to look at everything you're putting on there to keep it in check. Excessive cheese, or excessive toppings in general, can contribute too.
 
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