Pizza sauces: Pizza Hut vs Papa John's

[rockey_f_squirrell]

Trying to create a better tasting pasta sauce, i have noticed a great difference between pizza hut sauce and papa johns pizza sauces.

I generally like papa johns pizza the best as their sauce has a 'softer' taste where as pizza hut has that sharp tomatoey taste.

Does anyone know what makes the two different, as i would like to have a tomato related sauce but not so sharp or tomatoey, but more of a meaty flavor.

 

[Andy M.]

Tomatoes are acidic and that is what causes the sharp taste. If you neutralize the acid, the sharp bite will be reduced or eliminated. Some folks try to do this by adding sugar to the sauce but I don't like the sweetness.

If the sauce is acidic, add a very small amount of baking soda to neutralize the acid without changing the flavor. When the baking soda reacts with the acid, salt is a by-product so season the sauce after adding the b. soda.

 

[Cheryl J]

Tomatoes are acidic and that is what causes the sharp taste. If you neutralize the acid, the sharp bite will be reduced or eliminated. Some folks try to do this by adding sugar to the sauce but I don't like the sweetness.

If the sauce is acidic, add a very small amount of baking soda to neutralize the acid without changing the flavor. When the baking soda reacts with the acid, salt is a by-product so season the sauce after adding the b. soda.

+1....

 

[GotGarlic]

+2. A very small amount would be about 1/4 teaspoon. It can taste metallic if you use too much, so start small, taste, and add another 1/4 teaspoon if necessary.

And don't forget the dried oregano. For me, that's what makes it pizza sauce

 

[Janet H]

I make pizza almost weekly and after lots of experimenting now use a can of plain old tomato sauce, like Hunts. It has robust and rounded tomato flavor which is key to great pizza - not too sweet and not too acidic. It's also ridiculously simple.

Pour sauce onto the crust and spread out. Then sprinkle on dried seasonings:

Ground fennel seed
Garlic powder
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried parsley

Be generous!

Then top with cheese and favorite toppings. The dried herbs are important because they soak up moisture from the sauce and improve consistency.

 

[Sagittarius]

I peel the skins off & de-seed plum tomatoes for my tomato sauce.

Thanks for all the tips ..

Have a nice weekend.