Have you ever noticed that pizza sauce is distinct from marinara for one specific reason? It’s often just a touch sweeter. Sweet tomato sauces melds with salty cheese and yeasted bread to create a taste sensation we simply can’t put down. Even when we move away from classic Margherita or cheese pizza preparations, many of our favorite ingredient combinations balance salty with sweet — think ham and pineapple, pepperoni and candied jalapeno, caramelized onions and prosciutto, or tangy goat cheese and fig. But if you love super salty pizza toppings like parmesan, pecorino, sausage, olives, and even anchovies, you can actually bring in a hint of sweetness where you’d least expect it: in the crust.
When making homemade pizza dough, most recipes call for yeast, bread or 00 flour, water, salt, and a little sugar. While sugar isn’t strictly necessary, it can help activate the yeast so that your dough rises more quickly. It also helps your crust achieve a bit more crisp browning, especially if you don’t have a super hot pizza oven to work with. If you’d like your crust to taste a touch sweeter, add another teaspoon of white sugar to your usual recipe.
For a slightly more nuanced flavor, you can also try replacing your sugar with a teaspoon of honey or molasses. This method results in a delicious dough in its own right, perfect for those of us who like to munch on our crusts after the rest of the pizza is gone. Another pro tip? Any residual slightly sweetened pieces of crust taste even better with a drizzle of hot honey.
For an even sweeter spin, try dessert pizza
A little extra sugar or honey adds subtle complexity to classic pizza crust. But what if you’re aiming for a dough that’s more dessert-like? You’ll actually need to add quite a bit of sugar for any strong sweetness to come through. A quarter cup of brown sugar is enough to make your dough distinctly sweet, but not so sweet that it suddenly tastes more like a pastry than a pizza. If you’re hosting a pizza night for friends or family, consider making one small ball of dessert dough as you mix together your usual. One slice of dessert pizza is usually all you’ll need as a sweet treat.
In terms of toppings, consider pairing camembert or brie alongside your favorite fruit preserves before baking. Baked apples, pears, and caramel would also pair perfectly with your brown sugar crust. Or add a few toppings to a crust that’s already been baked like Nutella, freshly sliced fruit, powdered sugar, mascarpone, or chopped nuts. Now you know: one small, sweet addition to your dough is a serious game changer.
