Most people add pepperoni, ham, sausage, barbecue chicken, or ground beef to their pizzas. Some add up to four types of meat for a meat lover's pie.
Since most homemade pizza recipes call for a 475F to 500F oven, it may seem natural to place raw meat toppings with the dough. But does it get cooked properly?
Raw meats like sausage shouldn't be added to pizza. Most homemade pizza recipes ask for high cooking temperatures and a short 10 to 12 minute cook time.
This high temperature gives pizza dough its crispy outside layer and quickly cooks the center. But, raw meat cooks more slowly.
Healthline reports that although raw sausages need roughly 30 minutes of boiling time, precooked sausages only need 10.
Raw sausages just need to be broiled, or charred, in a hot oven for 10 minutes total, with a flip midway through cooking time.
In general, uncooked meats such as sausages should be added to pizza dough only after they have been fully cooked. This regulation applies strictly to raw meats.
According to Foodosity, cured and smoked meats such as salami are safe to consume right out of the packaging due to the fermentation and drying processes.
Given their similar reddish hue and thick pockets, it is easy to mistake salami and pepperoni for raw sausage, but they are considerably different.