How to Create a Presentation for Plating a Pizza

By now we all know that the way things look certainly impacts our perception of the way they taste. If someone slops a pile of food on your plate, you’d be less hesitant to try something than if it was plated in a beautiful manner…especially in a restaurant. The same goes for pizza plating presentation. Although some imperfections are a plus in Neapolitan style pizza, the overall look should be that of a delicious pizza. With time and practice you can achieve beautiful pizza plating. This article will walk you through the best pizza plating ideas.

Why Pizza Presentation Matters

The saying “feast your eyes on this” generally refers to greater beauty, but it’s also true when we are looking at food we are going to actually eat. When you see a beautiful spread of food, you’re often more excited to dig in, especially if it’s at a party or event. These days we also see pizza plating for social media, who doesn’t want to see that cheese pull?!

Pizza presentation can enhance the guest experience, especially at a party or in a restaurant. If you are serving a variety of types or styles of pizza, presentation can help differentiate what you are serving as well.

Everyone these days is looking for that “wow’ moment to share on social media. If you are making pizza for an event, on a food truck or in a restaurant, the importance of pizza presentation is that it can actually be a marketing tool. People tend to choose places that have good reviews and “look good” so presentation can actually mean a lot.

How to plate a pizza?

How you plate a pizza isn’t that difficult if you think through a few basic categories.

Color: Color can be a great way to make your pizza look incredible. Even a simple cheese pizza can look that much more elevated with a pop of green from fresh basil. If you are using bell peppers try choosing a mix of colors.
Shape: It’s not always easy to create a perfectly round pizza but with practice you can create a pizza that looks restaurant quality. You’ll also want to pay attention to the shape and size consistency of your toppings to make a more aesthetically pleasing pie.
Spacing: The way you lay out your toppings and slice your pizza. You’ll want consistent sized slices and equal topping distribution on each slice. How to place pizza toppings can feel like a puzzle at first but it’s helpful to imagine your pizza in slices so you can properly spread out your toppings.

So How Do You Present a Pizza Nicely?

There are many different ways to present a pizza nicely and the pizza plating techniques you use are up to you. Here are a few suggestions.

Choose Toppings That Elevate Your Plating

Beyond your typical toppings, there are many garnishes that can elevate your plating.

Herbs: fresh basil, thyme, even mint can have a place on your pizza
Cheese: freshly grating parmesan or pecorino, or dollops of ricotta on top can give your pizza an elevated look.
Other ideas: Pestos, herb oils. Hot honey. Microgreens or even edible flowers can add another element to your pie.

Get Creative with Plating

Pizza plating techniques will likely be different based on if you are hosting a gathering or just making pizza for your family. There are many awesome ways to plate in different settings.

At Home Pizza Party

For an at-home pizza party, often the best plating makes the party interactive. Slice your pizza and serve on big trays or wooden boards so people are encouraged to try different slices and share amongst friends. You may want to make your slices on the smaller side so everyone can sample.

You can also create a topping bar for those that want to finish their pizza with everything from hot honey to giardiniera to make it even more interactive.

For social media

If you want to make a pizza look pretty for Instagram, it might require a little staging. Think about visually appealing cues like color or unique topping combinations that will make people interested in your pizza.

Catering events for large groups

If you are catering a large event, consistency in plating is key. You’ll want things to be more uniform and equal. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it by providing a dipping sauce or topping each piece with a basil leaf or creating a buffet style spread with some table decor.

Restaurants

For restaurants it’s all about consistency. Customers expect your pizza to look (and taste!) a certain way so plating is all about consistency. Uniform slices, even topping distribution and how you plate matters and may differ in presentation for artisanal pizza versus New York style.

FAQs

Q: How is pizza traditionally served?

A: Pizza is traditionally served as a whole pie sliced into triangles or squares or as a single slice.

Q: How to present pizza at a pizza party for adults?

A: There is no one right way to serve pizza at a party for adults. Depending on your closeness with the crew, you can serve the pizzas family style. You can also plate various slices or serve a whole pie per 2-3 adults. The presentation is up to you.

About Fontana Forni Pizza Ovens

Fontana Forni outdoor pizza ovens offer you the best of both worlds; all of our hybrid, gas and wood-fired pizza ovens feature modern materials and 100% Italian construction. Discover the benefits of our pizza ovens online or call 877-223-8056

Looking for inspiration on types of pizza and various ways to present them? Head to our Recipes page for a ton of different ideas to use for your next pizza gathering.

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