Cooked vs uncooked tomato sauce
Both subjects must be shot at the same physical scale — no cropping one closer than the other
| Field | Cooked tomato sauce | Uncooked San Marzano-style tomato sauce |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Pre-cooked and reduced before application | Raw crushed or hand-passed tomatoes applied uncooked |
| Texture | Thicker, reduced, more concentrated | Loose, slightly chunky, uncooked puree |
| Acidity | Moderate | High |
| Water content | Moderate | High |
| Typical application | 90-150g per 30cm pizza — its lower water content tolerates a slightly heavier hand | 60-90g per 30cm pizza, applied thinly since it cooks entirely during the bake |
| Best bake type | Longer, lower-temperature bakes, since the flavour is already developed before baking | Very high, short bakes — relies on the bake itself to cook it through |
| Typical styles | New York, Detroit, Chicago tavern-style, Grandma | Neapolitan, Marinara, pizza canotto |
| Main risk if mismatched | Tastes flat if under-seasoned or over-reduced; too much sugar produces an overly sweet, commercial taste | Tastes raw or acidic if used on a bake too cool or slow to finish cooking it |
Which suits you
Use cooked tomato sauce for any style baked longer or cooler than a genuine high-heat Neapolitan bake — its flavour is already developed, so it doesn't rely on the bake itself to finish cooking. Reserve uncooked sauce for genuinely very hot, fast bakes (Neapolitan, pizza canotto), where the short cook time is exactly what the raw sauce is designed for; used on a slower bake it will taste raw rather than developed.