tomatoes—reacting with alkaline ingredients in dough or a pinch of baking soda. It’s a harmless chemical interaction, especially common in deep-dish or thick-crust pizzas where sauce and dough spend more time in contact during baking. No danger, just chemistry.
When to Actually Be Concerned
While most unusual-looking pizza traits are perfectly normal, true signs of spoilage do exist. Trust your senses:
Visible mold: Fuzzy growth in green, black, or blue on sauce, cheese, or crust
Off odors: A sour, rancid, or ammonia-like smell
Abnormal texture: A sticky, stringy slime (distinct
