When to Put Fresh Basil on Pizza (5 Rules + Tips Basil)

Share this Article!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This website also participates in other affiliate programs and may earn commissions if you shop through the links used on this website. 

(This article was originally published on August 3, 2022 and was last updated on August 3, 2022)

When I think about things that pair well with basil, I have to admit it’s hard to get my brain to think very far beyond pizza. Fresh mozzarella cheese, a simple sauce made with fresh tomatoes, and gorgeous green basil leaves…it’s hard to beat!

And while it’s not controversial to declare basil is a delicious pizza topping, it is surprisingly controversial when it comes to timing, and exactly when in the cooking process to put fresh basil on pizza.

If you’ve been wondering when to add fresh basil to pizza, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for the 5 options for adding fresh basil as a pizza topping, and when you should choose one or another.

Onward, pizzaiolo!

When to put Basil on Pizza

There’s no hard or fast rule about when to put fresh basil on pizza, and you’re likely to find different approaches to this question in different places.

While some sources suggest whether you add fresh basil to pizza before or after cooking depends on the type of pizza oven you use (wood fired/brick oven vs electric oven), and the basil placement on the pizza (on top of the cheese or underneath the cheese), the fact is you can find all sorts of examples of legendary pizza places placing their basil on pizza at different times in the pizza making process.

In Naples, the home of pizza, you’re likely to find restaurants add fresh basil to the pizza before cooking it in a wood fired oven. Jamie Oliver agrees, it would seem!

On the other hand, Brooklyn’s legendary Lucali adds fresh basil after cooking, and cooks their pizzas in a brick oven.

So what’s the right answer for your next pizza?

Collage of two pizzas with one using fresh basil leaves cooked with the pizza, and one with fresh basil leaves added after the pizza was cooked. When to put basil on pizza depends on the oven you use and personal preference.

The Problem with Fresh Basil in a Pizza Oven

Basil is a fairly delicate herb, and doesn’t do well at high heat, or being heated for long stretches in an oven. When exposed to heat, basil leaves can oxidize, which causes them to turn from beautiful green or purple to brown or grey, shrivel up, and get a bit blackened and crunchy.

Traditional pizza Napoletana is made in a wood fired or brick oven, cooked at extremely high heat (around 500 degrees F) for an extraordinarily short time (around a minute or two). Adding fresh basil on top of the pizza dough, and then baking it using this method, there’s not a lot of time for the basil to turn black, wither away, or get crunchy on the edges.

However, most of us don’t have brick ovens for our pizzas at home. And herein lies the problem with adding fresh basil to pizza: when we cook it at home, the basil is quick to blacken, wither, and get burnt or crunchy.

When to Put Fresh Basil on Pizza? 5 Options & How to Choose

Here are the four main suggestions or approaches in terms of when to add basil to your pizza:

  • Adding fresh whole basil leaves before cooking the pizza
  • Throw basil leaves (whole, rough or finely chopped, or thinly sliced as a chiffonade) on your pizza after cooking
  • Add fresh basil leaves in the middle of cooking the pizza
  • Top your pizza with fresh basil leaves after its cooked and has rested for a few minutes
  • Put fresh basil on pizza before cooking and before adding mozzarella – this is the mozzarella on top method.

Which of these options you choose depends on how you plan to cook your pizza, as well as your personal preference and what you consider to be a great pizza!

Cooking with an Ooni, or Similar at Home Pizza Oven

If you’re using one of the purpose-built at home pizza ovens, such as the Ooni, you’re good to add fresh basil to your pizza before baking, after its finished baking, or in the middle of baking.

The Ooni gets really, really hot – like up to 900 degrees F hot – which means your pizza can be in and out in about two minutes.

Santa Barbara Baker throws basil on his pizza before baking in his Ooni, and you can see that while the basil does darken and shrink a bit, it still looks amazing, when using fresh whole basil leaves on top of the mozzarella.

If you tear, chop or chiffonade your basil before cooking the pizza, it doesn’t stand up to the heat of the Ooni as well. Therefore, if you’re going to put your basil on your pizza before cooking in the Ooni, I recommend using fresh whole leaves, rather than chopped leaves.

There’s a third option that I like, which is cooking the pizza first for about 1 minute / 1 minute 20 seconds, and pulling it out of the Ooni. At this point, when the pizza is almost cooked, toss the fresh basil leaves on and return it to the oven for another 40 to 60 seconds.

Cooking Pizza in a Standard Electric Oven at Home

Cooking a great pizza at home, in your normal kitchen oven, is a bit different from using an ultra high heat pizza oven.

Pizza is best when cooked at high heat, so you’ll want to preheat your oven before beginning to the highest heat setting, and give it a bit of extra time (20 to 30 minutes) at high heat before you put the pizza in the oven. If you have one, use a preheated pizza stone or pizza steel (or flip over a baking sheet to serve as a makeshift pizza steel).

Even if you crank the heat on the oven, you’ll still need to bake your pizza for 8 to 12 minutes in a conventional electric oven.

This presents a problem for basil, as that long at that heat will transform the texture, flavors, look and aroma of the basil – and not for the better.

When cooking pizza at home in your conventional oven, the best time to add fresh basil to your pizza is:

  • At the end, when you’ve pulled the pizza fresh out of the oven. Top with ribbons, rough chopped basil, or whole leaves.
  • In the middle of the baking process. Bake the pizza for about 5 to 8 minutes, pull it out and add the mozzarella and fresh basil on top, and then put it back in the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes.
  • After the pizza has rested for 2 to 3 minutes. This is an okay option if you’re using chiffonade or finely chopped basil, which is more likely to wilt and blacken if you add it on top of scalding hot cheese straight from the oven. By giving the cheese a few minutes to rest and cool, the basil will remain fresh and green.

The Mozzarella on Top Method

Some food bloggers and vloggers recommend putting fresh basil under the pizza mozzarella. The fat and moisture from the cheese does give the basil a bit of protection from the heat, so this is another viable option.

I will say, it’s not my favorite option, as I think it takes away from the aesthetic of the pizza (fresh basil leaves look beautiful on pizza, IMO) and I don’t like getting surprise bites of cooked basil, because it can occasionally get stringy, and I want to be prepared for those bites.

What Happens if you Put Fresh Basil on Pizza Before Baking?

Cooking basil changes its texture, flavor and aroma, so whether you decide to add fresh basil to your pizza before or after baking depends on your own preferences, as well as the type of basil you’re cooking with.

Normal basil (sweet basil or Genovese basil) is probably the most common basil to use on a pizza, and the guidelines above apply well to cooking with sweet basil.

However, if you’re using a basil with a stronger and more pungent flavor, you’ll likely notice it loses flavor when cooked for too long, and mellows out when cooked just a bit.

Likewise, the color of basil leaves you’re using matters whether you add the fresh basil before cooking your pizza, or after. Green basil will change color somewhat, getting darker. But purple basil can look really ugly when cooked – turning black or grey, which isn’t too appealing on a beautiful delicious pizza! If you’re using a purple basil, add it after cooking to avoid this unappetizing color change.

How to Put Basil on Pizza?

How you put fresh basil on pizza depends on when you put it on the pizza. You can use fresh leaves, finely chopped chiffonade ribbons, fine/rough chopped basil leaves, or torn up leaves.

Collage of three different pizzas with basil on top, one pizza with fresh whole basil leaves, one with chopped or torn basil leaves, and one with basil chiffonade

Fresh Whole Leaves

This is probably the most classic way to top pizza with fresh basil leaves – simply remove leaves from the stems, give them a wash and pat them to dry, and then space them out over the top of the pizza.

Basil Chiffonade on Pizza

If you find whole leaves too much on your pizza, try using a chiffonade cutting technique. The result is beautiful thin ribbons of fresh basil, and the chiffonade technique helps prevent bruising on the leaves, resulting in gorgeous coloring.

To chiffonade your basil leaves, wash and pat the leaves to dry. Remove the leaves from the stem, and stack the leaves on top of one another on a cutting board, placing the largest leaves at the bottom of the stack and the smallest leaves at the top.

Then, roll your stack of basil leaves as if you’re rolling a cigarette or cigar. Keeping the “cigar” tight, use a sharp knife to cut the basil cross-wise in really thin slices. Only cut once to reduce bruising, and cut the ribbons as thin as you can.

When you’re done, the basil will unravel to reveal beautiful thin and fragrant ribbons that are perfect for tossing on fresh from the oven pizza.

In my experience, basil chiffonade is too delicate to cook in a pizza oven for long, so this technique is best for adding to already cooked pizza, or add towards the end of the cooking process, heating up for a minute or two to finish.

Collage of 4 photos showing the steps to cut basil chiffonade

Torn Up or Chopped

In addition to using whole leaves or a chiffonade, you can simply rough chop your basil (which may result in some bruising) or tear the leaves with your fingers whole holding them over the pizza.

What About Dried Basil on Pizza? Save it for the Tomato Sauce or Homemade Pizza Dough

While Neapolitan style pizza doesn’t use basil in the marinara sauce, if you feel like getting creative, you can add dried basil to your homemade pizza sauce, or make an herbed pizza dough.

Share this Article!


African Blue Basil Guide

Share this Article!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This website also participates in other affiliate programs and may earn commissions if you shop through the links used on this website. 

(This article was originally published on August 3, 2022 and was last updated on August 3, 2022)

If you are looking for an interesting basil to grow, which can be used as an ornamental and wildlife-friendly plant as well as a culinary herb, then African Blue basil is worth considering. African Blue Basil is a great choice for a bee-friendly garden, looks wonderful in your beds or border, and can be used as a culinary herb, too.

Though this type of basil is suited to warm and tropical climates, it can also be a good choice for many temperate climate areas, too.

As long as you place it in the right place, care for it correctly, and pay attention to its needs, African Blue Basil can grow well in temperate zones.

A collage with 4 different photos of African blue basil eaves and flowers

What is African Blue Basil?

African blue basil is a hybrid plant in the lamiaceae family made by crossing East African camphor basil and a varietal of purple sweet basil called Dark Opal Basil. Its Latin name is Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum ‘Dark Opal’. 

African blue basil plants exude a strong camphor scent. This characteristic is inherited from the Ocimum kilimandscharicum – camphor basil – used to breed this plant. While camphor basil has a concentration of 61% camphor, in African blue basil, the concentration is just 22%, but still quite fragrant. 

Some find the camphor odor and taste too strong to use this herb in the kitchen. But all parts of the flower, stem, and leaves of an African blue basil plant are edible, and there are plenty of ways that African blue basil can be used for culinary dishes. 

Whether you use this plant in the kitchen or not, there are a range of reasons why you might want to grow this type of basil at home. 

For one thing, this short-lived perennial can cope with cold temperatures (though not with being frozen), which can extend the growing season in the right climate. In places where it gets cold at night, but a frost isn’t experienced, the plant will be able to grow year round outside, withstanding the coldest months outdoors. In colder climates, it can be grown as an annual, or kept for several years and taken under glass in winter. 

And African blue basil flowers are absolutely stunning. A bit taller than most basils, African blue basil plants grow to a height of around 75cm (29.5″), with spires of stunning purple and lavender flowers which are produced on purple stems in summer.

The leaves themselves are a purple green.

A grasshopper on an african blue basil leaf

Like other basils, African blue basil can also be a useful companion plant and draws in pollinators while in bloom, as well as potentially aiding in pest control in an organic garden. 

How to Grow African Blue Basil

African blue basil is a relatively easy herb to grow. However, it is important to make sure that you grow it in the right location, and are aware of its growing needs and how to meet them.

Read on for some basic information to help you cultivate this attractive plant successfully. 

Where to Grow African Blue Basil

The most important thing to remember when growing African blue basil is that it needs a site in full sun, with well-drained soil. African blue basil is relatively adaptable when it comes to soil type and pH, but it cannot cope with too much moisture or a waterlogged growing medium, especially in cooler areas. 

Like other types of basil, this type of basil can be grown in the ground where the soil is suitable, in a raised bed – either alongside your fruit and vegetable crops in a kitchen garden, or a dedicated herb garden area – or in containers with good quality potting mix. 

If you plan to grow this type of basil in a container, remember that the container should be just a little larger than the previous pot, and should be sturdy enough not to tip or blow over when growing these somewhat taller basil plants, which have long stems. Place the container somewhere it will get enough direct sunlight.

Sowing African Blue Basil?

One important thing to note about this type of hybrid basil is that it is sterile. This means that it does not produce seeds. Rather than being grown from seed, African blue basil can only be grown from cuttings

Cuttings are non-flowering stems cut from the plant in early summer and set in pots or other small containers to form new roots. Using a rooting hormone will increase the chances of the cuttings rooting successfully. Keep the cuttings watered, and within a week or two, new roots should be forming. 

Planting African Blue Basil

Once the cuttings are well rooted (if you are propagating plants yourself), or once you have purchased a pot-grown African blue basil plant, you can pot them up into their own individual containers. Or you can plant them out into beds or borders in your garden. 

To provide optimal growing conditions, make sure you plant in fertile soil or growing medium. Remember that it must be well-drained. 

Once planted, it is a good idea to mulch around the base of the plants with an organic mulch of homemade compost or well-rotted manure. A mulch will help make sure that this plant has the nutrients it needs, and can also aid with moisture retention and weed suppression. 

Caring For African Blue Basil

Make sure that you water well during establishment. But make sure that excess water, whether growing in the ground or raised beds or containers, can drain away freely. 

If you are growing in the ground, or larger raised beds, watering weekly, to provide an inch or so of water per week, should be sufficient. Remember that container-grown plants will typically need to be watered more frequently. 

In fertile soil or growing medium, an organic mulch should be sufficient to fertilize these plants. However, if the growth seems lackluster or when growing in containers, it may be beneficial to feed this type of basil with a nitrogen-rich liquid plant feed (such as a compost tea) through the summer. 

The easiest way to make sure you can grow African blue basil over multiple years is to take cuttings each year. However, you can also grow it as a perennial over winter in frost-free locations. If needed, move your plant under cover during the coldest months. 

Harvesting African Blue Basil

As with other basil plants, pruning and harvesting African Blue basil are one and the same. As you harvest the upper portions of the plant, this will keep it in check and looking neat and tidy. 

This plant can be cut back hard, and it will show strong regrowth in summer. After a heavy harvest/ prune, the plant will typically regrow to its former flowering stage in just a few months.

However, remember that these plants are very beautiful when in flower. Leaving your plants to flower rather than harvesting a lot before flowering (as with other basils), is a great ideas. The purple buds and flowers won’t just look good to you – they can also bring bees and other beneficial insects into your garden. 

Try to harvest early in the day, on the day you intend to use them, for the best flavor. 

How To Use African Blue Basil

The strong camphor smell, as mentioned above, can be off-putting to some when it comes to using this plant as a culinary herb. 

But African blue basil can taste great. The strong taste and odor mean that this herb is best used in moderation in recipes.

It makes a tasty pesto. And can also be used as a pot herb in soups and stews, as well as eaten fresh in green salads or Caprese salads, and used in cocktails, such as this Blue Basil Whiskey Smash.

The flowers as well as the leaves can be used as well, and make a pretty garnish. 

African blue basil also has medicinal properties and is used in herbal remedies and teas. 

Where to Buy African Blue Basil 

Remember, this plant is sterile so you will have to buy plants rather than seeds. Here are some links to purchase African blue basil in the US:

If you can’t find it at the links above, talk to a local nursery owner for suggestions, or look at online classifies (Craigslist, Facebook marketplace) in your area, or local gardening groups.

Remember, once you purchase a plant, you can easily take cuttings to propagate your own plants and obtain more for your garden. 

Share this Article!