Leoparding

Leoparding describes the pattern of small, dark, blistered spots that show up across the cornicione and base of a pizza baked at very high temperatures. The name comes from the resemblance to leopard print, with irregular dark patches against a lighter, golden background.

It happens because sugars and starches on the surface of the dough caramelize and char almost instantly when they meet extreme heat, while the flame or hot air only reaches certain points of the crust unevenly at any given moment as the pizza bakes. That uneven, spotty char is actually a sign the oven is running hot enough and fast enough to produce a proper Neapolitan style bake.

The distinction that matters is between leoparding and simply burning. Scattered dark spots on an otherwise pale gold crust is the goal, while a crust that is uniformly blackened has gone too far, usually from too much heat, too long a bake, or not enough rotation. Chasing leoparding in an oven that cannot get hot enough is a common mistake, since a home oven will often only dry out and toughen the crust rather than char it.