Can Plant-Based Salami Hold Up to High Heat? My 800°F Pizza Test
Most plant-based deli meats struggle with texture, and I’ll admit—I had my doubts about a Koji Salami on a Neapolitan pizza. Would it be too soft? Would it burn? Would it hold its shape in a Neapolitan oven? Could it develop that deep, spiced meatiness that makes salami so great? I put it to the test on a Neapolitan pizza, baked over 800°F. Time to see if this Prime Roots Koji Salami Pizza was ready for our trial by fire!
Salami (or Salumi)
Salami (or, in Italian, salumi) has been a staple of Italian cuisine for centuries, evolving from a traditional method of preserving meat into a beloved charcuterie and therefore pizza topping worldwide. But what if you could enjoy that same rich, peppery flavor without the cholesterol, nitrates, or environmental impact? Enter Prime Roots’ Koji Salami, a plant-based alternative that uses the fermentation power of koji to replicate the taste and texture of traditional salami. To test it out, I made a classic Neapolitan pizza at 800°F, and the results might surprise you.
And salami is one of our favorite pizza toppings (not to mention snacks while making pizza). Heather is particularly partial to a nice dry, Italian salami.
What’s Not So Great About Salami?
But it’s not exactly the healthiest choice. It’s often loaded with nitrates, cholesterol, and preservatives, and let’s not even get started on the environmental impact of traditional meat.
Alternatives? How About Koji Salami Pizza?
That’s why I was curious about Prime Roots Koji Salami, a plant-based alternative that uses koji, a centuries-old Japanese ingredient, to replicate the texture and flavor of real salami.
But of course, there are questions – Would it hold up to the high heat of a Neapolitan pizza oven? Would it deliver the bold flavor we expect? There was only one way to find out.
What Is Koji and Why Is It Different?
If you’re new to koji (like me), here’s why it’s such an exciting ingredient for plant-based meats. Koji (Aspergillus oryzae) is a type of fungus used in Japanese fermentation to make miso, soy sauce, and sake. It has a naturally fibrous, meaty texture and a deep umami flavor, making it an excellent base for deli-style meats. Unlike other plant proteins like soy or pea, koji requires minimal processing, making it a cleaner and more nutritious alternative.
Prime Roots does a nice job on their website outlining why koji is such a great choice for their meat alternatives.
Who is Prime Roots?
Prime Roots is redefining plant-based deli meats with koji, a naturally fibrous and umami-rich fungus traditionally used in Japanese fermentation. Unlike heavily processed plant proteins like soy or pea, koji mimics the texture and depth of real meat with minimal processing, making it a cleaner and more sustainable alternative. Founded by UC Berkeley alumni Kim and Josh, Prime Roots was born out of a desire to create delicious, climate-friendly meats without the environmental cost of traditional animal products. Their koji-based meats require 92% less water and 91% less land than conventional meat production while producing nearly zero byproducts.
How I Made My Prime Roots Koji Salami Pizza
Because not all salamis are created equal, when I cook with it, I typically put it under the cheese or else cut it into quarters. Unless I know it can handle the high heat, I’m usually careful about how much exposure regular salami gets to extreme heat.
But we’re here to test the limits of Koij, so the plan was to put Prime Roots Koji salami to a trial by fire…an 800+°F fire to be specific! This time, I used full sized slices and didn’t protect it from the heat.
And to give Koji Salami the best high-temperature test, I used a Neapolitan pizza setup:
- Dough: 320g pizza dough
- (I used Whole Foods Ancient Grains Pizza Dough, which I had previously tested and found to do a great job!)
- Sauce: 3 ounces of fresh tomato sauce
- Cheese: 2 ounces of fresh mozzarella
- Topping: 50g (1.8 oz) of Prime Roots’ Koji Salami
- Baking Temperature: >800°F in our outdoor pizza oven
- Final Touch: A few fresh basil leaves
As expected, the Whole Foods ancient grain dough baked beautifully, puffing up with a light, airy structure. In fact, because this dough can get extra puffy, I docked the dough near the edges to keep the crust from folding over the salami—a trick that worked well to maintain even topping distribution.
How Did Prime Roots Koji Salami Cook?
This was the real test of our pizza. Many plant-based meats shrink, dry out, or don’t develop much character in high-heat ovens.
And while I wasn’t sold on it raw, cooking completely transformed the experience. I was very pleased to see that Prime Roots Koji Salami held its shape perfectly—no significant shrinking and not excessive curling. The edges crisped just slightly, giving it a pleasant texture, but it remained tender and rich rather than drying out. It actually handled the high heat better than a lot of salamis.
Seeing that it was doing just fine, I actually overcooked the pizza a little to see if it could handle it. And the koji did with no problems at all!
What About the Flavor?
Here’s where things got interesting. Raw, the salami was okay but not particularly exciting—a bit dry and subtle. But after baking? The transformation was huge. The heat brought out its peppery kick, the fat softened into a silky texture, and the smoky, garlicky notes deepened. I enjoyed the intensity, though my friend Heather found it a little too spicy for her liking. If you prefer a milder salami, this might be a bit bold, but for spice lovers, it delivers.
What to be aware of: Sodium
While almost everything about this Koji Salami Pizza is a win, the sodium content of Koji salami is high. Not any higher than meat-based protein (based on the USDA values for Italian pork salami), but it’s still something to be aware of if you’re managing your salt intake.
Why Do I Recommend trying Your Own Koji Salami Pizza?
Beyond the flavor, Prime Roots’ Koji Salami is a healthier, more sustainable alternative to traditional salami:
- Zero cholesterol, nitrates, hormones, or preservatives
- No soy, wheat, or top-9 allergens
- 5-8g of plant-based protein per serving (enough for a protein-packed sandwich or pizza)
- Uses 92% less water and 91% less land than conventional meat
- Bakes and crisps up beautifully, with a bold, peppery kick
For those looking for vegetarian or vegan alternatives or simply to cut back on processed meats while still enjoying their favorite flavors, this is a solid choice. It will perform very well even at extreme temperatures.
And if you like this Koji Salami, I strongly encourage you to check out Prime Roots Koji Pepperoni on pizza too!
Prime Roots Koji Salami Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Wood-burning pizza oven This is ideal for a classic Neapolitan style pizza, but use what you've got!
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 9.5 ounces Pizza Dough ball (9~10 ounces) (You can use pre-made dough or refer to our recipe for making AVPN Neapolitan dough)
- 2 Ounces Koji Salami We used Prime Roots (about 6 thin, large slices)
- 3 Tbsp Flour For dusting your work surface.
- .25 Cups Tomato sauce (Refer to our recipe for making your own sauce from canned tomatoes or try Mutti brand sauce)
- 2.5 Ounces Fresh mozzarella (approximately 1/4 ball)
- 6 leaves Basil To taste
Instructions
- Preheat your pizza oven to ideally about 800°F to 900°F.
Prepare the Dough
- If you are using a pre-made dough ball, give it at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature.We used Whole Foods Ancient Grains Pizza Dough.
- Put 1 tablespoon of flour on your work surface and place the dough.
- Begin stretching your pizza dough on your work surface. With 9 to 10 ounces of pizza dough, you should be able to make an 12" to 14" pizza, depending on the dough. True Neapolitan pizza will leave about a half inch outer ring slightly taller than the center.
Prepare Before Putting the Dough on the Peel
- Put 1 teaspoon of flour on your pizza peel.
- Prepare all of your ingredients – get them ready to apply to the pizza quickly.
- If you are using fresh mozzarella, remove your mozzarella from the water, dry with a paper towel, and chop into slices or strips.
- Check your pizza oven temperature. Add more wood if necessary. Do not proceed to the next step if your oven is not ready.
Apply the Toppings
- Transfer your dough to the pizza peel.
- You will want to quickly apply your toppings and get the pizza into the oven before the dough sticks to the peel.
- Apply the tomato sauce to the center of the pizza. Use a spoon to spread the sauce out from the center in a spiral pattern but keeping the sauce off of the outer ring.
- Distribute your slices of Koji Salami on the pizza.
- Distribute the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pizza.
Cooking with an Outdoor Pizza Oven
- Check the pizza oven temperature again. If you have an infrared thermometer, check for the hottest part of the pizza stone.
- Launch the pizza into the oven on the hottest part of the stone without being in the flames.
- Before rotating the pizza, make sure that Rotate the pizza one quarter turn every 45 seconds. Generally, the pizza will be done in 6 minutes or less. So watch it closely!
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 3 minutes.
- Place your basil leaves on the pizza.
- Cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are going to cook this in a conventional oven, you’ll want the highest temperature you can get the oven to.
- If you have a pizza stone (or pizza steel), that’s going to help a lot in getting the most authentic crust. If not, a pizza pan (or cookie sheet) will still turn out a great pizza.
- You can either start the pizza on a pan (or cookie sheet) and transfer it to the stone after about 15 minutes (when the crust is firm enough to be safely transferred). At this point, turn off the oven and let the pizza cook on the stone for another 5 minutes. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for another 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Alternatively, you can start by launching the pizza directly to the pizza stone in your oven. This is more tricky and you might want to practice with some dough with no toppings!
Nutrition
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.