There are a lot of ways to bake a pizza at home. Some crazy ways, some cautious ways, and some smart ways. All methods will probably result in you having something bread-like with melted cheese and some toppings cooked to various degrees. Some ways will result in that beautiful golden crispy-but-soft-on-the-inside crust (with a hint of char), bubbly cheese just beginning to carmelize on top, steamy and aromatic, sauce bright and fresh.... a taste and texture combination so heavenly it is hardly rivaled by any other culinary delight on this earth! The latter description is what we're trying to achieve.
To make this type of pizza requires high heat. Traditional brick ovens hover around 800 or so degrees farenheit. The best pie-makers in the world know that a lot of heat for a short time makes a much better pizza than moderate heat (moderate still being 400 or 500 degrees) for a while longer. While there are ways to get your oven to do this if you have an oven with a self-cleaning cycle (a guy named Jeff Varasano from Atlanta snapped off the safety lock to let him utilize the super high temperatures of the self-cleaning mode), there are easier ways to get a lot of heat.
How? How do we do this?
Do you have eyeballs and an oven with a broiler? A cast iron pan? Yeah? Good. You're half-way home.
*If you don't have a cast iron pan, get one. They cost the same as any mid-grade pizza stone and way less than a premium one. They are also wonderfully versitile for other cooking needs (helloooo perfect indoor steak).*
Now to present, the best (and most affordable) home pizza cooking solution ever:
The only potential downside to this is that you'll be making personal size pizzas (however big your pan surface is) unless you get a cast iron pizza pan.
First - On the stove-top, heat your cast-iron up on medium-high heat. Wipe it down with a thin coat of canola oil. Turn on the broiler of your oven.
Second - Get your dough flattened and stretched out. You can use any method you want or that is appropriate for your dough.
Third - Once the pan is nice and hot, throw you dough in and quickly get your sauce and toppings on it.
Fourth - Put the pan in the oven on the highest rack it will fit on. Close the door.
Fifth - Watch through the window of your oven or open the door a bit (you don't have to worry too much about heat escaping) and see how evenly it is baking. You may need to turn the pan around in the middle of cooking.
Sixth - In about 2-4 minutes, the pizza should be just about perfect. Take it out of the oven, get it out of the pan, and get started on your next pizza! Let the pizza cool for a little before cutting.
Seventh - EAT IT!
The only potential downside to this is that you'll be making personal size pizzas (however big your pan surface is) unless you get a cast iron pizza pan.
First - On the stove-top, heat your cast-iron up on medium-high heat. Wipe it down with a thin coat of canola oil. Turn on the broiler of your oven.
Second - Get your dough flattened and stretched out. You can use any method you want or that is appropriate for your dough.
Third - Once the pan is nice and hot, throw you dough in and quickly get your sauce and toppings on it.
Fourth - Put the pan in the oven on the highest rack it will fit on. Close the door.
Fifth - Watch through the window of your oven or open the door a bit (you don't have to worry too much about heat escaping) and see how evenly it is baking. You may need to turn the pan around in the middle of cooking.
Sixth - In about 2-4 minutes, the pizza should be just about perfect. Take it out of the oven, get it out of the pan, and get started on your next pizza! Let the pizza cool for a little before cutting.
Seventh - EAT IT!
