Heat the baking surface thoroughly, keep toppings light and check the underside. Small changes can improve pizza from a home oven.
Give the oven a proper start
A pizza needs heat underneath as well as above. Preheat your stone, steel or heavy tray for the time recommended for that equipment. The oven reaching its set temperature does not always mean the baking surface is ready.
Keep the workspace ready while you wait. Put sauce, cheese and basil within reach, and prepare a safe place for the hot tray. Once the dough is topped, you should not need to search for anything.
Keep the middle light
Stretch the dough gently, leaving a thicker rim. If it springs back, let it rest briefly instead of pulling harder. The aim is an even base, not a perfect circle.
Spread a thin layer of sauce and leave visible space between pieces of mozzarella. Wet toppings release more moisture than the dough can always handle. Cook watery vegetables first or use less of them.
Watch the base as well as the edge
Lift an edge to check the underside before taking the pizza out. The rim may be coloured while the middle is still pale. If the toppings repeatedly finish before the base, try a lower shelf on the next bake.
Move the finished pizza to a board and add fresh basil. Let it settle briefly before slicing. Note the shelf position and preheat time if the base turned out well; those details are easy to forget by next Friday.
