Pizza 101

There seems to be a lot of weird info going around about making pizza. So here's what I do to get my pizza always good.

1.
Always when baking dough stuff, close the windows. If it's windy, it gets cold. When it's cold, dough on yeast, like pizza, doesn't rise. Or if it's raining, same thing happens. That's why it's always so warm in pizzerias. Closed window and doors. That's why I start pizza season during fall. You get really warm:)
2.
Always get the oven preheated. Always at least 190-200C.When I open the oven to put the pizza in, the heat has gotta hits me in the face. Sorry, but thats basically how it works for me. Try not to wear too much makeup for this step or try to keep your face on the side when doing this.

3.
Layers of toppings on pizza. If you put on sauce, then veggies and meat, THEN cheese, during the baking, the cheese will melt, and the stuff underneath will be scorching hot, cooked, but not baked.  So next time, put on the sauce, then the cheese, then the toppings. Trust me, you will have an awesome pizza.
4.
Usualy we put pizza on cold trays and then put it in the oven to bake. WRONG. Heat up the tray in the oven, and prep your toppings in bowls or ready to throw on the pizza positions. How do you do it the right way? Heat up the pan, yell for somebody to help you take out the tray in 3 minutes.This give them time to reply "coming", "in a moment", enough so they finally come. Start stretching out the dough, as much as you can. Then the person takes out the hot pan, puts it down, smears some olive oil on it, then you put on the pizza dough. Next, the sauce and toppings. And put it back in the oven for 15-20 min. The olive oil will help you take off the pizza once it's done, the hot pan will make the rust crispy and evenly baked. If you don't have a helper, order pizza in, or take out the tray before stretching the dough.
5.
Bake and make one pizza at a time. You have the time, customers in pizzerias don't.
If you put in 2 pizzas at once, you lower the temperature of the oven, meaning it takes longer to bake the pizza. And anyway, during the time you're eating the first one, the second is done.
6.
Don't put everything you can and have on a pizza. Some things, like artichoke hearts, need to be prepared before putting them on a pizza. you have to drain them, cut them, make sure they don't leak. otherwise, you'll get a soppy pizza. Bleah. Toppings should be possibly dry, ar as thick as can possible be ( like spinache puree, or tomato sauce). Don't put slices of tomatoes on your pizza, or it'll be soggy and burn your mouth. Think about it this way: if I can bake it dry but a little bit moist in the oven in 15-20 min, it's good for pizza topping to go. If it isn't, you can wait for the ready pizza and then top it, just before eating.
7.
Baking time: if you have a hot hot oven, for a large pizza it takes 15-20 mins. You have to start looking at the pizza after 10 min in the oven, looking if the crust is browning evenly, is the cheese melting, bubbling, turning brown. Last minute warning for goodbye- pizza is bark brown cheese. You've lost it. So the moment you take it out, is when a crust is formng out of the cheese.
So look after your cheese.
8.
 Pizza baking stones. Hmm. You can buy it, but to be truthful, it's not worth it in my opinion. The stone is smaller than your oven baking tray which you get free with your oven, heavier, you have to know how to clean it properly. And somehow, probably by pure unicorn magic, you transport the flat sour dough pizza with topping and all in the oven, on the stone, without one of those long sticks with a wooden shovel on one end. Or you can take it out, and shout with joy, cause the m*(&^&effer is much thicker than a tray and therefor, then it heats up, it heats up good. Think of brunt fingers. I can't. That's why I use the tray method. Second thing, what if you can make the exact size pizza as the baking stone? What then? What? Cut it up? But if you are a real true kitchen geek and you need the "technology" to make you a better cook, get a stone for heavens sake and gimme a break.
9.
Fancy those pizza's with fresh rucola on top?  Creamy goat cheese topped with freshly ground black pepper? That delicious cured ham that's disgusting once baked? The key to this is: Bake the dough with the sauce, and eventually, some cheese on top. After baking it, put on these toppings, drizzle with some truffle infused olive oil, sprinkle with soft cheese and halfs of cherry tomatoes. Yumm.
It'll look beautiful too. Take a picture and post it somewhere. Yum.


Oka, I think thats all you need to know about pizza baking/making.
Have fun kids, and look after your fingers!