Dinner / Sandwiches, burgers & pizza
Homemade Pizza with a Crisp, Blistered Crust
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Forty-five minutes of preheating a steel, stone or sheet pan is what gives you a crisp, blistered crust. We skipped it once, and the soggy pizza became a family story we still tell.
The short version
Heat the oven to 500°F with a baking steel, stone or upside-down sheet pan inside for 45 minutes. Stretch the dough, top lightly with a no-cook sauce and mozzarella, bake 10 to 12 minutes, finish with basil.
What makes ours better
why ours wins the argument at dinner
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Preheat a baking steel, stone or sheet pan for 45 minutes. Dough that lands on a blazing hot surface puffs and crisps from underneath right away. A cold pan gives you a pale, soft bottom.
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Use a no-cook sauce. Crushed tomatoes with garlic, olive oil and salt taste fresh and bright, and they cook on the pizza. A simmered sauce tastes dull after 10 minutes in a hot oven.
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Shred low-moisture mozzarella yourself. Pre-shredded cheese carries anti-caking starch that keeps it from melting well, and fresh mozzarella adds water. A block of low-moisture melts smooth and browns.
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Go lighter on toppings than you think. A thin layer of sauce and cheese lets the crust bake through. Too much weight makes a soggy center.
What you need
the stars of the show
- All-purpose flour2 tablespoons
- Cornmeal or semolina2 tablespoons
- Canned crushed tomatoes1 cup
- Garlic1 clove
- Extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon
- Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella8 ounces
- Grated Parmesan2 tablespoons
- Fresh basil leaves12 large
Dough
Sauce
Toppings
yes, all of the butter
Steps
go slow. the good part can’t be rushed.
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Heat the oven and steel
Put a baking steel, pizza stone or an upside-down heavy sheet pan on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500°F and let the surface heat for a full 45 minutes.
Don't shorten the preheat. The oven being hot is not the same as the steel being hot.
About 45 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Mix the sauce
Stir the crushed tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Don't cook it. It should taste bright and a little salty.
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Shape the first round
Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a ball. Cover and rest 15 minutes. On a floured surface, press the dough from the center out into a 12-inch round, leaving the edge a little thicker. If it springs back, rest it for 5 minutes and try again.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Top lightly
Dust a rimless baking sheet or peel with cornmeal and set the dough on it. Give it a shake to make sure it slides. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a thin layer, leaving a half-inch border, then scatter over half the mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan.
Top the pizza right before baking. Dough that sits under wet toppings glues itself to the peel.
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Bake until blistered
Slide the pizza onto the hot steel with a quick jerk. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden with dark spots and the cheese is bubbling and browned in places. For more color, switch to the broiler for the last minute and watch it closely.
About 11 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Finish and repeat
Slide the pizza onto a board, drizzle with a little olive oil, tear basil over the top and add red pepper flakes if you like. Let it rest 2 minutes before cutting. Return the oven to 500°F for a few minutes and make the second pizza.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- No peel? Build the pizza on a sheet of parchment, then slide the parchment and pizza onto the hot steel together. Pull the parchment out after 5 minutes if you can reach it, or leave it in.
- Precook wet toppings such as mushrooms, sausage or peppers so they don't release water onto the pizza. Keep to 3 toppings at most.
- No stone or steel? Bake on the back of a preheated heavy sheet pan, or in a preheated cast-iron skillet.
- Dough from the fridge stretches best after 30 minutes at room temperature. Cold dough snaps back.
- Storage. Fridge, 3 days wrapped. Reheat slices in a skillet over medium heat, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, so the crust re-crisps. Freezes for 2 months.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why is my homemade pizza soggy in the middle?
Usually too much sauce or watery toppings, or a surface that wasn't hot enough. Use about half a cup of sauce per pizza, precook wet toppings and preheat the steel for the full 45 minutes.
What temperature should I bake pizza at home?
As hot as your oven goes, up to 500°F to 550°F. A hotter oven gives a crisper crust and puffier edge.
Can I make pizza without a pizza stone?
Yes. Turn a heavy rimmed sheet pan upside down in the oven while it preheats and bake on that. A cast-iron skillet also works.
Why does my dough keep shrinking when I stretch it?
The gluten is tight. Cover the dough and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then stretch it again.
Can I use fresh mozzarella?
Yes, but pat it very dry and use it sparingly, or the pizza gets watery. Low-moisture mozzarella melts and browns more evenly.
Can I use store-bought dough?
Yes. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching and follow the same bake.
From the table
Made it? Tell me everything. Especially if somebody said it was better than their mother’s. I’ll keep your secret.
Made it?
stars first, story second. I read every one.
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Published October 28, 2026.