Pizza primer
A starter guide to making exceptional pizza at home
1. Crust Is Everything
It begins with flour.
There’s a huge range of flours, and it’s worth experimenting. Without a doubt, stale flour is a problem. Either grind your own with good wheat, or buy some freshly ground from an online supplier.
Test the difference between 00 flour (finely milled Italian-style, lower protein) and high-protein bread flour. They produce distinctly different crusts—00 gives you tender and crisp, high-protein gives you chew.
Flour Sources
- Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour — The gold standard for Neapolitan pizza
- Caputo 00 on Amazon — 11 lb bags available
- King Arthur High-Gluten Flour — 14.2% protein for serious chew
- King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour — American-milled alternative
- Central Milling — Tony Gemignani’s preferred flour supplier
- Barton Springs Mill — Stone-milled organic flour
- Gustiamo — Authentic Italian imports
- Farm2Flour — Family farm stone-milled 00
Fresh flour makes a noticeable difference. Check milling dates when possible.
2. High-Hydration Dough
Begin with the Jim Lahey low-knead overnight dough. It’s forgiving, flavorful, and requires almost no work—just time.
Because it’s high-hydration (around 70-80%), you won’t be able to easily do fancy dough flipping. Instead, you’ll want an oversized silicone mat for rolling and stretching.
The Recipe
- Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Pizza Dough — James Beard Foundation
- No-Knead Pizza Crust — King Arthur’s adaptation
- Baking Steel’s Version — With vital wheat gluten tip
Silicone Mats for Rolling
- Pizzacraft 20″×20″ Silicone Mat — With pizza size guides
- Folksy Super Kitchen 28″×20″ Mat — Extra large, non-slip
- DoughEZ 17.5″×32″ Mat — With thickness guide sticks
The long overnight ferment develops flavor you simply cannot get from a quick rise.
3. The Right Peels
You need two different tools: a large wooden peel for launching the pizza into the oven, and a small metal turning peel for rotating and retrieving.
Wooden Peels (12-inch) for Launching
Metal Turning Peels (6-7 inch) for Rotating
Put flour or cornmeal on the wooden peel before placing stretched dough on top. Move quickly at this point.
4. Simple Sauce Is Better
Get DOP San Marzano tomatoes, crush them with your hands. Stir in some garlic and parsley or basil. Good olive oil. That’s it.
Don’t cook it. The oven does that.
Authentic DOP San Marzano Tomatoes
- Gustiamo DOP San Marzano — From DaniCoop farmers
- DeLallo DOP San Marzano
- Rega DOP San Marzano (Amazon)
- Flora Foods DOP San Marzano
- Isola DOP San Marzano
Look for the D.O.P. seal and Consorzio logo. Real San Marzanos are only sold whole—never diced, crushed, or puréed.
5. Don’t Use Too Much Sauce
A thin layer, spread with the back of a spoon. You want to taste the crust and the toppings in balance. A quarter cup for a 12-inch pizza is plenty.
6. The Cheese Question
Fresh mozzarella is a very special thing if you can find it—but use it sparingly. It releases a lot of water.
For your base cheese, if you want it to feel like a pizzeria, surprisingly, you’ll want low-moisture mozzarella. It melts predictably and gives you that classic stretch and browning.
Consider using both: low-moisture for coverage, fresh burrata or mozzarella torn on top right when it comes out of the oven.
7. Mushrooms? Go Thin
If you use mushrooms, cut them very thin. Paper-thin if you can manage it. They need to cook fast and release their moisture before the pizza is done.
8. The Final Touch
After the pizza is assembled, put a very thin sheen of good quality olive oil on before putting in the oven.
Not a drizzle, not a pour. A light brush or a few drops spread with your fingers. This helps the toppings char beautifully and adds a subtle richness.
Made with flour, water, salt, yeast, and patience.