How to Bake Perfectly Done Pizza

I previously mentioned a few methods for avoiding a soggy pizza crust.


The only problem with prebaking the crust was that it felt like the flavors didn't quite get to mingle. It tasted like bread with some cheese on top, rather than a whole, unified flavor sensation.

I was aiming for improvement and tried one more method, and got success...

....ALL IT TOOK WAS TURNING THE OVEN UP HIGHER!



I turned our oven up until 250 celsius (between 450 and 500 degrees fahrenheit) and let it preheat for about 30 min, then set the pizza in, with all its raw ingredients. In about 15-20 minutes I had just the kind of texture and taste I was going for: airy, chewy crust, neither raw in the middle nor overcooked. The toppings perfectly held in place by the bubbly, melted cheese.

Satisfaction at last...

I would still follow the other tips I mentioned, though: 1) Don't overload with toppings and 2) Precook or try to dejuice some of the toppings so they won't cause sogginess.

Here's a dough recipe from my mom.

An Italian Bread

Ingredients:

-4 c hot water
-1 c whole wheat flour
-1/2 tbsp sugar
-1 tbsp salt
-1-2 tbsp oil
-1 package yeast
-4-6 cups of white flour

Directions:

1) Stir together everything but yeast. Then add yeast.
2) Add flour until you can begin kneading.
3) Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic; let rise.
4) Form into loaves or roll out for pizza dough, placing on greased pans.
5) Before cooking pizza: preheat oven for 30-60 minutes at 450-500 degrees. Get it hot BEFORE the pizza goes in!
6) When oven is hot, put toppings on and bake pizza for 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness), until crust is cooked through and cheese has melted.