A researched guide to planning an NYC pizza tour: the landmark pizzerias, what each is known for, the styles you'll meet, and what the historical record says about which came first.
Why cheese burns before the crust is done: look under the pizza to tell top heat from bottom heat, check the cheese, then change one thing in a home oven, pizza oven or pan.
How a two-stage pizza bake works in a home oven: bake the crust with sauce first, then add the cheese and toppings to finish. Forkish's timings, par-baked shells and pan pizzas.
How to make pizza on a grill two ways: straight on the grates with a flip, or on a stone under a closed lid, using the grill makers' own methods and safety rules for gas, charcoal and kamado.
How to reheat leftover pizza so the base crisps and the cheese melts: a covered skillet, a low oven, an air fryer or the microwave, plus federal guidance on storing leftovers safely.
Pale pizza crust? Check the heat and the bake first, then how the dough was fermented and handled, and only then the flour. Three fixes in order, with careful limits on diastatic malt.
A soggy pizza bottom has three different causes: a gummy gel layer under the sauce, wet toppings, or a surface that wasn't hot enough. How to tell which, rescue this pizza and fix the next.
How to get a puffy pizza rim: mature dough, shaping that keeps the gas in the edge and a fully heated oven, plus an honest look at leopard spots and how much a home oven can give you.
How to bake pizza in a home oven: a steel or stone below the broiler, a 45 to 60 minute preheat at 500 to 550°F, bake times by style, and when to switch to a pan or a two-stage bake.
How to top a pizza: how much sauce and cheese for each style and size, the usual layer order, when to put the cheese down first, and the style-specific builds for Neapolitan, New York and pan pizzas.
How to stretch pizza dough into a round without tears: how to tell the dough is ready, the press-and-stretch method step by step, and what to do when it tears or keeps shrinking back.
How to launch a pizza off the peel without sticking: dusting flour, semolina or parchment by oven, the slide check, a confident launch, and when to turn the pizza in a home or pizza oven.