Homemade pizza in general is an exercise in compromise. It’s never burnt or crisp enough, and certainly not as good as a delivery. But this cheese pizza—a recipe that turns the concept of homemade pizza on its head—proves that you really can have it all. The trick? Cooking the pizza in two steps: first make a crispy bottom in a pan on the stove, then An oven-safe wire rack Set inside a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler for a perfectly charred finish. Both the stove and the broiler are capable of producing intense heat, which cooks the pizza hard and fast, as opposed to the relatively low radiant heat of the oven, which can dry out the dough and make the crust leathery before it’s fully cooked. gives While unconventional, this two-dimensional approach yields a wood-fired result that’s hard to imagine coming out of a home oven. Think big, irregular bubbles that burn and darken, a crust that’s chewy but crisp, and that characteristic je ne sais quoi that, until now, only came from restaurant pizza ovens. See: Really good homemade pizza.
Although this recipe provides instructions for making a quick homemade pizza sauce that’s deliciously garlicky and a touch spicy, feel free to use your own. Store-bought sauce in its place. Be careful not to overload the dough with the sauce, as this will weigh it down and prevent proper cooking. And as for toppings, go wild. Just be aware that any meat you may use (such as crumbled sausage) must be pre-cooked before assembling.