



Despite it being a simple dish that originated in Naples, Italy, and was once associated with poor Italian peasants, making a perfect pizza is an art form. Luckily for you, I’m going to share 10 secrets to making a perfect pizza with you. Let’s jump right in:









1. Use cornmeal









You should always dust your pan with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking. This also helps to add a delicious crunch texture to the bottom of the crust.









2. Use fresh yeast









Your pizza dough will taste better if you opt to use fresh yeast in cake-form instead of out of a packet.













3. Use a dough hook









If you can’t be bothered to knead your pizza dough by hand, use a dough hook as a great alternative. Just make sure that you don’t overwork the dough, because a machine is much more powerful in comparison to hand-kneading.













4. Don’t overdo the toppings









Less is more when it comes to pizza toppings, and for two good reasons. The first is that an excess of toppings will make the crust take longer to cook, and can also cause it to become soggy. If you want to add fresh greens to your pizza, only add them once the pizza is fully-cooked and out of the oven.









5. Freeze dough









If you need to store pizza dough, be sure to freeze it by wrapping a round in plastic. Bake it and eat it within three months for the best taste, and bake it immediately after thawing.









6. Use parchment paper









Don’t let sticky pizza dough trouble you – simply put a piece of parchment paper underneath it and use a piece of rolling paper to roll it out. You can even leave it on until midway through baking – the liner should release from the pizza dough easily.









7. Use a pizza stone









A 500-degree-capable oven is always best for achieving a great crust. Regardless of what your oven is capable of, use a pizza stone to cook pizzas on, as this can get much hotter than a pan or baking sheet. The stone helps for ovens to reach optimum temperature and spread heat out evenly. Place the pizza stone on the center rack.









8. Buy dough









Another idea is to ask your favorite pizza place to sell you a round of dough or two. Alternatively you can head to the frozen section of your local grocery store, but this won’t come out quite as good. All you’ll need to do then is add sauce and toppings.









9. Knead by hand









If you’re new to pizza-making, be sure to knead the dough by hand to make sure it isn’t over-kneaded. The more hand-kneaded it is, the better the consistency will be.









10. Use different flavors









Try using half whole-wheat flour with half bread flour when making a whole wheat pizza crust. This will give it a fluffy and chewy texture. Crusts made entirely of whole wheat can become tough and dense, so adding some regular flour will improve its final consistency.



