Part 9/13:

The baker’s goal is to mimic a professional pizza oven by heating the home oven to its maximum—around 550°F—using pizza stones or baking steels to simulate the intense heat. Preheating these stones ensures quick, even heat transfer to the dough, creating that desirable crispy crust.

Launching the pizza onto the hot surface involves a confident slide with the pizza peel. The baker stresses the importance of shaking and spinning the pizza during baking to achieve even coloring and prevent hot spots, especially in home ovens where heat distribution varies.