How To Make Great Pizza At Home

“A great pizza sauce is simple: high-quality tomatoes, salt, olive oil and sometimes garlic or basil is all your need. San Marzano (a type of plum tomato) are the best choice as they’re naturally sweet, low in acidity and have a smooth texture. To ensure you don’t get a soggy base, don’t use too much sauce and cook it at a high temperature. Margherita will always be a classic, although I love pepperoni or prosciutto with arugula for a fresh, slightly salty balance. Remember there’s a correct order of assembly: sauce, cheese, toppings.” – Francesco 

“My tip is to never cook the sauce, always use it raw. All you need is good-quality tomatoes, salt and olive oil. Use canned tomatoes, but make sure they’re good-quality whole tomatoes – never chopped. Be sure to preheat the oven at least an hour before cooking, and don’t overload the pizza with too many toppings. My go-to is tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.” – Diego 

“A truly great pizza sauce is simple and uncooked – crushed San Marzano tomatoes, a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Cooking the sauce dulls its natural brightness. I prefer canned over fresh tomatoes, as they offer consistent flavour and acidity. To prevent sogginess, layer smartly: place moisture-rich toppings like mushrooms beneath the cheese so they don’t release excess water onto the crust. I like fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano.” – Dean

“Using great-quality Italian tinned tomatoes goes a long way. I like to keep it simple with sea salt, oregano, a little bit of garlic and black pepper. Don’t overload your pizza. Keep it simple, spread out your topping and use a good-quality dry mozzarella. If you decide to use the wet mozzarella balls, always add them on afterwards and dry them on a paper towel or J cloth before you shred them onto the pizza to stop the base getting soggy. I love black olives, capers, salted anchovies and basil on mine.” – James

“If you’re serious about your pizza, a proper pizza oven is the best option. Though, if you’re using a conventional oven, a pizza stone or steel improves results, especially some of the new models available. Preheat your oven to its highest temperature for at least 45 minutes. Then turn it down and use a pizza stone or steel, and cook it on the highest rack for better heat exposure. Steel heats faster and retains that heat better, while stones take longer to preheat, but still work well.” – Francesco 

“A wood-fired oven is ideal, but for home kitchens, a pizza stone or steel preheated for at least 45 minutes at the oven’s highest setting mimics the high, even heat of a professional setup. Steel holds heat better, creating a crispier base. For an extra boost, cook the pizza on the top rack under the grill for the last 1-2 minutes, simulating the charring of a brick oven. If using a conventional oven, a cast-iron pan preheated on the stovetop before baking can also replicate that intense heat.” – Dean

“We use either a Gozney Roccbox or a Gozney Dome at our house. They really do deliver the best all-round cook and are versatile, as a Roccbox can be taken anywhere, while the Dome sits in the back garden and looks great. If you don’t have a pizza oven, my parents used to put terracotta tiles onto the shelves in the oven, using them as a stone. This works well and keeps a nice even cook on the bottom of the pizza.” – James 

“If you have access to a pizza oven, it’s definitely the best option. I recommend using a steel pan or tray for a crispy base at home in a regular oven. For a crispy base, try cooking it for a couple of minutes first before adding the sauce and toppings.” – Diego