IMPORTANT NOTE: As I mentioned above, we use a baking steel (similar to this one) in our oven to bake the pizzas.6 This results in the pizzas cooking very quickly. It’s likely that if you use other materials (e.g., cast-iron skillet, baking stone, baking sheet) you will need to increase the baking time.
There are two primary methods of baking that we use to cook our Homemade Neapolitan Pizza.
The first method, is to cover the pizza dough in a thin layer of sauce and toppings and then place it in the preheated oven to cook for 2-4 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn on the broiler and continue cooking for an additional 1-3 minutes (or until done). Keep in mind that less is more when adding pizza toppings for this pizza. If you add too much sauce or toppings that are high in moisture, the dough can become soggy while cooking.
The second baking method yields a crunchier pizza crust. This is my preferred method. Place the pizza into the oven WITHOUT toppings and bake for 2-4 minutes. Then, take the pizza out of the oven and carefully add the toppings. Return the pizza to the oven, turn on the broiler and bake for an additional 1-3 minutes (or until done).