How do you get your homemade pizzas crispy?

[Saracarbonera]

Do you use a pizza stone or something else similar or do you have another trick I don't know about???
My pizzas are coming out delicious tasting but soggy. Help.

[CountBapula]

Thin dough. Screaming hot oven. Pre-heat the baking tray.

Also saw Jamie Oliver the other day saying to put the cheese on first, then drizzle the tomato sauce in and around it. Because the sauce isn't in direct contact with the base it doesn't go soggy, apparently. Never tried this, though.

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

I use a pizza tray - round thing with holes in the bottom. Lets the air get to the bottom of the base and crisps it up nicely. Also, not too much passata on the base. And very hot oven.

[TheGreatHunt]

Thin dough with extra olive oil. I use more than the recipe suggests. Oven on highest setting and minimal sauce (one dessert spoon smoothed out). I don't preheat the tray, I do use foil. Oven on 240.

My pizzas are never soggy.

[AmandinePoulain]

I use a pizza stone. Preheat it in the oven at the highest temperature. Apply the base to the stone and then put the toppings on rather than making it all up and then applying it.

[Saracarbonera]

Thanks I'm going to give all of your suggestions a try.
Amandine is it worth investing in a pizza stone?

[AmandinePoulain]

I love mine

I haven't tried the baking trays with holes in so can't compare to those, but it's certainly superior to a normal baking tray.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Another owner of a heavy-gauge non-stick pizza tray with holes. Very, very important not to put on too much toppings. I put mine together and then leave to one side for 20 - 30 mins until the oven gets hot. Allows the dough chance to rise.

[Thumbwitch]

Holey pizza tray, and I pre-cook the base for about 5-10 minutes before putting on the toppings.

[JenniMoo]

I'd agree with making the base really thin and use minimal tomato sauce. I've been using senolina to roll out the pizza dough as couldn't find polenta and that seems to help. I think polenta would be better though!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I pre-cook the bases on a hot griddle while heating up holey baking trays in a hot oven, then top them and slide them onto the trays and straight inyo the oven.

[Felix90]

Useful posts! DP always tries to make pizza but overloads them with toppings and they are tasty but soggy im going to give it a go myself this week.

Does anyone have a good recipe for the dough?

[SunnyL]

I got a new book for Christmas that says conventional ovens do not get hot enough for pizzas even with pizza stones. With this book you do the first 4 minutes in the frying pan and the next 4 minutes under the grill. I have to say I've made the best pizzas outside of italy since I got this book.

[Thumbwitch]

My dough is made with spelt flour, I don't know if you'd say it was a good one! It's fine, but I'm sure there are better recipes out there.

[beachyhead]

Another one with holey pizza trays here and very hot oven. I use the Hugh FW Magic Dough from the Veg book. Yummy!

[BobPatSamandIgglePiggle]

Fab tips - promised my niece we'd have a go at making pizza at the weekend, does anyone have a fool proof recipe for the dough please?

[SunnyL]

The book I've got is How to make Artisan pizza by Guiseppe Mascoli who owns the Franco Manca shop in London.

[BingoWingsBeGone]

I pre cook the (very thin) dough base for 5 mins and then add toppings. Never squishy.

[TheBigBumTheory]

Thin base, 'holy' tray cheap in wilkos, oven at 220.

[Hanginggardenofboobylon]

Jamie Oliver's recipe is foolproof just don't add the liquid to the dry stuff on the worktop like he suggests you end up with oily water running all over the place! Do it in a bowl!
You can portion and freeze the uncooked dough so make a batch

[Saracarbonera]

I use Mary Berry's dough recipe and it turns out great, just have to work on the crispness now.
It's very simple, strong flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and water.
I'm going to do as JenniMoo suggests and use polenta or semolina to roll it out and see if that helps.

[jammiedonut]

We make pizzas at work, and if it's busy I usually have to make my own for lunch. The best technique I've found is very hot oven, thin baking tray. Roll out base, bung in oven for a couple of minutes, then flip over and apply toppings. That way the bottom has cooked a bit first. We use a lot of sauce and plenty of wet veggie toppings and rarely have a soggy base. No fancy baking trays either as long as they're thin they do the job! Hth

[mrsnec]

We use the J O recipe from the America book. It makes loads so we freeze the leftovers. Use trays with holes and make the dough in the bread maker. They always turn out great.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

My standard pizza base is

8oz strong flour
1 sachet dried yeast
salt
good slug olive oil
1 egg
a little sugar
enough water to mix
Some mixed Italian herbs

Doesn't need to pre-rise. Just mix, knead, roll out, add toppings and leave for 30 mins to prove before baking

[nicename]

Really hot oven
This base
Really hot pizza stone
Polenta scattered on stone before baking the pizza
No squidgy ingredients on top (low fat mozzarella is full of watery stuff)

[Ktay]

Poundland silicon baking mesh. I use the dough setting on my bread maker (don't use it for anything else ) and roll out as thin as poss. Use lowest shelf of oven, dunno if that actually helps tho.