Make your first one beautifully.

Heat first. Then everything else.

Place a pizza steel or stone in your oven and preheat it at the highest setting for at least 45 minutes. The stored heat underneath the pizza matters as much as the air temperature around it.

1. Rest gently

   A few hours before baking, place your covered dough at room temperature according to the included guide. It should feel soft, relaxed and slightly alive.

2. Stretch by hand

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press from the center outward, leaving a rim. Lift and rotate gently. Never use a rolling pin—it presses out the air you waited for.

3. Top with restraint

   A thin layer of tomato, torn mozzarella, a few basil leaves and olive oil are enough. Too much moisture makes a heavy center.

4. Bake hot

   Slide onto the preheated surface and bake until the rim is lifted, colored and crisp underneath. Turn once if your oven colors unevenly.

One last thing

The first pizza may not be perfectly round. It will still be yours, still be hot, and still disappear quickly. Make the second one before you sit down.