Pizza’s potential variety is almost endless. There are so many different types of pizza and so many different ways to make it. With this huge variety come many different potential problems, though. Try these little hints to help make each style the best pizza possible.

Thin Crust Pizza
The heart of a thin crust pizza lies in its crispy and flaky nature. If the crust cooks too long, it’s nothing but a burnt disc. If it cooks too little, it’s nothing but flimsy cardboard. To achieve the perfect thin crust, you must first be very careful to roll the dough out evenly. Give the crust a light mist of extra virgin olive oil before baking to help it fully crisp.

Thick Crust Pizza
Thick crust pizza has the potential to bake unevenly. As with all pizza crust, the first trick is to roll the dough out as evenly as possible. The best way to cook thick crust is in a very hot pizza oven, such as a brick oven. However, since most people don’t have a brick oven in their home kitchen, you want to bake the crust two times. Let it bake before you put on the toppings, let it cool completely, add the topping, and bake it again.

Stuffed Crust Pizza
The easiest way to make stuffed crust pizza is to grab some string cheese. Pull one stick of cheese in half lengthwise, so you have two long sticks. Place half a stick of the cheese about one inch from the edge of the dough. Fold the crust around the cheese, press to seal, place next piece of cheese and repeat.

Chicago-Style Pizza
Chicago pizza is the ultimate in deep-dish styles. The key to a Chicago deep-dish pizza is to keep the dough hearty enough to hold the fillings, but thin enough so it doesn’t poof up into a loaf of bread. Always dock your dough before baking. Docking simply means poking something like a fork into the dough every few inches. This helps release any air pockets and keeps your crust from developing unwanted monster bubbles.

Neapolitan Pizza
For the traditional pizza found in Naples, Neapolitan is the only acceptable style. A brick or stone oven with hot cedar wood fire is needed to make this style right, so don’t even think about trying it in a conventional oven. If you do want to try it, remember to use dough made from wheat flour only.