Aim for 1/3-inch-thick dough for the right balance. Before working with refrigerated or frozen homemade dough, let it come to room temperature.
Avoid using store-bought marinara sauce. You must make your own pizza sauce if you're going the homemade approach.
When cooking homemade pizza, less is more. Focus on a few quality components in innovative combinations to avoid clashing flavors.
Of course, any meats that you would not eat raw must be cooked first. Tougher vegetables, such as asparagus, sweet potato, or eggplant, should be pre-cooked.
There's a whole world of cheese out there. Depending on how daring you are, you can even try 3-cheese, 4-cheese, or 5-cheese variations.
When spooning on your homemade sauce, remember to keep the big picture in mind. The crust should not be swimming in it; otherwise, you will have a soggy mess.
You can ensure that your crust will be precisely crisp and not mushy on the bottom by using a pre-heated pizza stone.
You may not be able to afford an actual wood-burning pizza oven, but you should be able to bring the oven temperature up to 450-500°F.
Keep an eye on the crust near the finish, but if in doubt, leave the pizza in the oven a few minutes longer than you believe it needs.