To prepare for making the best pizza, be sure you preheat your oven at the maximum temperature. Heat the oven for at least half an hour before you plan to cook in order to get the interior good and hot. A pizza stone will help your crust turn out crispy and even. It also will help maintain a steady temperature in your oven. Some pizza aficionados even line the bottom of their oven with tiles or bricks.

But if you don't have a stone and a pizza peel, don't worry! Use a sheet pan instead. Wipe the pan with olive oil and toss in a handful of corn meal or semolina. With a sheet pan, you can also roll or stretch your dough to fit the pan.

Remember to use your longest oven mitts when handling your pizza, whichever method you use. Your pizza should cook in 8 to 12 minutes. It's done when the crust starts to brown and the cheese is starting to melt into the sauce.

-Experiment with whole grains in your dough. Substitute whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or cornmeal for part of the white flour in our dough recipe.

-Short on time? Readymade pasta sauce or pesto works great. Spread with the back of a spoon or use a pastry brush to spread your sauce evenly.

-Try pizza on the barbecue. That's right ??? the super hot fire of your barbecue is perfect for pizza. Here's how to do it: grill your stretched pizza dough on one side. Using tongs, flip it off the barbecue onto a plate, and then arrange the grilled side with your toppings. Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill. Cover the pizza with a skillet lid or close your barbecue for a few minutes, then use your tongs to slide your finished pizza back onto your plate for serving. Yummm!