3 Cheesy Pizza Tips for the Upper Crust

Getting sticky pizza dough to slide off a pizza peel can be tricky. To avoid stubborn pies, think ahead: Roll out the pizza dough directly on parchment paper, and then add the sauce and toppings. You can then slide the pizza, paper and all, onto the peel and into and out of the oven with ease. The parchment won’t burn, and it easily slides off the peel.

Leftover pizza is a treat that can easily be ruined by a spin in the microwave (it gets soggy), but heating up the oven for a slice of pizza is impractical. Turn on the stovetop burner instead. Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add dried oregano. Place the pizza slice in the skillet and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes. The pizza will come out hot and crisp, with an irresistible aroma.

Homemade pizza is a blank canvas for the creative use of toppings. The problem is that you don’t always have enough topping options on hand. Here’s a simple way to create interesting pizzas. Whenever you are cooking something that would make a good pizza topping—bacon, roasted butternut squash, meatballs, mashed potatoes (trust us!)—reserve a little bit in a clean, plastic container, label it, and freeze it. When making pizza, sort through the frozen topping options.

Like these? See more quick tips at Cook's Illustrated.