If you want to cut cooking time and boost crispiness, buy a pizza steel or stone. A steel preheats in about 45 minutes and shaves off 2 to 4 minutes from your total cook time. A stone is slower but more forgiving for first-timers.
🥖 How Long Do You Cook Pizza In The Oven?
No tools? No problem. A preheated cast-iron skillet or the back of a baking sheet flipped upside down works wonders. The key is mass: something heavy that absorbs and radiates heat like a mini furnace.
Cultural Cheat Codes
In Naples, pizzaiolos cook their margherita in 60 to 90 seconds at 900°F. That’s not realistic for your kitchen, but the principle applies: higher heat equals faster, better pizza. Your home oven just needs a little longer—think 8 to 12 minutes instead of 90 seconds.
Fun fact: the New York slice style relies on a slightly lower temperature (around 475°F) for a longer time—about 12 to 15 minutes—to achieve that foldable, chewy character. It’s all about regional mood.
