This is the moment of truth. Slide your pizza onto the hot stone or steel. Use a well-floured peel, or better yet, a sheet of parchment paper. The paper will burn after a minute, but by then your crust is set. Just pull it out from under the pizza with tongs when it’s safe.
Now, don’t walk away. Watch like a hawk. The cheese will melt, the edges will puff, and the bottom will darken. When the bottom is golden with dark spots and the cheese is bubbling, it’s done. If you flip the pizza over and it looks pale, it’s not ready. Give it another 2 minutes.
(Ever sliced into a pizza only to see a raw, doughy center? That’s the saddest sound in the world. Avoid it like plastic cheese.)
