Great article. Found it after googling Appian Way, which was my first "homemade" pizza in the late '50s and early '60s. They sold those pizza pans 3 for $1.

My secret ingredient now is a spoonful of gluten flour added to the flour and salt before adding the proofed yeast, sugar and bottled (never tap) water. It turns cheap all-purpose flour into bakers' flour at a fraction of the cost.

I never really measure anything except the sugar to salt ratio which determines the rising time. I find 2-1 ideal as it will double in about the time it takes to prepare the toppings and grate the mozzarella. I use any old coffee mug, almost full, to proof the yeast and any old teaspoon for the dry ingredients, one spoonful of each except the salt.

I stopped adding oil years ago but I put a good splash of extra virgin olive oil in the raising bowl which also serves to grease the 16" aluminum pan. Half an hour at 425-450f, turning it halfway yields an excellent pizzeria-quality thin crust depending on the amount of toppings.

You learn something every day. If you vacuum seal leftover pizza and freeze it flat, you can peel the wrapping off and reheat it still frozen at 400f on an open-mesh pan with excellent results. The time depends on the thickness of the toppings.

Homemade is always better than pizza chain but top quality family pizzerias can sometimes come close.

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