Gerald, Irene's comment is actually in contradiction to the method in the recipe. Here are the steps per Julia Reed: 1. Put the steel or stone in the oven. 2. Preheat the empty oven, with the steel or stone inside, to 550. Allow at least 30 minutes after the oven has preheated for the stone to fully absorb heat (I always give my stone a full hour). 3. When you are ready to put the pizza on the stone, switch from bake to broil (with the stone at least 8 inches below the broiler for safety). The residual heat in the stone will bake the bottom of your pizza and the hot broiler element will cook the top and impart a nice char on the cheese and the edge of the crust. The question about broiling on Hi or Low is really up to you. These vague broiler settings vary from one oven to another, and which one is better will also be dependent on what ingredients you use for your toppings. Hi will obviously get the top done more quickly, but for some toppings it could be too quick, with the top starting burn before the bottom of the pizza is cooked through by the stone. So experiment with both settings and (either way) to see what works best in your oven, keep a close eye on the pizza as it cooks to make sure it doesn't get overdone and comes out evenly cooked. Julia's method is here is great, and it comes remarkably close to the old school coal-fired ovens in New York City's destination pizza parlors, as well as to the original true Neapolitan pizza (especially if you use half "00" flour for the latter).

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