After my grandfather moved from Sicily to Brooklyn, he opened several restaurants, including a small pizzeria. I remember him twirling pizza dough in his famously showy fashion. I’ve worked hard to develop a pie that would meet his standards, and after dozens of attempts with myriad cheese, tomato and flour varieties, I’ve finally done it. Mine is a Neapolitan-style pie with a chewy-yet-crisp crust, a well-seasoned raw tomato sauce and fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese.

Kitchen-Tested Pizza Essentials

Best Manufacturing Peel

Dough sticks less to wood than metal; this peel is ideal for a home oven ($27; williams-sonoma.com).

Bufalus Buffalo Mozzarella

We sampled a dozen mozzarellas; this won out for its tangy, salty flavor (available at Whole Foods).

Fibrament Baking Stone

This cement stone yields crispy crusts and is more durable than ceramic ($53; bakingstone.com).

La Valle San Marzano Tomatoes

These triumphed in our taste test for their fresh, extra-ripe flavor (lavallefoodsusa.com).

Tutto Calabria Oregano

This dried oregano comes on the branch and is more flavorful than bottled ($4; 212-633-9090).

Typhoon Pizza Slicer

This mezzaluna-style cutter is easier to control than wheel cutters ($18; typhoonus.com).

Published March 2007