Allen,
Pizza is simply bread with something on it and the crust type is one
of personal choice. Almost any flatbread can be made into a pizza
including Focaccia, Naan, and Pita. While thick crust (Chicago style)
and thin crust are both pizzas there are more types than just those
two. For thick crust I would suggest lining the baking pan with
parchment and then liberally oil it with Olive Oil. Thin crust, at
least for me, is better cooked directly on a baking stone.
I have found that most pizza stones available in the retail market
are rather anemic and do not have enough mass to be a proper heat
sink. The most common stones are about 3/8 inch thick and made of
fired clay. I have used a 3/4 inch thick stone from Fibrament
(www.bakingstone.com)for around eight years and it works well. I had
to trim mine with a masonry blade to fit the when I replaced my stove
but now they have multiple sizes. One key is to adequately preheat
the stone, a minimum of 30 minutes at temperature.
Your statement about the pre-heated stone is correct. You could place
a pan on the stone with some increase in heat transfer; however,
placing the pie directly on the stone is the preferred method
although placing the pie on a round of baking parchment does make
sliding it onto the stone easier. Simply fold a sheet of parchment
into quarters and cut around the edge to form a round of appropriate
diameter. I preheat the oven and stone to the hottest temperature the
oven will attain, 550 F. in my stove. Commercial pizza ovens operate
much higher than that and it can't be generally duplicated in a home
oven. Also, make the crust as thin as possible and don't overload
with sauce or toppings.
Hope this helps,
Pop