After a little thought, experimentation, and nagging from those without a 1972 G.E. Oven, I think it is possible to do a Naples-style pizza in an oven without utilizing the self-clean cycle. The "theory": pre-heating a heavy cast-iron pan on the stove and setting it as close to possible to a firing broiler in an oven pre-heated to 550 degrees should produce a pocket of air surrounding the pizza that gets very close to the desired 800 degrees or so. The results were very promising. As you may be able to tell from the photos above (click to enlarge), the top crust, rise and interior texture of pizza is almost spot on: soft, airy, and chewy. Unfortunately, the bottom of the pizza was burnt crisp. (It actually tasted fine, as the charring was superficial.) I believe the theory is sound: firing broiler + pre-heated cast-iron skillet = hot enough for Naples-style pizza. Next step: tinker with the temperature of the cast-iron skillet and techniques (foil?) to prevent charring... I don't have an infrared thermometer, which is needed to make this technique reliable, so that one can gauge the temperature of the skillet.
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