Dan, I really enjoyed this thread on your pizzas and breads! You are doing great, experimenting, documenting and refining.
I learned from my Italian Grandmother in the 1960's but let marriage, career and children take me from baking. I restarted upon retirement. I now realize the mistake I made by not having a "pizza night" for my children every week.
Keep up the good work, and please never stop!
Here are some of the things that I learned the last two years. Perhaps they may help on your journey.
As time permits, see if you can get into Restaurant Depot so you can start to get a hand on some food service products. Stanislaus tomato products do make a difference. (7/11 and Full Red Pizza Sauce with basil [note it is just a base, still needs your spice package]) Also try some cheese blends, white cheddar is one of my favorites to add. Also a light dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesian) before or after the bake adds depth. I have learned that General Mills Full Strength flour is a great base flour for all my pizzas and breads. I have tried GM All Trumps, but I do not have the skill to produce consistent pies with it. FS is a very "forgiving" flour. Tom Lehmann also shared a tip that I use during the summer of thin slicing plum tomatoes from the garden and putting them on our pie. I have also learned that less is more, and balance is the key. I thank Norma and Walter for that key!
I have found that folks break into two camps here in Ohio with respect to sauce. A small portion (~25%) prefer the bright, simple sauce that I like. That is a Stanislaus 7/11 base with less than a tsp of oregano and basil, a clove of garlic crushed, and a squeeze of olive oil to a #10 can. The dominant portion of folks I cook for (like church groups/family gatherings) prefer the Red November sauce. The younger the age, the more sweet they like it. After cooking for these groups for 2 years, I now know why sugar is put into things...