Home made pizza: outside crust is perfect, but center is doughy. How can this be remedied? Oven temp would only go to 489 degrees.

As a hard core pizzaiolo I often cook the pizza outside on a "piastra" set on my wood grill. I use real lump charcoal and I can crank it up to around 600F. High heat matters. Per HLA's answer, in Italy they don't pile on the toppings. It tends to be minimalist---the classic being the pizza margherita. If you see big blisters forming on the outside of the crust that's a good thing.

Hi all, I posted this question and must thank you each for such good advice. The photo on instagram makes one want to chow down. That pizza looks too pretty to eat!

I use a pizza stone on the middle rack and preheat at 500F for at least half an hour. Pizzas come perfect every time in about 8-10 minutes depending on the topping load. Thin crust a bit quicker.
If I could get 700F it would be even faster, better and like the restaurant .
For me, hot hot pizza stone is the answer.

Try following the instructions given by Ken Forkish in the book Flour Water Salt Yeast. Place pizza stone about 8-inches below broiler. Turn oven as hot as possible, and once it reaches temperature turn timer on for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes switch to the broiler for about 5 minutes to saturate the stone with heat. Switch back to bake, then slide pizza onto the stone. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, then switch heat to broil for about 2 more minutes. Goal is a golden brown crust with a few small char areas on the topping and the crust. I baked a couple of pizzas this way the other night and the crust was top-notch. Another tip is not to overload the pizza. Here's a photo of one of the pizzas I made just a couple of nights ago.

It also helps if it isn't too overloaded with toppings, whatever they are, especially if you're also adding a sauce (rather than just olive oil). In Italy, toppings are used sparingly so that the crust is part of the flavor profile, not just a vehicle for toppings. It's a heavenly combination.

I appreciate you answer very much. I wrote another reply to you, however it must be in cyberspace because it has vanished.

I had this trouble for over a decade, then one day I baked the pizza on a lower shelf in the oven. The bottom cooked so much faster and it all came together so that the top and the bottom were cooked to the perfection.

Now I usually bake mine on the bottom or second to bottom shelf - making sure the convection is turned off and only baking one at a time - and a thin crust bakes at 425F in about 15 min. It takes a bit longer for a regular crust pizza or one with extra toppings as the moisture in the toppings can make the dough soggy.

If you can, try to keep toppings as dry as possible - for example, if you like pickled garlic on your pizza (and quite frankly I can't imagine a person who wouldn't), drain the garlic really well, and even go so far as to pat it down with a paper towel dry off the brine. If you are putting something like Kimchi (another favourite of mine) give it a good squeeze to get the extra moisture out before chopping it up and topping your pizza. Just a few examples, I'm sure you can imagine how to treat more 'traditional' toppings to keep them nice and dry. Just remember soggy toppings can make soggy crust.