If you have a good cast iron pan it's so easy and much faster than heating the stone. I usually prepare the pizza right on the stove, then turn the element on to cook the undercarriage while the oven is heating so it gets cooked well, then I pop it into the oven for a few minutes, then use broil to get the top cheese nice with brown bits.
I often use a cast iron. Great results and easier to manage getting the pizza in and out of the oven.
Will any flour do, or is it to splurge on the nice stuff?
Depends on what you are going for. The 00 or pizza flour has a higher protein content, so you get a lighter, crispier crust. AP flour gives more of thicker, chewier crust. The King Arthur website has tons of recipes using either variety.
