Baking Steel
To make great pizza there are a couple of rules I think are essential.
First, your oven needs to be hot, hot hot. You need to have your oven get as hot as possible. If possible you need to have your oven at least 500 + degrees F. (260 C). The hotter the better! This ensures your pizza will cook quickly and completely. Pre-heating your oven for at least an hour, is essential.
Next, when you make pizza, my mantra has always been, “less is more”. Remember this! My friend, Mark Bello, from Pizza A Casa, restated this very nicely when I joined him and his students for a wonderful pizza class. You do not need to put lots of toppings on your pizza. When making pizza a little goes a long way. For many things in life more is better, but when making pizza you need to show a little restraint. If you want memorable pizza, you need to take this mantra to heart.
Finally, you need a great surface to cook your pizza. You can certainly make acceptable pizza in your oven in a pizza pan. As a matter of fact I used a cookie sheet for several years with acceptable results. If you are lucky enough to have a wood fired pizza oven in your kitchen, you are fortunate. If not, you need something else to cook your pizza on.
For years, I have used a pizza stone with great results. I have always sung the praises of using pizza stones to make great pizza. After all a pizza stone allows you to be able to mimic the high heat contained in a wood fired oven. I felt there was nothing you could use to make pizza except a pizza stone. After all, the stone is like making pizza in a brick fired oven.
I’ve felt there was nothing better than a pizza stone…Until now. When pizza professionals such as, Tony Gemignani, (The Pizza Bible), John Arena (Metro Pizza) and Master pizza maker Jon F. sing the praises of Baking Steel, you need to listen. Of course, Mark Bello, had all of his pizza classes use, Baking Steel as well.
Tony recommends Baking Steel in his book, The Pizza Bible. As a matter of fact Tony, advises getting two Baking Steels. He explained to me personally why you should use this to make perfect pizza.
The Baking steel will cook your pizza quickly, completely and totally.
And The Baking Steel is virtually indestructible.
If you are serious about making great pizza, consider a baking steel!
Why you need to check out a baking steel!
1) It cooks your pizza faster!
2) Your pizza is cooked completely with a nice toasted crust.
3) It is indestructible,
That wasn’t very helpful. You said I should I should get a steel. You said someone says I should use two steels. But you didn’t say a thing about why.
That wasn’t a review, it was just a promotion.
I suspect that its just a matter of you being paid to promote the steel.
Gee sorry Bill.
I wish I was getting paid to promote the baking steel.
If someone buys one through my link, yes I do get compensated.
But I said this:
1) It cooks your pizza faster!
2) Your pizza is cooked completely with a nice toasted crust.
3) It is indestructible,
Sorry you feel the way you do Bill. And I do apologize.
I would never promote something I did not totally believe in..
Honestly Bill: I love the baking steel.
I think it will change the way you make pizza!
Thanks for the feed back though…
pizza on earth,
albert.
I bought my first steel (A36 carbon steel) from a sheet metal shop.
Measure your oven to get the largest piece of steel it will accomodate. Take care that your oven door will close and some oven racks are curved upwards at the rear end, meaning you need to take the depth measurement for the flat surface only. The shop will cut the steel for you, and if you’re lucky smooth the edges, else you’ll have to whip out the old angle grinder and do that yourself.
The steel will heat to temp in less than 30 minutes, but it takes forever for it to cool down to the touch. The only negatives are you need a “brick” (like ones used on a restaurant griddle/flattop) to clean it, and you’ll have to keep it oiled (like a cast iron pan) to prevent rust.
A second steel is used on the top rack to reflect heat back down onto the pizza but it’s not really necessary.
Thanks for the feedback Dave!
Good! I built an electric pizza oven and a baking stone. I think that baking steel works well but i don’t know if works as well as baking stone does.
Thanks for your insight Jorge.
I do think pizza stones work well, but I really think the baking steel improves your pizza, IMHO.
What are the dimensions of the baking steel plate? I could not find them anywhere in the ad.
Thanks for the question Anthony:
Here is the answer:
Product Details
Product Dimensions: 16 x 14 x 0.2 inches ; 15 pounds
Shipping Weight: 16.2 pounds