We’re not all blessed by having a proper wood-fired oven at home for making that unique pizza flavor. Still, that will never prevent us from making our pizzas in our kitchen ovens at home.
Who would ever give up on pizza?
While it’s never going to have the same taste like the one from wood-fired ovens, pizza made in the kitchen oven can come as close as that. The top-quality pizza steel found in shops is the greatest thing you can buy if you’re going for the best pizza possible out of the oven.
Is it all a myth? Does pizza steel really have such an impact?
Based on our experience and the user’s reviews found online, we’ve come up with a couple of key points on how pizza steel will be a game-changer for your homemade pizzas.
Here’s what we learned.
What Makes the Difference?
The crispy dough is what makes a pizza great. Besides the ingredients on top, the crust plays a major role in how pizza will taste overall. Using pizza steel helps you achieve that crispy crust in your kitchen oven.
Steel is one of the best heat conductors, which makes it perfect for baking. Compared to a normal pan, pizza steel has perforations on its surface. That makes it good, not only for heat-conducting but also for better airflow that bakes the pizza from beneath.
Now, with help from pizza steel, you can make pizzas that can compete with those made in some of the best pizza places out there. Such a small investment will make your pizzas that many will like to copy.
How to Use It
Using the pizza steel is not rocket science. It comes without any complicated parts that need some skill to master before using it.
Pizza steel is nothing more than a sheet of steel. That’s it.
Spread the dough on a worktop cover in flour before placing it on the pizza steel. Some pizza masters recommend spreading a bit of cornstarch on the pan before putting the dough on it.
That prevents the dough from sticking, and it makes removing the pizza easier after it’s done. That’s a simple way, but we’ll talk about the best way of dealing with the issue later in the article. While you’re fixing the ingredients on top, it’s important to heat your oven to the max.
For most ovens in our kitchens, that’s around 250°C or 500°F. When the heat is at max, you’ll need around 8-10 minutes until you can take it out. Preheating is the most important part.
If you’re making more than one pizza, let the oven warm up back to the max before the next one. Like that, you will get the best quality for each pizza.
Basic Maintenance
Keeping your tools clean is one of the most important things when it comes to cooking. The same as you have to keep your oven clean at all times, the same goes for the pizza steel.
Clean and well-maintained pizza steel is the key to making a perfect pizza without losing the flavors. After making many pizzas, the food residue will build upon the surface of the steel. Cleaning it after every use is something that you must do.
What can you do to prevent the pizza from sticking and steel from rusting afterward?
There’s a trick to it, which you can master with ease. After you’ve washed the pizza steel, apply oil with a high smoking point to the surface.
After doing that, wipe it off with paper tissue leaving only a very thin layer on the surface before putting it in the oven for baking. Place it in a cold oven and bake the pizza steel for an hour at 200°C or 400°F. Let it cool down in the oven without taking it out.
Like that, you’ll prevent the steel from rusting, and you’ll be able to use it for many years to come.
Conclusion
If you love a good pizza made from scratch, pizza steel will make you fall in love with it from day one.
If you use it properly, and more importantly, maintain it clean, your dream of making the best pizza at home will be much closer.
As you’ll see for yourself after the first time, pizza steel will improve the overall quality, and taste will keep getting better.
Go ahead – try it for yourself.
Buying one is not a huge investment, and you have nothing to lose by trying. Take our advice on how to use and maintain it, and enjoy the best pizza you could ever make in your humble kitchen.