Make your own baking steel…

[aaronatthedoublef]

I was talking pizza with some friends and one of them made his own baking steel. Or rather he commissioned his own baking steel from a local steel shop here. I believe it was 14 by 20 (I can get the exact dimensions) and an inch thick. It weighs about 15 pounds and cost $14.

My friend admitted it is not as pretty as the professionally made baking steels and does not have the dimpling that is supposed to make for easier removal of baked goods placed directly on the steel but he loves it for pizza.

America's Test Kitchen reviewed the baking steel here. They said it gave their bread an extra half inch for their bread (which seems significant). ATK also said the steel is better at matching the way a professional pizza oven cooks a pizza which matches my friend. I am reluctant to try one for $75. But it I can have one made for $14, then I'm willing to try that.

Spread the word

      

  

  

[RiversideLen]

Interesting. An advantage to the steel is you don't have to worry about overheating it. It's something I've thought about but haven't felt compelled yet.

[cwcdesign]

Understand that the man who created the baking steel did it at his family's company that manufactured things out of steel. He developed it because he was interested in finding something that would work in a home oven. He tried all kinds of permutations of thickness and size before coming up with his product.

I guess I'm also rooting for the guy from Mass whose company isn't far from where I lived

[Mike Nolan]

I ordered custom cut stainless steel candymaker's bars from a steel company in Wisconsin several years ago, there are many types and grades of steel and not all of them are kitchen-safe.

[aaronatthedoublef]

CWC, I agree with your point. I'm a couple of hours from their factory myself and I salute and want to support anyone who wants to manufacture in New England.

And to Mike's point, my wife would probably feel better knowing what I bring into the kitchen is food grade from a place that makes things for the kitchen.

[Mike Nolan]

I found a place on Etsy where they sell baking steels in a variety of sizes, including 16 x 22, which is about the same size as the 3/4 sheet pans I have that I use a lot. $100 including shipping, but before I order something like that I need to think through where I'd store it when it isn't in use and how to care for it, since it isn't rustproof

The pizzas I've been making on the bottom of my 3/4 sheet pans would fit on that steel, but there's no way to slide it on. I suppose I could try building it on a sheet of parchment but I'm not sure how to slide that onto a hot steel sheet. I haven't found anyone who makes rimless cookie sheets that large yet. Ordering it from a steel fabricator is really expensive.

[kimbob]

I have a stone and pizza peel. Actually 2 pizza peels because I found one at the aspca thrift store for a buck. A little cornmeal on the peel, put the dough on, make the pizza and swoosh onto the stone. You have to heat the stone and/or the steel anyway. While the steel is intriguing, I have enough stuff and am trying to get rid of things. Lol

[RiversideLen]

I have a pizza stone, a wood peel and a steel peel. When I got the steel peel I stopped using the wood one. I build my pizza on a sheet of parchment and slide it onto the preheated stone using the steel peel. After 2 1/2 to 3 minutes I gently slide the peel under the pizza, just a little, and use my other hand (gloved) to pull out the parchment. The pizza finishes directly on the stone. It works very well.

[Mike Nolan]

I've got 3 peels (the 3rd came with something else and is still wrapped, I may gift it at some point) and I haven't decided if I prefer a wood one to a metal one; but the thin crust pizza I've been making for the past several months is rectangular and is being made on the bottom of a 16x22 pan, so it wouldn't fit on any peel I've ever seen.

[Author]

Posts