Steel baking sheets — commonly referred to as pizza steels, steel baking plates, or by the brand-name baking steels — are slowly supplanting pizza stones as the best surface for home chefs to cook gourmet pizzas.
Posters in online forums have discussed how well steel would work for making pizzas for years. But, it wasnt until Nathan Myhrvold mentioned it in his seminal work “Modernist Cuisine at Home” that someone acted on the idea. Andris Lagsdin hit his modest goal within 24 hours of launching a Kickstarter campaign for the Original Baking Steel in 2012, and the rest is history.
Since then, several other pizza steel brands have popped up, including the Dough-Joe Samurai, which hit online stores in 2014. Unlike Baking Steel, Dough-Joe already had a foothold in the pizza stone space so steels were a natural pivot. Advertisement
It really made a difference for the bread I’ve made so far. The outcomes have been almost as good as the expensive deck ovens I used in school. Make sure you preheat the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes after the oven comes up to temperature.
What is a baking steel?
At their most basic, baking steels arent all that sexy. Theyre essentially a slab of quarter-inch-to-half-inch-thick carbon steel. Most come pre-seasoned so you can put your raw dough right on it and not worry about it sticking.
Which is better a pizza stone or pizza steel?
Big names in home pizza making, including Serious Eats J. Kenji López-Alt and Ken Forkish (author of my favorite book on the topic “The Elements of Pizza“), prefer pizza steels to pizza stones. The main reason steel is such a popular material is that it stores heat and conducts it faster to make crispier pizzas with a black-spotted crust. Crustier breads can also benefit from baking on steel.
Pizza steels produce an effect called “oven spring.” This is the quick expansion of water and air in the dough upon coming into contact with a heat source. Oven spring is responsible for the beautiful crust hole structure found in the best pies.
Steel baking plates are best for Neapolitan and New York-style pies as well as any other ultra-thin crust styles. However, you should avoid cooking buttery pastries and other light, flaky baked goods directly on the steel because the heat gets too intense and can cause scorching. Advertisement
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FAQ
Do you really need the DoJoe?
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Why should you buy a dojoe pizza oven?
It’s also well suited to people who like to experiment with different heat zones, cooking surfaces, and cooking techniques because it comes with stainless steel grates, and you can add cast iron grates and griddles, soapstone, a rotisserie, DoJoe pizza oven insert, and more.
What is the kamado Joe dojoe?
The DoJoe is a pizza oven accessory that transforms the Kamado Joe into a pizza oven, making you the best host for game nights. Some users have regarded it as a “life-changing accessory,” while many pizza lovers swear by its ease of use. It also works with the company’s pizza stone and deflectors, naturally increasing its functionality.
How big is a Joe’s grate?
The Joe’s grate is 18 inches in diameter, which amounts to just 250 square inches of total cooking surface; this is tight for a standard grill and very limited for a smoker. While you can double the smoking surface area by purchasing a second tier for the existing grate, you’re still limited by the grill’s diameter.