Have a steel and using a home oven could only get so much of leoparding etc.
So today I went with a I don't care what happens approach. Followed Vito's poolish recipe and when it came to it just followed the steps below
- Preheat the oven with the steel on it for about an hour.
- Take the steel out and put it on the gas hob at max setting directly and let the steel heat up even more.
- Throw the stretched out pie on the steel.
- Throw the cheese on the pie (steel is still on the hob)
- Once the cheese slightly melts (very slightly), put the other toppings as needed and then take the steel and place it on the middle rack of the oven.
- Keep moving the pizza so it does not burn since I use fan assisted mode.
I think I have a repeatable approach now. Also the pizza cooks very quickly compared to the usual oven only approach.
by TurbulentLocksmith
4 Comments
That seems like a lot of work. What do you think you’re accomplishing that you can’t just do in the oven with the broiler.
And this bottom was the desired outcome for you? Did you like it?
Here’s how I do it: preheat oven to 500°F. Launch pizza onto steel and let it cook three minutes (time can be adjusted depending on how charred you want the bottom). Move pizza to upper rack. Let it cook for two minutes and then turn on the broiler. Cook for another minute or two under the broiler watching VERY carefully. I have a thin steel, so no need to wait or heat the oven for an hour.
I would think the steel would cool too much after taking it out of the oven. The pizza looks amazing but I feel like I got similar results just heating my steel on 500 convection for 30 minutes. I don’t use the broiler and I spin it once.