I need a stone that won't break again and I've read many articles touting the benefits of steel. The best feature I read about was the excellent crust structure and quick cooking with steel. And because it's made of steel, it won't break and will last forever. I originally ordered the 3/8" size. It wasn't even the thickest. It was so heavy I couldn't get the oven rack out to put the pizza on it. . I mean it was HEAVY! It's, like breaking your leg hard.Ideally, for thicker steels, the oven rack should be low enough that you don't have to pull it out and can just leave it./ 8" for 1/4" The seller, Dough-Joe, was great for that, thanks!I can say the difference in crust browning between the two thicknesses was so negligible that it wasn't a problem for me.However, it's still a great choice for pizza lovers who appreciate that small difference I know. I preheat to 500 for 45 minutes. With 1/4" I was able to slide the oven rack out a bit and put my pizza on it without incident. I lightly flour the pizza dough, stretch and shape it by hand. Only when I'm ready to put the toppings in do I turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board I work quickly so it doesn't stick I keep the sauce to a minimum and keep the filling off the edges using the skin isn't that difficult when it is I prefer wood as it absorbs moisture, but I'll try metal later. If you're making a very large pizza with a heavy topping, it won't easily peel off the skin and may tear. I use for separating a large metal spatula Just the edge of the pizza from the skin diagonally backwards in the pan. The batter should immediately stick to the hot steel pan, which is preferable so you can easily pull the pan from the bottom. I find it easier than trying to take the whole pizza off at once. Whatever works best for you! I would you have said that it takes some practice to put the pizza on the baking sheet. You can use a pizza grid and avoid all of these problems, but you won't get as nice a color under the pizza crust, but you'll still get a great tasting pizza! It only takes 6 minutes to get a mottled pattern on the bottom of the crust. Bake directly on your steel. The crust will be crispy but chewy. It takes much longer to bake and your pizza will be very crispy and dry. This also depends on the thickness of your dough. If I add basil or arugula, I mix it with olive oil and put it on the pizza immediately after taking it out. Otherwise it will dry and shrink. I prefer mozzarella, romano and parmesan cheese. Avoid pre-shredded cheese as it contains release agents that tend to make cheese dry, crunchy and not melt as smoothly as mozzarella. The pizza crust baked on this steel is in no way inferior to the quality of a pizzeria. I especially love the big, airy bubbles. Homemade pizza dough isn't an exact science, so your crust may look different every time, but that's what makes it interesting! The bottom of the crust always has a dark mottled crust that gives it a wonderfully crispy yet chewy texture. After baking, place the pizza on a cooling rack to keep it from becoming soggy. I can honestly say my best pizza has ever been on this steel! Pizza blogs have different baking options. For example, put steel on the 2nd grate and then turn on the grill. Or pizza steel on a grate, pizza stone on top to mimic a pizza oven. Make sure you know the limitations of your oven. Even though I have a "professional household oven", it was so hot when using the heat and roast method that it knocked over my oven's thermostat/control panel and turned my oven off. I had to reinstall after it cooled down. No wine steel for pizza but the limits of the oven. Now I just bake on the bottom rail at 500° - no problem and the pizza is consistently delicious, chewy and crispy. If you are making multiple pizzas, heat the steel for 10 minutes in between. If your dough has small holes or paper-thin spots, seal them or they will stick if the sauce or filling seeps through. Whatever you do, be careful not to drop the filling/sauce on the oven window - it can crack as the temperature changes. So pull the rack out only slightly (if at all) to get your pizza onto the steel. The steel is aged and brown in colour. I seasoned it again with a thin layer of avocado oil for an hour at 500°. (I would suggest doing this on the grill as it smoked a lot). After this one season, the surface is black with high lubricity, ready to use and smoke-free. If the topping or sauce falls off and starts to burn, let the pizza cook. Once the pizza is removed, use a metal spatula to scrape off any burnt bits. (Much easier when the steel is hot.) When it gets cold, you'll need to take out the cooked bits, soak them and scrape them off with a metal spatula/scraper. Wipe with a thin layer of oil and you're done. Greasy leftovers are good and don't need to be washed - you want that nice flavor that a cast iron skillet creates. Burnt-on residue should always be scraped off as it makes the surface uneven and sticky. I would also recommend good quality silicone oven mitts and a cooling pad. Once you get past the learning curve, you won't go back to traditional stone! Also watch the YouTube video to learn how to make pizza dough and use pizza steel. Happy baking!
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