Steel plate

[communist]

s

[communist]

s

[chickenparm]

Wow,thats making me HUNGRY! Perfect slices! Love the char on the bottom too.
 

[norma427]

Mark,

I agree, great looking pizza!  

Norma

[scott123]

Mark, if you like the crispiness of a slightly longer bake, there's really no reason to mess around with the fibrament- just lower the pre-heat temp on the steel a bit and leave the pie in longer- it will give you the same texture on the undercrust.

[Boudreaux]

Having read all of the great information on the Steel Plate.....I'm considering such a move. BUT, I'm wondering. Does the Steel Plate (once sanded and properly cleaned) have to be seasoned to any degree before the first pizza cook.....


 


Wilson Boudreaux
from Cajun Country.....

[buceriasdon]

If you live in an area that is prone to rusting iron and steel, yes I would season it. If not, don't bother. I live next to the ocean, I season.
Don

[communist]

Baking on steel  4 1/2 minute pie, 16 inches, .07 thickness factor, some crisp on bottom, cheese, then tomatoe sauce on top.

[communist]

baking on steel

[communist]

Light, puffy, and crisp with 6 1/2 ounces Grande, 6 ounces tomato sauce ( 6 in 1 ) and .07 thickness factor - 14 ounces of dough for 16 inch pie, with semolina on peel

[Jet_deck]

Mark,  those pictures remind me of the better pizzas on the Chau NY tour.  Do you serve Takeaway?

[norma427]

Mark,

The pizza you made on your steel plate looks really good.   

Norma

[toddster63]

For a home oven under 600F, Mark, those are the best underskirt shots I have seen yet. Makes a very compelling argument for steel plates, particularly in home ovens...!

[communist]

Mark,  those pictures remind me of the better pizzas on the Chau NY tour.  Do you serve Takeaway?

Thanks Jet_Deck!

Mark,

The pizza you made on your steel plate looks really good.   

Norma

Thanks Norma!  Got to get down again to Lancaster soon!

For a home oven under 600F, Mark, those are the best underskirt shots I have seen yet. Makes a very compelling argument for steel plates, particularly in home ovens...!

  Thanks Toddster63

[jsaras]

This thread has wandered around a bit; my question is how would the Cadco CAP-H Half Size Pizza Plate (20" x 13'x 1/4" Aluminzed Steel, 8.5 lbs) compare to the Lodge 14-in cast iron pan (10.6 - 11 lbs) in terms of its thermal mass, etc.

[scott123]

Jonas, 1/4" will have more thermal mass than the lodge's 1/8" thickness, but, I'm not in love with the non stick surface.  You could probably sand the non stick coating off, or perhaps burn it off in an outdoor grill, but, until it's removed, I wouldn't use it for pizza.

Another downside to this plate is the size.  When it comes to NY style pizza, bigger is always better.  The ideal pizza size is 18", but that's not feasible for most home oven owners. If you can accommodate a 16"-17" plate, though, you definitely should.

[Meatballs]

I have the cadco aluminized steel plate and the aluminum fakiro plate, as long as the non-stick is not exposed to temps above 500 degrees it works great.  I use the plates in a cadco 1/2 size (stefania) convection oven in 220 version.  The oven plate combination works exceedingly well for 12 inch pizzas in 3 1/2 minute bakes for new york style or Nearlypolitans.

Ron

[jsaras]

I would have guessed that the denser cast iron plate would have more thermal mass than the thicker (but lighter) aluminized steel plate, but what do I know?

For now, I've been preheating the cast iron plate in the oven until it hits 550.  Then I transfer it to the burner and give it direct flame for at least 5 minutes while simultaneously running the broiler in the oven. 

I then cook with the plate on the burner for 3-4 minutes and then I transfer the plate to the oven for another minute or so under the broiler (flame is about 4 inches away).  I make 12-inch or smaller pizzas and things have been cooking fairly well (see attached).

I really like the idea of a lightweight aluminized steel shelf that does (nearly?)the same thing as A36 steel. Maybe in the not too distant future someone will manufacture something really kick-_ss.

[MO_Pie]

Light, puffy, and crisp with 6 1/2 ounces Grande, 6 ounces tomato sauce ( 6 in 1 ) and .07 thickness factor - 14 ounces of dough for 16 inch pie, with semolina on peel

Hi Mark - I've been reading through this thread and your pie porn...   After all this time, have you settled on a heating / cooking procedure that you like?

Also forgot to ask, do you recommend to use the convection roast function, or just the regular broiler?

[communist]

Also forgot to ask, do you recommend to use the convection roast function, or just the regular broiler?

  I have an electric broiler above, I do not have any experience with convection ovens.

have you settled on a heating / cooking procedure that you like?

  My simple set up is 1/2 steel 17 x17 x1/2 preheated for an hour to max ( for my oven is 530 ), turn on broiler ( will kick on in a bit or even after loading pie ) and use broiler for 45 seconds of top heat, then kill.  Steel on second rack, about 6 inches from elements.  Excellent New York Pie in 3.5 to 4.5 minutes.  Light, airy and crisp.  Excellent reviews.  My more complex set up involves using older, inferior stones to support my steel baking.  I have a fibrament stone that I will heat up with the steel a few shelfs below, and also an ld firebrick Pizza Gourmet stone which I put under the steel.  I need at least 2 hours to heat up the oven, and I slide the pizza off the steel at 3 minutes and slide it onto the fibrament for 1.5 minutes.  My wife thinks I may get a slightly crisper crust this way.  I am not sure.  I do like the thermal mass when I am baking 3 or 4 or 5 pizzas in rapid succesion.  Glad to answer any other questions.  Mark