Author Topic: The Steel Plate Buying Guide (Read 180423 times)

JD · « **Reply #40 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:06:03 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 02:39:19 PM

Gregg,

Unfortunately, Scott is no longer an active member on this forum. I typically do not use the broiler with my steel when making a NY style pizza but I will use it for the entire back when making NP-ish pizza. I preheat my oven for 75 minutes at 550° convection and my steel tops out between 604° - 607° when I IR the temp. I'm sure that there are other members that use the broiler with their steel but we all have different oven setups. Hope this helps you.

Do you bake your NY style on steel at the 600+ IR temp or is that just for your NPish?

I'm a bit surprised you do not use your broiler at all, but I think convection helps a lot. I don't have convection and absolutely need the broiler.

mbrulato · « **Reply #41 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:15:18 PM »

Both. I think my oven is a beast.

David Esq. · « **Reply #42 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:16:37 PM »

Forkish recommends preheating at highest temp, then saturating with the broiler for 5 minutes and then setting back to the highest temp.

I assume this gets the steel super hot and then keeps the over all oven temp hot without burning the top. He is using a stone and not steel. So perhaps this will burn the bottom. But if the idea is to get the hottest floor possible that might do the trick.

greggw2gs · « **Reply #43 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:21:08 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 03:15:18 PM

Both. I think my oven is a beast.

Mary Ann,

So you just leave the oven on during the cook like normal right?

Gregg

deb415611 · « **Reply #44 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:21:54 PM »

with my 1/2" steel I have do a good preheat at 550 and switch to broil after the pizza goes in

Quote from: David Esq. on January 06, 2015, 03:16:37 PM

Forkish recommends preheating at highest temp, then saturating with the broiler for 5 minutes and then setting back to the highest temp.

I assume this gets the steel super hot and then keeps the over all oven temp hot without burning the top. He is using a stone and not steel. So perhaps this will burn the bottom. But if the idea is to get the hottest floor possible that might do the trick.

stone and steel are different animals

mbrulato · « **Reply #45 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:23:56 PM »

Yes, I agree with Deb. Steel's thermal mass is too great IMO to use for bread baking. It can be done but at much lower temperatures. I prefer steel for pizza and 1/2" Cordierite for bread.

mbrulato · « **Reply #46 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:25:50 PM »

Quote from: greggw2gs on January 06, 2015, 03:21:08 PM

Mary Ann,

So you just leave the oven on during the cook like normal right?

Gregg

Yes, Gregg. For NY, I leave it on convection bake. For NP-ish, I preheat using convection and then switch to broil when I launch.

dsissitka · « **Reply #47 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:30:01 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 03:15:18 PM

Both. I think my oven is a beast.

Very nice! Did you have trouble finding an oven that'll fit a 17" stone?

mbrulato · « **Reply #48 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:41:30 PM »

I don't need as big a stone for baking bread as the size of my steel, so I got this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IF2YOW/?tag=pmak-20

JD · « **Reply #49 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:51:31 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 03:15:18 PM

Both. I think my oven is a beast.

Are you still doing 4 minute bakes for NY? Something isn't adding up, 600* steel temps would burn my pizza after 2 minutes.

mbrulato · « **Reply #50 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:53:57 PM »

Yes Josh. Even though I use convection, I still find that I need to rotate the pie after two minutes..

JD · « **Reply #51 on:** January 06, 2015, 04:27:49 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 03:53:57 PM

Yes Josh. Even though I use convection, I still find that I need to rotate the pie after two minutes..

I don't get why we would see such a big difference in bake times if our IR temps are the same $:-\$

mbrulato · « **Reply #52 on:** January 06, 2015, 05:03:48 PM »

Maybe my IR is off???

JD · « **Reply #53 on:** January 06, 2015, 05:33:04 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 05:03:48 PM

Maybe my IR is off???

Or mine? I'm going to test mine tonight against another one.

Neopolitan · « **Reply #54 on:** January 06, 2015, 05:35:06 PM »

Quote from: mbrulato on January 06, 2015, 03:53:57 PM

Yes Josh. Even though I use convection, I still find that I need to rotate the pie after two minutes..

That is Because the front of the oven is usualy much Cooler Then the back of the oven, The backside is beter isolated beeing sealed having no gaps and no window like the door!
But be aware that even WFO owners have the same, If not worse situation. That is why they have to spin their pizza like crazy

(I 'own'a WFO One month a Year)

dsissitka · « **Reply #55 on:** January 06, 2015, 05:42:17 PM »

How do your doughs compare?

The other day I was looking into it and I found an old comment from Scott:

Quote from: scott123 on September 14, 2013, 09:41:40 AM

Are you using an IR thermometer? 525 is the highest I'd go with 1/2" steel and even that might be pushing it.

Now, there is a formula related aspect as well. Lower hydrations and higher protein flours burn faster and both sugar and fat accelerate browning, but I don't think your varying results are formula related.

I was curious so I did a simple test. Dough 1:

100% Giusto's High Protein Flour 63% Water 2% Salt 0.42% ADY

Dough 2:

100% KAAP 63% Water 2% Salt 0.42% ADY

Giusto's is roughly 13.25% protein. KAAP is roughly 12%. Dough 2 was stickier so I believe KAAP has a lower absorption rate.

In a 500F oven on a 3/8" steel dough 1 burned in 3 minutes. Dough 2 was done, not burned, in 5. Dough 2 probably could've gone another minute but I pulled it because the top was done.

JD · « **Reply #56 on:** January 06, 2015, 10:50:12 PM »

Quote from: dsissitka on January 06, 2015, 05:42:17 PM

In a 500F oven on a 3/8" steel dough 1 burned in 3 minutes. Dough 2 was done, not burned, in 5. Dough 2 probably could've gone another minute but I pulled it because the top was done.

Interesting. Did you take IR Temps too? 3 minutes on 3/8 steel seems fast. I do use All-trumps (14%), oil & sugar so you have a point. Maybe I'll throw together an oil/sugarless dough and use KAAP and see what happens. Thanks for the input.

In other news, I tested my IR gun tonight and it read 20-25* higher than a brand new gun I borrowed. That's opposite what I thought might happen.

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #57 on:** January 06, 2015, 10:56:32 PM »

Quote from: JD on January 06, 2015, 10:50:12 PM

Interesting. Did you take IR Temps too? 3 minutes on 3/8 steel seems fast. I do use All-trumps (14%), oil & sugar so you have a point. Maybe I'll throw together an oil/sugarless dough and use KAAP and see what happens. Thanks for the input.

In other news, I tested my IR gun tonight and it read 20-25* higher than a brand new gun I borrowed. That's opposite what I thought might happen.

Maybe new gun is bad?

http://www.tempcon.co.uk/Calibrating-an-infrared-thermometer#.VKyvTsnwpkg

Neopolitan · « **Reply #58 on:** January 07, 2015, 11:27:48 AM »

Steel beeing a reflective material. Is hard to read for A IR gun.

my Fluke IR laser has a program function that enables different settings for various materials

dsissitka · « **Reply #59 on:** January 10, 2015, 05:38:16 PM »

Quote from: JD on January 06, 2015, 10:50:12 PM

Interesting. Did you take IR Temps too? 3 minutes on 3/8 steel seems fast. I do use All-trumps (14%), oil & sugar so you have a point. Maybe I'll throw together an oil/sugarless dough and use KAAP and see what happens. Thanks for the input.

I didn't, but I will tonight.

Another possibility. I'm using a 84 cubic inches of steel (16" x 14" x 3/8") and I preheat for 75 minutes. mbrulato is using 161.5 cubic inches of steel (19" x 17" x 1/2") and it looks like she also preheats for 75 minutes. Maybe her steel isn't fully saturated with heat?