Lloyd Pans Hex Quik-Disk -- advice from screen users welcome!

[nickyr]

I got a 14 inch Lloyd Pans Hex Quik-Disk (https://lloydpans.com/hex-quik-disks.html) because I thought it would let me get a full 14 inch NY style pizza on my 14x16 stone. There's not much info about this thing on the forum, so I figured I'd start a thread. I could possibly use some tips, too.

I picked this over a screen because it seemed like it'd be easier to clean and easier to prevent sticking.

The instructions said to try it without oil first and then add oil next time if it stuck. I should have known that was too good to be true--the first pie stuck bad (first pic).

For the second pie, I wiped it with an olive oil using paper towel. This worked much better. After 5 minutes with the screen on the steel, I used a spatula and pot holder to lift up the pizza and remove the screen and then did 3 more minutes on the stone. (My oven was set to 550 fahrenheit and temperature calibrated up another 35 degrees.) I was quite happy with this bake.

Next time I think I'll try using my metal peel to lift the pie off the screen. With the spatula, I kind of had to take the pie out of the oven and run the spatula all around underneath it. Suggestions on the best way for getting the screen out from under would be appreciated.

Next time I may try using baking spray instead of olive oil. I felt like it was pretty close to sticking. I could do Crisco too, I suppose, but that's more annoying to clean.

I was wondering if the screen would slow down the bake so much that I'd need to use a steel, but it didn't. 8 minutes is my usual bake time for NY style, even straight on the stone.

[sarahm]

Color me skeptical, but seems to me the greater surface area of the hex disk touching the dough compared to a conventional screen would  promote rather than reduce the possibility of sticking.
 
I've never had a problem with a pizza stick to a conventional screen, even at 68% hydration. Never had to season or oil/grease a conventional screen, either. For cleaning, once over with a dry scrub sponge (aka scotchbrite) does the trick.

Not a fan of baking spray: can't stand the smell or the taste, and it leaves a sticky brown residue that's a bugger to scrub off.

FWIW, might be worth trying baking the full time with just the screen. I find a stone completely superfluous when using a screen. I've done a bunch off back-to-back tests baking a screened pie on a stone preheated to 525° for 2 hours then removeing the stone and baking on just the screen, and to me, the difference is negligible. I do notice some subtle differences between pies baked directly on a stone and pies baked on a screen, with or without the stone, if I sample them side by side, but if you handed me a slice of one or the other blind, I doubt I'd be able to consistently determine which pie it came from. YMMV.

[ira]

Looks like you have a bare aluminum pan, I think those instructions are for the coated pans.


Ira

[nickyr]

Looks like you have a bare aluminum pan, I think those instructions are for the coated pans.


Ira

The bare aluminum pan is just what I put the pizza on to serve it. The Hex Quik-Disk is PTSK coated. Thanks though!

[nickyr]

Color me skeptical, but seems to me the greater surface area of the hex disk touching the dough compared to a conventional screen would  promote rather than reduce the possibility of sticking.
 
I've never had a problem with a pizza stick to a conventional screen, even at 68% hydration. Never had to season or oil/grease a conventional screen, either. For cleaning, once over with a dry scrub sponge (aka scotchbrite) does the trick.

Not a fan of baking spray: can't stand the smell or the taste, and it leaves a sticky brown residue that's a bugger to scrub off.

FWIW, might be worth trying baking the full time with just the screen. I find a stone completely superfluous when using a screen. I've done a bunch off back-to-back tests baking a screened pie on a stone preheated to 525° for 2 hours then removeing the stone and baking on just the screen, and to me, the difference is negligible. I do notice some subtle differences between pies baked directly on a stone and pies baked on a screen, with or without the stone, if I sample them side by side, but if you handed me a slice of one or the other blind, I doubt I'd be able to consistently determine which pie it came from. YMMV.

Awesome thanks for the tips!

[nickyr]

Last night I oiled the disk, preheated the stone with the broiler for the last 15 minutes, and then removed the pizza after five minutes with my peel and put it back on the stone for 3 minutes. Worked great.

Compared to launching off a peel, this is easier, larger, and rounder with no obvious downsides.

[nanometric]

I've done a bunch off back-to-back tests baking a screened pie on a stone preheated to 525° for 2 hours then removeing the stone and baking on just the screen, and to me, the difference is negligible.

Did you use the same bake times for those tests? And what were those bake times?