Baking Pizza in a Home Oven

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1575. The revision addresses idea #1589.

I’ve made pizza almost every day since the last revision (around 16 pizzas). I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (312g)
  • Tomato sauce (90g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, home-shredded, 100g)
  • 2g extra virgin olive oil

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 650°F.
  3. In the meantime, rest dough on counter top until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Grate cheese and measure tomato sauce.
  5. Stretch the dough.
  6. Dust peel with flour.
  7. Remove excess flour from dough.
  8. Place dough on peel.
  9. Add tomato sauce.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack with the broiler still on.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out to add oregano and cheese.
  13. Bake for another minute on top rack; again, the broiler is still on.
  14. Take out steel and let pizza rest on steel for another minute to make the bottom crispy.
  15. In the meantime, apply small amount of olive oil to the outer crust and sprinkle salt on outer crust.
  16. Remove from steel and serve.

I’ve made dozens of pizzas by now. I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (312g)
  • Tomato sauce (70g, low sodium)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, fresh, 100g)
  • 2g extra virgin olive oil (optional)
  • Semolina flour

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 650°F.
  3. In the meantime, rest dough on counter top until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Grate cheese and measure tomato sauce.
  5. Dust counter with semolina flour and stretch the dough.
  6. Add tomato sauce.
  7. Place dough on peel.
  8. Place dough on steel; still on top rack with the broiler still on.
  9. Bake for 2 minutes.
  10. Take out to add cheese and oregano.
  11. Bake for another 1.5 minutes on top rack; again, the broiler is still on. Can turn it off halfway through if the pizza is burning on top but the center of the dough needs more time to bake.
  12. Optional: take out steel and let pizza rest on steel for another minute to make the bottom crispy.
  13. Optional: in the meantime, apply small amount of olive oil to the outer crust and sprinkle salt on outer crust. (Kind of overrated, not really worth the extra calories.)
  14. Remove from steel and serve.
  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1575.

I’ve made pizza almost every day since the last revision (around 16 pizzas). I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (312g)
  • Tomato sauce (90g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, home-shredded, 100g)
  • 2g extra virgin olive oil

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 650°F.
  3. In the meantime, rest dough on counter top until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Grate cheese and measure tomato sauce.
  5. Stretch the dough.
  6. Dust peel with flour.
  7. Remove excess flour from dough.
  8. Place dough on peel.
  9. Add tomato sauce.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack with the broiler still on.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out to add oregano and cheese.
  13. Bake for another minute on top rack; again, the broiler is still on.
  14. Take out steel and let pizza rest on steel for another minute to make the bottom crispy.
  15. In the meantime, apply small amount of olive oil to the outer crust and sprinkle salt on outer crust.
  16. Remove from steel and serve.
#1575·Dennis HackethalOP revised 5 months ago

Much easier to use semolina flour instead of regular flour. h/t @edwin-de-wit

  Dennis Hackethal commented on idea #1575.

I’ve made pizza almost every day since the last revision (around 16 pizzas). I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (312g)
  • Tomato sauce (90g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, home-shredded, 100g)
  • 2g extra virgin olive oil

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 650°F.
  3. In the meantime, rest dough on counter top until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Grate cheese and measure tomato sauce.
  5. Stretch the dough.
  6. Dust peel with flour.
  7. Remove excess flour from dough.
  8. Place dough on peel.
  9. Add tomato sauce.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack with the broiler still on.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out to add oregano and cheese.
  13. Bake for another minute on top rack; again, the broiler is still on.
  14. Take out steel and let pizza rest on steel for another minute to make the bottom crispy.
  15. In the meantime, apply small amount of olive oil to the outer crust and sprinkle salt on outer crust.
  16. Remove from steel and serve.
#1575·Dennis HackethalOP revised 5 months ago

I’ve tried dough from a local pizzeria and compared how their dough tastes when they prepare it vs how it tastes when I prepare it at home. The crust wasn’t as crispy at home but overall the dough didn’t taste all that different. That tells me that my oven is at least decent for making pizza.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1570. The revision addresses ideas #1571, #1572, and #1573.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (135g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out and add sauce and cheese.
  13. Bake for another 1.5 minutes.

Results:

I’ve made pizza almost every day since the last revision (around 16 pizzas). I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (312g)
  • Tomato sauce (90g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, home-shredded, 100g)
  • 2g extra virgin olive oil

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 650°F.
  3. In the meantime, rest dough on counter top until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Grate cheese and measure tomato sauce.
  5. Stretch the dough.
  6. Dust peel with flour.
  7. Remove excess flour from dough.
  8. Place dough on peel.
  9. Add tomato sauce.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack with the broiler still on.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out to add oregano and cheese.
  13. Bake for another minute on top rack; again, the broiler is still on.
  14. Take out steel and let pizza rest on steel for another minute to make the bottom crispy.
  15. In the meantime, apply small amount of olive oil to the outer crust and sprinkle salt on outer crust.
  16. Remove from steel and serve.
  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1571.

Some had suggested parbaking without any toppings. Horrible idea: the dough rose everywhere at once. Tomato sauce is required to weigh down the dough in the center.

#1571·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

Their suggestion was that this approach might make the crust crispier. It did not. I’m starting to think the store-bought dough is the problem…

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1570.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (135g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out and add sauce and cheese.
  13. Bake for another 1.5 minutes.

Results:

#1570·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Dough was shaped horribly. Need to practice stretching it.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1570.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (135g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out and add sauce and cheese.
  13. Bake for another 1.5 minutes.

Results:

#1570·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

I felt like trying more sauce. Mistake. 100g is enough.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1570.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (135g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out and add sauce and cheese.
  13. Bake for another 1.5 minutes.

Results:

#1570·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Some had suggested parbaking without any toppings. Horrible idea: the dough rose everywhere at once. Tomato sauce is required to weigh down the dough in the center.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1559. The revision addresses ideas #1563 and #1567.

Sixth try


Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 660°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  13. Bake for 2.5 minutes.
  14. Turn off broiler and set oven to 450°F.
  15. Move to bottom rack.
  16. Bake for another 4 minutes.

Results:

Dough noticeably thinner than last time.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (135g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  11. Bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Take out and add sauce and cheese.
  13. Bake for another 1.5 minutes.

Results:

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1535.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 150g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 5g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere between 450 and 500°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 620°F.
  3. Rest dough at room temperature for about 1.5 hours. It felt like it had reached about room temp.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Place dough on steel; still on top rack with the broiler on.
  13. Bake for 2.5 minutes.
  14. Take out to add cheese.
  15. Move to bottom rack for another 2.5 minutes.
  16. Move back to top rack for 1 min.

Results (markedly better again than last time):

Got the thermo gun today and played around with it. If I put the steel on the bottom rack (which is directly above the heat source), it hovers at around 450 after about 40 min. But on the top rack with the broiler on, it hovered at around 620 after another 30 min. (It may reach that temp sooner, I didn’t check.) 620 is plenty hot to make pizza.

The dough came out really good this time. It was light and fluffy in most places, even had some crispy air bubbles. I had previously overcooked it – I think that’s why it got so hard last time.

I found myself moaning as I ate this pie and wanting more afterwards.

#1535·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Step 11 is wrong. I didn’t add the cheese until later.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1564.

I may want to go back to #1535 or some variation thereof where I put the cheese on after a parbake.

Also note that #1515 had a crispy crust.

I may want to go back to #1535 or some variation thereof where I put the cheese on after a parbake. It’s the best pie I’ve made to date.

Also note that #1515 had the best crust to date.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on idea #1559.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 660°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  13. Bake for 2.5 minutes.
  14. Turn off broiler and set oven to 450°F.
  15. Move to bottom rack.
  16. Bake for another 4 minutes.

Results:

Dough noticeably thinner than last time.

#1559·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Salt is dialed in now: 3g is perfect.

  Dennis Hackethal revised criticism #1549.

Fix typo


The dough ended up too spread out, too big, so I tried to ‘compress’ it a bit, which creates wrinkles.

The dough ended up too spread out, too big, so I tried to ‘compress’ it a bit, which created wrinkles.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1563.

Crust slightly better than last time but still too doughy.

Leaving the broiler on caused the cheese to cook too fast compared to the dough. But moving the pie to the bottom didn’t bake the dough fast enough to make up for that.

#1563·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

I may want to go back to #1535 or some variation thereof where I put the cheese on after a parbake.

Also note that #1515 had a crispy crust.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1559.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 660°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  13. Bake for 2.5 minutes.
  14. Turn off broiler and set oven to 450°F.
  15. Move to bottom rack.
  16. Bake for another 4 minutes.

Results:

Dough noticeably thinner than last time.

#1559·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Crust slightly better than last time but still too doughy.

Leaving the broiler on caused the cheese to cook too fast compared to the dough. But moving the pie to the bottom didn’t bake the dough fast enough to make up for that.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on idea #1515.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 150g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3-4 dashes of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere between 450 and 500°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 1 hour on gas range (biggest burner). Reached about 565°F in the center.
  3. Rest dough at room temperature for about 50 min.
  4. Stretch the dough.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  8. Place pizza on steel and put in oven.
  9. Bake for about 5 minutes.
  10. Move to bottom rack, bake for 3 more minutes.

The main challenge with baking pizza at home is that home ovens don’t get hot enough for the dough to bake properly. The pizza steel is supposed to help with that.

Results (markedly better than last time):

#1515·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

The crust was nice and crispy.

  Dennis Hackethal revised criticism #1556.

Fix typo


Center could have slightly thinner.

Center could have been slightly thinner.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1557. The revision addresses ideas #1552, #1553, and #1556.

Fifth attempt


Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 115g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Waiting for the dough to reach room temp before stretching makes a big difference; much easier.

I got the bottom down, I usually get a nice leopard print. What I need to work on is getting the center thin enough (but not too thin) and the crust crispier.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, shredded, 130g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 3g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 660°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  13. Bake for 2.5 minutes.
  14. Turn off broiler and set oven to 450°F.
  15. Move to bottom rack.
  16. Bake for another 4 minutes.

Results:

Dough noticeably thinner than last time.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1547.

The crust could be crispier.

#1547·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

According to this site, making the crust thinner should make it crispier.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1555.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Waiting for the dough to reach room temp before stretching makes a big difference; much easier.

I got the bottom down, I usually get a nice leopard print. What I need to work on is getting the center thin enough (but not too thin) and the crust crispier.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 115g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Waiting for the dough to reach room temp before stretching makes a big difference; much easier.

I got the bottom down, I usually get a nice leopard print. What I need to work on is getting the center thin enough (but not too thin) and the crust crispier.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1555.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Waiting for the dough to reach room temp before stretching makes a big difference; much easier.

I got the bottom down, I usually get a nice leopard print. What I need to work on is getting the center thin enough (but not too thin) and the crust crispier.

#1555·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Center could have slightly thinner.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1554.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Waiting for the dough to reach room temp before stretching makes a big difference; much easier.

I got the bottom down, I usually get a nice leopard print. What I need to work on is getting the center thin enough (but not too thin) and the crust crispier.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1551.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the bottom wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the center wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1551.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the bottom wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

#1551·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Place on steel more carefully so it comes out circular.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1551.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (100g)
  • Mozzarella (whole milk, shredded, 114g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 4g of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat oven for 1 hour. Ends up somewhere around 450°F.
  2. Preheat pizza steel for 30 min on top rack underneath broiler, reaches about 630°F.
  3. Rest dough until it reaches room temperature.
  4. Add salt to the tomato sauce.
  5. Grate cheese.
  6. Stretch the dough.
  7. Dust the pizza peel with flour.
  8. Remove excess flour from dough.
  9. Place dough on peel.
  10. Add the tomato sauce.
  11. Add cheese.
  12. Turn off broiler.
  13. Place dough on steel; still on top rack.
  14. Bake for 6 minutes.

Results:

Not quite as good as last time. I overcompensated and the bottom wasn’t thin enough. The crust is my weakest skill, it tasted doughy and solid, not light and crispy.

The dough was nice and circular this time until I placed it on the pizza steel. It got kinda skewed, not sure why.

#1551·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Still too salty. Try 3g next time.