Baking Pizza in a Home Oven

  Dennis Hackethal criticized 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

Some burnt undercarriage. I don’t think it was because of the (possibly) increased heat but because I didn’t dust off the flower like I did last time.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1519.

Preheating the pizza steel on the gas burner possibly got the temperature up but it created an unevenness. The center of the steel was apparently much hotter than the rest, which is why it cooked faster and created a ring on the undercarriage.

#1519·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

Once I have the thermometer gun, I can compare the temperatures for preheating the steal on the burner vs oven, and how much the temperatures vary across the steel surface for each approach.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized 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

Preheating the pizza steel on the gas burner possibly got the temperature up but it created an unevenness. The center of the steel was apparently much hotter than the rest, which is why it cooked faster and created a ring on the undercarriage.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1513.

I need to stretch the dough better so it’s more circular.

#1513·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

Improved in #1515 but could still be better.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1511.

The toppings were done cooking much faster than the dough and started burning a bit toward the end.

#1511·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

Improved in #1515 but I saw a video where someone par-baked the pizza and tomato sauce and then put the cheese on later.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on idea #1508.

Presumably, I need to get the oven hotter. I could try moving the steel right underneath the broiler while preheating.

#1508·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

I have since bought a thermometer gun so this will be easier to figure out.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1506. The revision addresses ideas #1509 and #1514.

Second attempt. Better shape, better taste due to more cheese and salt and possibly higher heat.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

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):

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1506.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

#1506·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

The center dough was paper thin while the crust was a too thick.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1506.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

#1506·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

I need to stretch the dough better so it’s more circular.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1511.

The toppings were done cooking much faster than the dough and started burning a bit toward the end.

#1511·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

Next time, I could turn the broiler off. And if I have the steel on the top rack, I could maybe move it to the middle, but that could take time and let too much hot air out of the oven.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1506.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

#1506·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

The toppings were done cooking much faster than the dough and started burning a bit toward the end.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1509.

Need to use more cheese and spread it better.

#1509·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

I could buy a cheese grater.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1506.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

#1506·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

Need to use more cheese and spread it better.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #1507.

The dough was bland and not very crispy.

#1507·Dennis HackethalOP, 6 months ago

Presumably, I need to get the oven hotter. I could try moving the steel right underneath the broiler while preheating.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1506.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

#1506·Dennis HackethalOP revised 6 months ago

The dough was bland and not very crispy.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #1505.

Add pics of the results

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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:

  Dennis Hackethal started a discussion titled ‘Baking Pizza in a Home Oven’.

Iteratively improving on pizza at home. Inspired by itsdoughguy on Instagram but mistakes are my own.

The discussion starts with idea #1505.

Ingredients

  • Store-bought dough (1 pound)
  • Crushed tomatoes (120g)
  • Mozzarella (part skim, 77g)

Then, for garnish:

  • Oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • A dash of salt

Steps

  1. Preheat pizza steel for 45 min on middle rack with broiler on (was somewhere between 450 and 500°F).
  2. Rest dough at room temperature for 20 min (per instructions on the label).
  3. Stretch the dough.
  4. Dust the pizza peel with flour and place pizza on peel.
  5. Add tomato sauce.
  6. Add cheese.
  7. Put pizza in oven (on pizza steel).
  8. Bake for about 10 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.