How to Use a Pizza Steel: Perfect Pizza Made Easy

A pizza steel is one of the best investments you can make as a pizza enthusiast. It can turn your home oven into a real Neapolitan pizza oven! That’s perhaps not completely true, but I promise, you can make as good pizza in your home oven as a Neapolitan pizza oven using a few easy tricks. This article aims to teach you everything about how to use a pizza steel, how it works, why it makes amazing pizza, and how to properly take care of it.

What Is a Pizza Steel?

A pizza steel, also called baking steel, is a slab of steel designed for baking pizza on. It’s placed in a regular home oven to simulate the baking environment of a pizza oven. A pizza steel bakes pizza faster because of its conduciveness (ability to transfer heat fast). It also retains heat well (holds onto the heat), something that allows baking of several consecutive pizzas.

Why A Pizza Steel Makes Better Pizza

In short, the reason a pizza steel makes better pizza it bakes pizza faster. Pizza is traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven, quickly, at high temperatures. This makes a crust that’s crispy on the outside, yet light and soft on the inside. Like a Neapolitan pizza.

The secret to this unique crust is the quick bake. When you have a high enough temperature to bake the pizza in 60-90 seconds, the crust doesn’t have time to dry out, and will only be crispy on the outside. So you can achieve this in a wood-fired oven because it can reach 900°F (480°C) using fire.

In a home oven, on the other hand, you need a much longer baking time to get a crispy crust, because it’s not hot enough. When you bake pizza for 10-15 minutes, or even more, most of the water in the crust will evaporate. And what you’re left with is a crust that’s very dry all the way through. The consistency is more like a cracker, crispy on the outside and then soft on the inside.

So how can we accomplish a quicker, hotter bake in a regular home oven? The answer is a pizza steel!

How a Wood-Fired Oven Bakes Pizza

A wood-fired pizza oven bakes pizza with a combination of a hot baking surface, the floor of the oven, and radiating heat from the ceiling of the oven.

In a wood-fired oven, the heat source is the fire. Typically, you start the fire in the middle of the oven, to heat the floor. Then you move it to the back or side of the oven. Due to the dome-shaped ceiling, the heat from the flames will circulate inside the oven, and when it reaches a certain temperature starts reflecting down from the ceiling. This will give an even bake of both the top and bottom of your pizza.

Almost Like a Wood-Fired Oven in Your Own Kitchen

A pizza steel solves one thing: the hot baking surface. If you usually bake pizza on an aluminum baking sheet, it will not get hot enough to crisp the crust properly. It’s also common to use parchment paper on the baking sheet, which prevents direct contact between the metal and the pizza. This will trap water that needs to evaporate to make the pizza crispy. The solution is, therefore, to install a baking surface in your oven, rather than using a baking sheet. A pizza steel will give you a very similar bake to the floor of a pizza oven. And this allows you to get the perfect pizza crust that’s crispy and charred on the outside, and still light and soft on the inside. That simply isn’t possible to achieve in a common home oven otherwise.

How a Pizza Steel Works

A pizza steel works by retaining and conducting heat to bake the pizza faster.

Retaining heat, simply means that the steel holds on to the heat well when you heat it and can stay hot for a long period of time. On the flip side, it means that it takes longer to heat the steel. But when it’s hot, it will keep on that heat for a long time. This is one of the benefits of a pizza steel over a baking sheet, or even a pizza stone.

Steel also conducts heat well, meaning it can transfer the heat it’s holding onto faster than most other surfaces. Steel is one of the materials that conduct heat best, making a pizza steel superior to e.g. a pizza stone. Read my comparison here: Pizza Steel vs Pizza Stone.

The conductivity and ability to retain heat is a killer combo to bake pizza faster, at a higher temperature, and is why a pizza steel is the best tool to bake pizza in your home oven!

Pizza Steel Temperature

When it comes to temperature, the higher, the better. You want to use the pizza steel at the maximum temperature of your oven. Pizza is usually baked at around 900°F (480°C) in a pizza oven, and you want to get as close as possible. The quicker you can bake your pizza, the closer you’ll get to a proper Neapolitan pizza.

Pizza Steel Broiler

The second part of the pizza bake equation is the reflecting heat from the dome of the pizza oven. The best way to simulate this in a home oven is to use the broiler or grill element. The broiler gets very hot and will bake the pizza much faster. By using the broiler, you’ll get enough heat to bake the top of the pizza. You can even make the iconic leopard pattern you find on Neapolitan pizza.

The extra heat provided by the boiler will also heat your pizza steel faster and make it hotter. I, therefore, recommend using the broiler when you preheat the steel as well.

Pizza Steel Baking Time

It takes 3-8 minutes to bake a pizza on a hot pizza steel, depending on the temperature of your oven and how thick your steel is.

Pizza Steel Thickness

In addition to the temperature, how thick your pizza steel is will determine how fast you’re able to bake pizza. Most pizza steels range from 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) to 1/2 inch (12.7 mm), and the thicker the steel is, the faster it bakes the pizza. The reason is that it can hold more heat. But the thicker it is, the longer it will take to preheat the steel.

One thing that’s important to understand is that you need a balance between the temperature your oven can reach, and how thick your steel is. The reason is that you want both the top and bottom of the pizza to be done at the same time.

If your pizza steel is very thick, but your oven doesn’t get that hot and also doesn’t have a broiler, you’ll probably burn the crust before the top of the pizza is done. So thicker is not always better. I have an in-depth article about pizza steel thickness with some useful tables of the best temperatures for different thicknesses.

Pizza Dough for Pizza Steel

You can bake any kind of pizza on your pizza steel, but the fast baking that a pizza steel allows makes it ideal for Neopolitan-style pizza. I, therefore, recommend checking out our Authentic Neopolitan Pizza Dough Recipe, that’s based on the AVPN‘s international Neapolitan pizza regulations, if you want an amazing pizza!

If you’re going for a proper Neapolitan-style pizza, I also strongly recommend this easy, authentic pizza sauce.

How to Use a Pizza Steel: Step-by-Step

Now that you know how a pizza steel works, let’s take a look at how to actually use a pizza steel step-by-step.

1. Place the Pizza Steel in the Oven

The first thing you want to do is to place your pizza steel in the oven. You can place it on a baking sheet and put it in the oven.

If your oven has a broiler, I recommend placing the steel around 2 inches (5cm) from the broiler. To get that close, you probably have to place the steel on the top rack of your oven. The closer you are, the higher the temperature, and this will increase the baking speed. But you don’t want to get too close to the broiler, as this can burn the pizza too quickly.

If your top rack is too far from the broiler, a trick I used in my old oven was to place a deep baking sheet upside-down and put my steel on top. This way I could get the steel around 2 inches (5cm) from the broiler.

2. Preheat the Pizza Steel

The next step is to turn on the oven and preheat the pizza steel for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you have thicker pizza steel (1/2 inch or more), it might take as long as 90 minutes to fully preheat the steel.

I also recommend turning on the broiler towards the end of the preheating, to make the steel even hotter.

3. Get the Pizza Ready

Now it’s time to get your pizza ready. Make sure the pizza dough is at room temperature before you start preparing your pizzas (if you e.g. made a cold fermented pizza dough).

You want to stretch the dough out to a thin disk, but leave an untouched rim that will form your cornicione. This rim will puff up when you bake the pizza in the hot oven and create a light, airy crust.

Also, make sure not to overtop your pizza. You want it to be thin and don’t have too much sauce, cheese, or topping, so it can bake faster. More moisture from sauce and toppings will increase the baking time because more water needs to evaporate before the crust can start to crisp up.

4. Transfer the Pizza Into the Oven

The next step is to move the pizza from the working surface, at which you prepared it, into the oven. The best way to do this is using a pizza peel.

When your pizza is ready, drizzle a little bit of semolina on the peel, before you slide the pizza onto it. This will make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the peel.

Other options to avoid sticking are fine wheat flour and cornmeal, but both of these options add flavor to the crust. Especially since they burn easily on the hot steel, adding a rather unpleasant flavor to the crust. I, therefore, recommend sticking to the more classic choice: semolina. If you’re interested in reading more about dusting the pizza peel, check out this article, which explains exactly why wheat flour and cornmeal aren’t great options.

You also want to minimize the time the pizza is on the peel, because the longer it sits, the more likely it is to stick.

The last thing before the pizza goes into the oven is to shake the peel lightly, to confirm that the pizza is moving freely and isn’t stuck. You don’t want to discover that a corner of the pizza doesn’t want to leave the peel when half the pizza is already on the steel. I’ve made this mistake myself, and trust me, it will be messy!

To launch the pizza into the oven, simply position the pizza peel over the stone at a slight angle, and so the back of the peel, and the edge of the pizza touches the steel. Then quickly drag the peel out in one motion. This should make the pizza leave the peel without deforming it.

5. Bake the Pizza

Depending on the temperature of your oven and how thick your pizza steel is, the pizza should be done in 3-8 minutes.

How to Use the Broiler to Increase the Temperature

To maximize the temperature in the oven, you want the broiler to be on when the pizza is in the oven. When the oven has been preheating for an hour, it’s usually so hot that the broiler turns off. And only turns back on if the temperature drops, to make sure the oven comes back up to temperature.

What you can do to trick the broiler to stay on during baking, is to turn it off, and lower the temperature of the oven a few degrees 5 minutes prior to baking. Then right after you put your pizza in, turn on the broiler again, and crank the heat back up. This will ensure the broiler is one for most of the baking time. The pizza steel holds the heat so well that it’s not going to affect the baking of the pizza crust when you lower the temperature for the last 5 minutes. I’ve found this to be the way I get the closest result to a Neapolitan-style pizza in my home oven, it really makes a difference!

Just a quick warning: you have to keep a close eye on the pizza if you use the broiler trick. The pizza will go from done to burnt very quickly!

Reheat the Oven Beteen Pizzas

If you’re baking many pizzas, you need to re-heat the oven between every few pizzas. Even though the steel can hold onto the heat well, the temperature will drop when you bake multiple pizzas right after each other.

The cold pizza (room temperature) will lower the temperature of the steel. And when it’s baking, the pizza will block the steel from re-heating. You, therefore, need to let the pizza steel re-heat for 10-15 minutes after every 2 pizzas you bake. If you have a thicker steel, 1/2 inch, or more, you might get away with 3 pizzas before you need to reheat the steel.

If your pizza steel is large enough, you can also place each consecutive pizza on the opposite side of the steel. I generally advise you to bake one pizza at a time. This way, the unused side of the steel has time to reheat while you bake a pizza on the other side.

Turn the Pizza

Most ovens have an uneven heat distribution, you therefore may need to turn the pizza to make sure it bakes evenly. The easiest way to do this is to pull the pizza out with your pizza peel and turn it on the peel using a kitchen tong. Then push it back in.

How to Tell When the Pizza Is Done

The pizza is done when the cheese is melted, and the crust has started to brown and has some leoparding (if you’re using the broiler). You don’t want to leave it any longer, because the crust may dry out if you leave it too long. Get your pizza peel under the pizza, and pull it out.

6. Serve the Pizza

Time to serve your amazing Neapolitan-style pizza! Either place it directly on a large plate and serve, or on a wooden cutting board for cutting it into slices. Enjoy!

7. Let the Pizza Steel Cool Completely

When you’re done baking, turn off the oven, and leave the pizza steel to cool down completely. You don’t ever want to attempt to remove the steel from the oven when it’s hot. That’s extremely dangerous!

After pizza night, I usually let the steel cool in the oven overnight, and clean it the next morning.

How to Clean a Pizza Steel

When the steel has cooled down completely, you often find pieces of burnt cheese, flour, and perhaps sauce. Since these stains are baked in such a hot temperature, they can be really hard to get rid of.

You should never put your pizza steel in the dishwasher! Exposure to hot water for an extended period of time in combination with aggressive detergent can ruin your pizza steel. You should also avoid soaking the steel in water because it can rust. Dishwasher soap should also be avoided.

But how should you clean your pizza steel? This can be done using 3 easy steps;

1. Get Rid of Burnt Food Soils

First, get rid of any burnt food stains. If your steel has any flour or ashes on it simply brush them off. Larger burnt pieces, such as cheese can usually be scraped off using a dough scraper.

If that’s not enough, you can also use your oven’s self-cleaning function, if it has one. Another option is steel wool.

2. Clean the Pizza Steel With a Nylon Brush and Hot Water

Next, remove any loose residue using a nylon brush and hot water. But don’t leave it soaking in the sink, or use dishwasher soap on your steel. The brush should be enough!

3. Dry the Pizza Steel

To avoid rust, dry the pizza steel completely after it has been in contact with water. You can do this using a kitchen or paper towel, or leave it in a warm oven to dry.

I’ve also written an in-depth article on how to clean a pizza steel if you need more information.

How to Season a Pizza Steal

Just like a cast-iron skillet, your baking steel needs to be seasoned occasionally to prevent rust and corrosion of the steel. It will also help develop a non-stick surface.

Most pizza steels come pre-seasoned when you buy them, so if it’s your first time using a new pizza steel, you don’t need to worry about seasoning. A general rule of thumb is to season it every 3-6 months or so, depending on how often you bake pizza.

To season the steel, use vegetable oil with a high smoke point, such as coconut, grapeseed, peanut, or sunflower oil. I recommend Caron & Doucet Cast Iron Oil made from refined coconut.

Before you season the steel, make sure it’s clean and dry. Then spread a thin layer on the whole surface of the steel. Then wipe off any access oil using paper towels. Next, place the pizza steel in a cold oven, and heat it to 350°F (175°C), and leave it for 1 hour. This will create a protective surface on your steel.

When the time is up, leave it in the oven to cool completely, before you take it out.

Here’s the complete guide to pizza steel seasoning.

How to Store a Pizza Steel

Before you store your pizza steel it has to be cool and completely dry. The most important is to store your pizza steel in a dry place to avoid rust. Another thing to keep in mind is that the weight of the steel can ruin other things, so I like to place it on the very bottom of the drawer under my oven.

Some steels also come with a protective cover, I recommend using that if you have one.

How to Remove Rust From a Pizza Steel

If you don’t dry the steel completely before you store it or skip seasoning, it may rust. The most common cause of rust is that the pizza steel was not properly dried after cleaning.

To get rid of the rust, start with steel wool, and scour the surface until the rust is gone. If that’s not enough, you can also use fine sandpaper to remove the rust.

Then wash the steel thoroughly, dry it completely, and re-season it, as described above.

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