Homemade pizza baked on a baking stone; Learn pizza peel technique

[timskitchenlab]

If I were going to make a thin-crust pizza I would use the same recipe and peel technique, but use a smaller dough ball, and then press it down real thin, probably with a rolling pin. I would try to make it the same diameter (12", or even smaller) as in my video, because a 12" pizza (for me) is easiest to work with when using a pizza peel. Actually with a thin-crust pizza I would make it no bigger than 10" so that it will be easier to release from the peel as you shove it into the oven.

[cbyutube]

That crust is too thick for us...we like our pizza with a very thin cripsy crust. Any suggestions on a recipe and technique for that? I haven't had much luck with the recipes that I have tried so far.

[acasta]

How would you compare the screen to the stone? I currently use a stone and am wondering how you find the results differ.

[timskitchenlab]

@acasta I would have to say that the best pizza at home in a regular household oven is achieved by baking on a stone. However, baking pizza on a screen does have certain advantages, and the quality of the finished pizza is very good. Advantages of screen: lightweight; less preheating time ---> less energy consumption; direct exposure of crust to the heat of the oven; inexpensive to buy; easily stored; easy to clean up. Use a paddle / peel for easier removal of screen from the oven.

[BubbaJohnIsKing]

@timskitchenlab How about laying a pizza screen on top of a stone? What kind of results will I get doing it this way? Thanks.

[timskitchenlab]

@BubbaJohnIsKing This is a great question. It would seem to be the way to bake with a stone, and at the same time avoid the hardest part, which is transferring the unbaked pizza from the peel to the stone. I tried this myself once, but I ended up removing the pizza from the screen, because the bottom crust was not browning as I had thought it would. I finished baking this pizza on the stone and it turned out fine. Now if I use the screen, I don't bother with the stone, and the pizza is fine.

[timskitchenlab]

@BubbaJohnIsKing This is a follow-up to my first answer. You could do it this way with both screen and stone, and once the dough sets up a little, you can remove it from the screen and finish baking by laying the pizza right on the hot stone.

[Prettyboynyc1218]

thanks cool vid....

[abooahmad]

Thank you for your sweet response, and please let me know with your new works. Thanks again

[abooahmad]

Thank you very much for that great work you made. Its really seems delicious. I recommend you visit my channel to wach the Iraqi type of pizza locally called "Lahin Ibajeen".

regards

[timskitchenlab]

@abooahmad I'm glad to hear that you found the video instructive, and thanks for letting me know about your own channel. I'll definitely check out your video for Iraqi-style pizza. I'm always curious about the cuisine of other cultures, especially when it comes to bread and pizza.

[danmota83]

IYouTube has a lot of rubish videos about pizza making. I have to say that your videos are one of the beste i´ve seen. I liked your baking methods. I use a pizza stone for baking my pizzas. Definitely will try the screen asap.

[timskitchenlab]

@danmota83 I appreciate the kind words. For sure, it's a low-budget video, but I tried to be direct and to the point. Yeah, the screen method is a very simple way to bake a pizza -- there's no heavy stone to preheat for 30 minutes, you can get right to baking, and the dough is exposed to the direct heat.

[nicodemoscarfo]

The bottom of the pie comes out so crusty from cooking on the stone that I was able to transfer the pie from the stone to the top rack with out it folding or collapsing in the middle and that was with XXX the sauce on mine (watery spaghetti sauce) and paper thin dough in the middle. Just goes to show how well these stones cook.

[nicodemoscarfo]

You know I've read that adding an additional pizza stone on the top rack of your oven will aid more in even oven temps and overall cooking. You can use bricks without additives/toxins of course.

I have to say that the crust really does come out pizzzeria style when cooked on these stones no doubt.

[timskitchenlab]

@nicodemoscarfo  That sounds like a good suggestion--I think even a large cookie sheet above would have the same effect, keeping all the heat around the pizza.

[nicodemoscarfo]

Great thanks for sharing this man. I have the stone and peel coming today. Plan on trying your recipe this weekend. let yous know how things turned out. By the way is that a 'American Metalcraft 4016 16" x 18" Aluminum Pizza Peel with 19" Wood Handle'?

[timskitchenlab]

@nicodemoscarfo As a matter of fact, the peel I have IS an American Metalcraft. You really know your pizza gear! The metal surface measures 14.5" x 16", and then the total length with handle measures 27-28 inches. I bought it a long time ago at a used restaurant supply warehouse. At the time it was a great find. Hope my video was instructive and good luck with your pizza quest.

[nicodemoscarfo]

@timskitchenlab Thanks,Well actually I don't. I got the exact same peel today (from webstaurantstore com)only mine is the 16" x 18 with 19" wooden handle.