In Search of the Best Pizza Dough - V
Saturday, November 11th, 2006We’ll take a break from creating the dough and discuss the best way to cook pizza dough. First topic is what to put the pizza dough in. Several ways exist for the home pizza chef:
- Pizza Pan
- Pizza Stone
- Iron Skillet
- Cookie Sheet
- Directly on the Rack
Some are lucky enough to have a wood-burning stove.
1. Pizza pan. The venerable pizza pan comes in several flavors: steel, aluminum, cast iron, and nonstick. We have found that the nonstick eventually disappears and cannot stand up to metal spatulas and pizza cutters. Another way pizza pans are constructed is they are two pieces of metal held together with an air gap in between. The idea is better (i.e. more even) heat distribution. Some are made with aluminum coated steel which heats more evenly. Some pans are anodized aluminum which is aluminum with a hard protective coating.
The pan’s surface is smooth, perforated, or nibbled. The claim with perforated pans is the holes release moisture under the crust, allowing it to bake crisper. We have not seen a noticeable difference between perforated and non perforated. One problem with perforated pans is that cheese and sauce drip off sliced pizza and clogs up in the holes. A toothpick makes short work of the clogs. Of course the pizza can be removed to a cutting board.
One style of pan is it has raised bumps (called nibbles) that allow the pizza dough air gaps underneath to let out steam and make the crust crisper. The solution is self-defeating: in order to get a crisp crust it must be in contact with a hot surface!
And the color varies: Silver or black. We prefer black since it absorbs heat better.
Though most are round, rectangular pans exist for making Sicilian pizza.
2. Pizza Stone.
Ahh, the pizza stone. Most feel this is the best way to cook pizza dough…and the trickiest. The stone can be bought or created using unglazed terra cotta tile, about a 1/2 inch thick. The stone is preheated then sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking. The tricky part is getting the dough onto the stone. Most chefs roll the dough and place it on a pizza peel (like a large, long-handled spatula) then slide it onto the stone. Sprinkle cornmeal on the peel to prevent sticking.
3. Iron Skillet.
One overlooked pizza pan is the venerable seasoned iron skillet (we use 9 inch and 12 inch). If the skillet is well-seasoned, it does not need any oil coatings.
The dough is spread by hand in the skillet to the edge then placed in an oven. Crusts come out crisp. The pizza can be sliced in the pan but it is much easier to remove it to a cutting board.
4. Cookie Sheet
Some cookie sheets will work but many are double layered so the bottom of the cookie does not burn before it is done. This hinders the pizza dough from getting crisp.
5. Directly on the Rack
This only works for frozen pizzas, frozen dough, or precooked pizza dough.
Some closing tips:
- Measure your oven to make sure the pizza pan you purchase will fit in it! Some pans are more than 16 inches in diameter which do not fit in some ovens.
- Dusting the pan with cornmeal will help keep the dough from sticking.
- Most pizza pans are dishwasher safe.
- On thick dough it is good to prick it with a fork several times to let the steam out when cooking.
- Some cooks roll their dough on parchment paper then place it on the pizza pan or stone. This facilitates easy removal.
Cooking the pizza will be the next topic.
Doug
that will last a lifetime. Make sure your stovetop can take cast-iron skillets - some ceramic stovetops cannot.
