Baking Steel Pizza

Slightly charred cooked pizza with tomato sause, mushrooms, pepperoni, olives and onions in front of a bag of semolina flour.

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5 from 1 vote

Worthy of a wood fired pizza the baking steel method cooks up delicious thinn crust pizza in 4 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Resting time2

Total Time19

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 10" pizzas

Calories: 466kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Equipment

1 baking steel I used the griddle that came with my oven.
baking sheet
semolina flour for pizza peel
Pizza Peel
or parchment paper
large spatula to transfer the cooked or semi-cooked pizza

Ingredients

4 10" pizza thin crust dough bases I used 72 Hour Pizza Dough
1 14 oz crushed tomatoes see Note 1
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
16 oz shredded mozzarella or soft cheese of choice, like fontina See Note 2.
½ medium onion sliced thin or diced
½ cup sliced olives
4 strips bacon
½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoon fresh basil chopped up, optional
grated fresh parmesan cheese for garnish optional
semolina for dusting pizza peel if using all purpose flour or cornmeal tend to burn at these high temperatures
parchment paper if not using a pizza peel

Instructions

Position oven rack 6" from broiler. Preheat oven to 550° or as high as your oven will go. Add the baking steel on the rack under the broiler. Heat baking steel 60 minutes. Position a baking sheet on the lower rack (bottom half of the oven).
If using a pizza peel, flour it generously with semolina flour. Keep extra flour handy to re-flour the peel as necessary for each pizza. Position your pizza base on the peel and shake periodically as you prep the toppings to ensure the pizza slides and stays loose.
If using parchment paper instead of a pizza peel, cut paper to the correct size with a couple of inches excess around the edges of the pizza for each base. Position a pizza base on the parchment paper. Proceed with toppings.
Mix the tomato, oregano and salt together. Divide evenly over the 4 pizza bases to within 1" of the outer edge.
Chop bacon into ½" pieces. Microwave on medium high about 2 minutes.
Divide the cheese into 4 equal portions and distribute evenly over the pizza bases.
Divide onion, olive, bacon and mushrooms into 4 portions and spread evenly over bases.
Turn the oven to Broil setting. Carefully transfer the prepared pizza onto the baking steel.
Broil about 2 minutes. Top will have some char and bottom should be dry and firm. Using a large spatula or thin edged pizza peel transfer the pizza to the baking sheet in the lower portion of your oven. See Note 3. Turn oven to 500 ° and allow pizza to remain on baking sheet another 2-3 minutes. See Note 4 if cooking more than 1 pizza immediately.
Remove pizza from oven and garnish with fresh parmesan and basil. Allow to sit a couple of minutes before slicing in to quarters.

Notes

Note 1: You can use a commercially prepared pizza sauce if desired. Omit crushed tomatoes, oregano and salt.

Note 2: Topping quantities and choice can vary to suit your taste. Just be sure not to overload the pizza. While the base is fairly sturdy, you don't want it to buckle under the weight of the toppings.

Note 3: Many pizza peels are too thick at the edge to pick up a pizza from the oven. If this is the case you will need a large spatula to either lift the pizza or help slide it on to the pizza peel in order to transfer the pie to the lower rack baking sheet.

Note 4: If making more than one pizza you can transfer the pie to a baking sheet on the lower rack after the 2 minute broil. Leave the oven on broil and immediately slide the next uncooked pizza on to the baking steel for its 2 minute broil. Transfer pie to the baking sheet fter 2 minutes. (Depending on size of your pizza and baking sheet you may be able to let both rest on the same baking sheet. If they don't fit you will need 2 baking sheets or to remove the 1st pizza to make room for the 2nd.) Turn oven off when last pizza has broiled.

Check here for Pizza Base Nutrition based on a 10" base.

Pizza Toppings Nutrition is per 10" pizza. Nutrition does not include grated parmesan.

Nutrition