filmov
tv
Pizza Stones: 5 Fast Facts
Показать описание
Fact #1. You'll rarely see a pizza stone being used in a commercial pizza restaurant. This is because they have ovens that can reach well over 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The standard home oven tops out somewhere between 450 and 500 degrees. To make up for the lower temperature, those cooking pizzas in a home oven need to use a pizza stone, which increases the heat transfer rate.
Fact #2. Once pizza dough is put into the oven, heat transfers into it, causing the gases to expand and escape. The expanding gases cause the dough to rise, creating the puffiness found in good pizza dough. If the heat is not transferred quickly enough, the gases won't expand before the crust hardens. The result will be limp, non-rising dough. These items are designed for fast heat transfer. If they're thoroughly heated before placing the dough on it, heat will transfer quickly. This will make it nice and puffy, even if the oven is only set at 400 degrees.
Fact #3. Traditionally, these were made from clay or stone. These types are good because they have a high thermal mass. They can maintain their temperature longer, and absorb moisture from the dough as it cooks. There are a few drawbacks, though. They're often heavy, making them unwieldy for some. They also take a long time to fully preheat, sometimes 30 minutes or more.
Fact #4. Cast iron models heat up much quicker than clay or stone. They're also much easier to clean. They have a high thermal mass, so cooking crispy pizza shouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, they're even heavier than clay or stone. This can be especially problematic if one wants to cook a pizza larger than 12 inches.
Fact #5. Some newer versions are made from stainless steel. Steel varieties can actually transfer heat even quicker than clay and stone, but will not absorb water. They also have less thermal mass. This causes them to lose heat quickly when taken out of the oven. However, they heat up quicker, are easy to clean, and can cook a pizza more evenly at lower temperatures.