Hi, SP1:
Here’s the thing–40+ pounds would be too heavy for most home oven racks, if all the weight was borne out in the middle. However, being wide and stiff, the steel’s outside edges effectively place the weight very close to the sidewalls, where the rack and its supports can safely handle all that weight. There is almost no deflection in the rack itself.
That said, you need to be careful moving such a heavy sheet. It can easily crush a toe if dropped.
Aloha,
Kaleo
Hi Duffy, those recipes seem to be essentially what I use most of the time, although I use less yeast-maybe only 1/2 teaspoon- and would usually skip the sugar on the 2nd recipe. I suppose if I want the dough ready to bake in 3 or 4 hours I might use that much yeast and find a warm environment to let it rise. Some bakers add cider vinegar to improve taste for short or no fermentation times.
Any reason steel wouldn’t be optimal for an outside cooker, like say a Big Green Egg? (A worker at our local retailer said stone is better for BGE. Why? Manufacturer recommendation.)
Also, is it wiser to have a separate steel for outdoor use? (Will it make the house smell like charcoal if I bring it inside?)
For anyone reading this in the future, if you are confused like I was about making your own steel, I wanted to share this link which answered a lot of question I had, including how much clearance to leave around the edges and food safety. Although, I have to say the term “recycled steel” conjures up images of dismantled ships and automobile wrecks.
@bear, I know it’s been a while, but if you get a chance, I’d be interested in your experience. Do you also bake bread? I am concerned it might be “too good” for bread, i.e. result in burnt bottoms.
This is truth.
Is there a technical reason for using a food processor over a stand mixer? Or just because that’s what you have?
I am not a fan of no-knead, but I think it does shine in a few areas. Especially for American-style focaccia and “pan pizza”, it’s the only dough I will use.
Nothing against BGEs, but they have no top heat source. This may be the reason the retailer opined for stone–on steel your crust might be black before the toppings are finished.
Hello Bmore- There is reason why I use a food processor, firstly I tried it and it worked well after long ago giving up using a KMaid stand mixer that overheated while kneading bread dough. The mixer recovered, but I just avoided using it for yeast bread . Kneading by hand was not a big deal for me and then no-knead bread made it easier.
Onetime I wanted to develop a pizza dough in a relatively quick time and with less mess. So I tried the food processor w/ dough blade and it did a great job fairly easily. A quick pulse and the dry yeast is dispersed throughout the flour etc. Another quick pulse for the salt. And it comes together fast and the plastic dough paddle really knocks the dough ball around. It’s easy to add extra water or flour- if you’re not weighing or measuring the ingredients- and to see the results.
And you can go from shaggy to smooth window pane in a minute or two. So it has just become a habit I suppose. And I use the processor to make the sauce, so it’s on my mind. Also easy to use for the sauce- drop a clove of garlic-poof. Add other ingredients- if you want just a single kalamata olive- you know it will be dispersed like a shot of love.
Sometimes I’ll use the fp with a thin slicing disc for a bowl of the thinnest slivered mushrooms- so light they are like feathers on the pizza.
As far as steel vs. stone goes- yes the steel may burn a longer cooking bread bottom. A stone may brown more evenly as well -this due to it’s greater emissivity and lower conductivity with longer time. Essentially the bread bottom is more ‘tanned’ rather than singed. I think having cornmeal or oat bran on the bottom helps to reduce some burning.
