Revolutionizing Home Baking: The Power of Baking Steel in Your Kitchen
Baking Steel has revolutionized home baking with its exceptional heat conductivity and ability to produce professional-quality results. Whether you’re baking bread, pizza, or pastries, Baking Steel provides the perfect baking surface to achieve the ultimate crust and texture. In this article, we will explore the various ways Baking Steel has transformed home baking and delve into the benefits, versatility, and real-life experiences of using this innovative tool.
What is Baking Steel and how does it revolutionize home baking?
Baking Steel is a baking surface made from steel that surpasses traditional pizza stones and baking sheets in its ability to conduct heat efficiently and evenly. This revolutionary tool was invented by Andris Lagsdin, a steelworker who discovered that steel is an excellent conductor of heat, resulting in perfectly crispy and evenly cooked crusts. Baking Steel revolutionizes home baking by providing a professional-grade tool that allows home cooks to achieve pizzeria-quality results in their own kitchens.
To understand how Baking Steel revolutionizes home baking, let’s compare it to other baking surfaces. While pizza stones can absorb and retain heat, Baking Steel conducts heat more efficiently, resulting in faster and more even cooking. The high thermal conductivity of steel ensures that the heat is quickly transferred to the dough, creating a crispier crust with perfect browning. Additionally, Baking Steel’s smooth surface prevents sticking and allows for easy removal of the baked goods.
For example, when baking a pizza on Baking Steel, the intense heat generated by the steel mimics the conditions of a professional pizza oven. The dough cooks rapidly, resulting in a pizza with a crispy bottom and a perfectly melted and bubbly cheese on top. The quick and even bake achieved with Baking Steel ensures that the pizza crust is perfectly browned and crispy, just like the ones you would find at your favorite pizzeria.
How does Baking Steel compare to a pizza stone for baking?
Baking Steel surpasses traditional pizza stones in terms of heat conductivity, resulting in superior baking performance. While pizza stones are known for their ability to absorb and retain heat, Baking Steel conducts heat more efficiently, ensuring faster and more even cooking. The high thermal conductivity of steel allows for quick and efficient heat transfer to the dough, resulting in a crispier crust with perfect browning.
For instance, when baking bread on a pizza stone, the heat is absorbed by the stone and slowly transferred to the dough. This slower heat transfer can result in a less crispy crust and a longer baking time. On the other hand, Baking Steel’s ability to quickly conduct heat ensures that the dough receives immediate and consistent heat, resulting in a perfectly browned and crispy crust in a shorter amount of time.
Moreover, Baking Steel’s smooth surface prevents sticking and allows for easy removal of the baked goods. Unlike pizza stones, which may require preheating and careful handling to prevent sticking, Baking Steel’s non-stick properties make it easier to slide the baked goods off the surface without any hassle.
Can Baking Steel be used to achieve the perfect crust?
Absolutely! Baking Steel is the ultimate tool for achieving the perfect crust. The high thermal conductivity of steel ensures that the heat is evenly distributed, resulting in a crispy and well-browned crust. The intense heat generated by Baking Steel mimics the conditions of a professional pizza oven, allowing the dough to cook quickly and develop that sought-after crispness.
For example, when baking bread on Baking Steel, the intense and even heat distribution creates a beautifully caramelized crust with a tender and airy crumb. The quick and efficient heat transfer ensures that the bread rises evenly and develops a perfect golden-brown crust. Whether you’re baking a rustic sourdough loaf or a fluffy baguette, Baking Steel will help you achieve that ideal crust every time.
What are the benefits of using Baking Steel for high-heat baking?
Using Baking Steel for high-heat baking offers numerous benefits. Firstly, the superior heat conductivity of steel allows for faster and more even cooking, ensuring that your baked goods are cooked to perfection. Baking Steel’s ability to quickly transfer heat ensures that the temperature remains consistent throughout the baking process, resulting in consistent and reliable results.
For instance, when baking a pizza on Baking Steel at high heat, the intense and even heat distribution ensures that the dough cooks rapidly and develops a beautifully charred crust. The high temperatures achieved with Baking Steel are ideal for creating that perfect balance between a crispy bottom and a tender and flavorful topping.
Additionally, Baking Steel’s ability to retain heat ensures that the temperature remains stable even when the oven door is opened. This is especially beneficial when baking multiple batches of bread or pizzas, as the steel will quickly recover and maintain the desired temperature, allowing for consistent and efficient baking.
Is Baking Steel suitable for baking bread and pizza?
Absolutely! Baking Steel is incredibly versatile and is well-suited for baking both bread and pizza. The high thermal conductivity and even heat distribution of steel make it an ideal tool for achieving outstanding results in these baking endeavors.
When baking bread on Baking Steel, the intense and even heat ensures that the dough rises evenly and develops a crispy and well-browned crust. The quick heat transfer allows for a faster rise and a shorter baking time, resulting in a loaf with a tender crumb and a perfect crust. Whether you’re baking a rustic boule, a baguette, or a ciabatta, Baking Steel will help you achieve bakery-quality results in your home kitchen.
Similarly, when it comes to pizza, Baking Steel is the go-to tool for achieving a pizzeria-quality pie. The intense heat conductivity of steel ensures that the dough cooks quickly and develops a crispy bottom, while the even heat distribution results in a perfectly melted and bubbly cheese on top. The result is a pizza with a professional-level crust and a delicious combination of flavors.
Can Baking Steel be used as an oven steel plate?
Yes, Baking Steel can be used as an oven steel plate, extending its versatility beyond the realm of baking. Its exceptional heat conductivity and even heat distribution make it an excellent heat conductor, ensuring even cooking for various dishes.
For example, Baking Steel can be placed on a rack in the oven to act as a heat conductor for roasting vegetables or searing steaks. The steel plate quickly absorbs and distributes the heat, allowing for efficient and uniform cooking. Whether you’re looking to achieve a perfectly seared steak with a caramelized crust or evenly roasted vegetables with a tender interior, Baking Steel will help you elevate your cooking to new heights.
Moreover, Baking Steel’s versatility extends to stovetop use as well. Its smooth surface makes it an excellent griddle or plancha for cooking pancakes, frying eggs, or searing burgers. The even heat distribution ensures that the food is cooked evenly, resulting in delicious and perfectly cooked dishes.
Who invented Baking Steel and what is the story behind its creation?
Baking Steel was invented by Andris Lagsdin, a steelworker who initially pursued a career in the food industry instead of joining his family’s steel company. Lagsdin fell in love with artisan pizza-making while working at a restaurant and discovered that steel conducted heat better than traditional pizza stones or baking sheets. This revelation sparked the idea for Baking Steel.
Despite initial skepticism from his family, Lagsdin decided to pursue his passion project and refined the prototype for a steel baking surface. He named it “Baking Steel” and realized its potential for not only baking pizza but also other foods. To fund the production of Baking Steel, Lagsdin launched a Kickstarter campaign and surpassed his initial goal, garnering support from enthusiastic backers who shared his vision.
The success of Baking Steel continued to grow when the culinary director of Serious Eats reviewed the product and praised its performance. This endorsement further propelled Baking Steel into the spotlight, attracting more home cooks who were eager to experience the benefits of this innovative tool. Since shipping the first Baking Steel in 2012, it has been used by thousands of home cooks, transforming their baking experiences, and inspiring them to explore new culinary possibilities.
How can Baking Steel improve home cooking beyond pizza?
While Baking Steel is widely known for its exceptional performance in pizza-making, its benefits extend far beyond just pizza. Baking Steel can significantly improve home cooking by providing superior heat conductivity, even heat distribution, and the ability to retain heat.
For example, when baking bread, Baking Steel’s ability to quickly and evenly conduct heat ensures that the dough rises evenly and develops a crispy crust. The intense heat allows for a shorter baking time, resulting in a loaf with a tender crumb and a perfect crust. The same benefits apply to pastries and desserts, where Baking Steel’s even heat distribution ensures that the delicate pastries bake uniformly, resulting in golden, flaky, and delicious treats.
Additionally, Baking Steel can be used as a versatile stovetop griddle or plancha. Its ability to quickly transfer heat and maintain a consistent temperature makes it ideal for searing steaks, cooking pancakes, or frying eggs. The even heat distribution ensures that the food cooks evenly, resulting in perfect browning and delicious flavors.
By incorporating Baking Steel into your kitchen, you can unlock new culinary possibilities and achieve professional-level results in your home cooking endeavors. From perfectly cooked bread and pizza to beautifully seared steaks and golden-brown pastries, Baking Steel is a game-changer that will elevate your cooking to new heights.
In conclusion, Baking Steel has revolutionized home baking by providing a baking surface that conducts heat efficiently and evenly. Its ability to quickly transfer heat and generate high temperatures allows for faster and more even cooking, resulting in perfectly crispy and well-browned crusts. Whether you’re baking bread, pizza, or other delicious treats, Baking Steel is the ultimate tool for achieving professional-quality results in your own kitchen. With its versatility and exceptional performance, Baking Steel has transformed the way home cooks approach baking, inspiring creativity, and confidence in the kitchen. So, why settle for anything less when you can revolutionize your home baking with the power of Baking Steel?
