Pizza Screen

Denbbq

What is a pizza screen, where do you buy one and how do you use it. Posts I have seen seem to use it in place of corn meal or parchment paper.

Ricklesss

Denbbq,
Though I've personally never used one, I'm thinking of picking one up at our neighborhood restaurant supply.
If I use my caputo flour and make my dough the way I like to, I find corn meal works just fine.
Once in a while I will cheat and buy store made dough on the way home....and I find the bottom burns far sooner then the top is done.
I could decrease the egg's temp, I know...
But then I'd have to wait longer!

Anyhow, I'll pick up a screen one of these day's,
"just cause".

mr.b

its a flat,circular aluminum wire mesh screen that allows the air to flow through to crisp up the crust
better. i bought one a few years back at gordons food
service but possibly places like bed bath and beyond
would handle them as well.

Zippylip

pizza screens are typically used in ovens in place of a pizza stone. The idea is part convenience, part functionality. The convenient part is that you can build the pie on the screen on the counter, then easily pick it up & pop in the oven, cook, then remove, so it makes the process easier than with a traditional peel. The functionality part is that it somewhat replicates the finish of a stone. If you were to bake a pie on a cookie sheet for instance, you will get a different finish on the crust than a stone (a stone has the quality of drying/crisping the bottom, much sought after). The screen sort of gets you there too, by allowing for direct exposure of the crust to the heat, you get a great finish on the crust. In my opinion, not as good as a stone, but better than a cookie sheet. I used screens for many years in my oven. When I began using the egg to make pizzas, I build the pie on the peel, slide onto the stone, then use the screen to pick up the finished pie from the egg, then a few minutes to act as a cooling rack, keeps the bottom from steaming if you put it directly on the pizza pan. They are great tools to have, regardless of how you use them

fire egger

I get mine at a local restraunt supply store, Ive never seen them at the big chains, I'm sure you can find them online also.
I've never used mine for pizza, i use them for roasted veggies, abt's, nacho's etc.

Carolina Q

Zip, is that steel or Al? Thx.

Zippylip

not 100% sure, although I've always thought it was aluminum

Carolina Q

Thanks, Marc. This place is very enabling!!! I saw this thread and decided I would finally buy one. The nearest restaurant supply place has them in Al only. Probably what they all are. Anyway - gotta go as they close at 2! Thx again.

Denbbq

Thanks for the help everyone! I guess I didn't realize you use the screen instead of a pizza stone not with it. My problem has been having the pizza stick on the peel and then scorch on the stone from excess flour. Does pizza on the screen come out as well as on a stone?

thirdeye

You can always pick up the ones from Wal Mart, they are a couple of dollars. They are in a 3-pack and labeled disposable, but I get many uses out of them..... Oh yeah, they are not just for pizza.

bubba tim

What do you know about makin pizza! You are Irish!
:P :woohoo: :P :woohoo:

Unknown

Denbbq, as I said above, in my experience, the final product using just a screen is very good, but not as good, as using the stone. A stone is the original & most traditional method of baking pizza, & gives a finish to the bottom of the crust that is typically most desired. The screen comes close, offering some of the same qualities. And regarding your other question, it doesn't have to be an either/or, you can use both by putting the screen right on top of the stone, in fact there are a number of people here that do just that. Some even put it on for a few minutes, then, after the pizza is maybe 1/2 done, they remove the screen. That way, you get the ease of the screen, lose the unpredictability and problems you are having with the peel, and, you still get the quality of finish that comes with the stone, so it is another great way to go. Good luck, Marc

Carolina Q

Just got back from the restaurant supply place. They had pizza screens from 7" to about 20"! Expanded aluminum with a rim - like the one Zip pictured. I bought a 14" for the large and an 8" for the mini. $8 for both. Now it's time to experiment. I will probably use it with the stone and remove the screen halfway thru the cook, but who knows.

Thanks for the prod...been meaning to buy these for a while now. Good luck finding yours!

Zippylip

You're gonna love them Mike. With all this pizza talk, I decided to make a pizza at 3pm, & wanted to use the old screen method for some pictures; made the dough & put it in the warming drawer to speed up the rise, then baked at 550 for about 10 minutes on the screen (in the oven), came out great, not egg great, but still very nice:



bottom is stone-like

Carolina Q

Bottom is "stone like"? I've never done a pizza on anything BUT a stone and not one has ever looked like that! I call Photoshop! hahaha

Mine either look like flour or corn meal or CHARRED flour or corn meal! But it never sticks to my peel. I prefer a little char, but yours looks real good!

thechief96

Tht is a great idea for the sceen

thechief96

I'll bet you almost spent that much on gas. :laugh: :P

Carolina Q

Nah, couple bucks only. And in any case, what I didn't mention was that I also stopped at Walmart where I found a FULL pallet of RO lump!! Most of which is now MINE! This after last week when I bought their last 4 bags. Who says they discontinued RO?!

thechief96

Good score on the RO. I have a tool shed that is 7x14. Some how red bags keep showing up in there. I now need another shed for the RO so I can get to my garden stuff. :woohoo: :P