Pizza screens are among the professional pizza-maker's tools for achieving a perfectly cooked pie. Available in a range of sizes, pizza screens are perforated metal discs that resemble screens. The holes in the pizza screen allow moisture to escape so that the result is an evenly cooked, crispy crust. Whether you're tossing in a frozen pizza or making your own from scratch, the pizza screen is designed to cook it to perfection.
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or the hottest temperature it reaches, for one hour before baking the pizza.
Step 2
Brush or spray your pizza screen with oil. Center the pizza on the screen. If you are making a pizza from scratch, place the dough on the screen and assemble your toppings on it.
Step 3
Place the pizza screen on top of pizza stones or tiles, if you like; otherwise place the pizza on the oven's top rack. Bake the pizza for approximately 10 minutes if cooking on a stone or tile, 15 minutes on the oven rack, or until the cheese melts and the crust turns a light golden brown.
Step 4
Remove the pizza from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before cutting it into slices. Slide the pizza off of the pizza rack before cutting.
- Pizza screens can be used to make other types of food like chicken nuggets, French fries and jalapeno poppers.
- Before using your pizza screen for the first time you should season it so the pizza doesn't stick. This is easily accomplished by oiling your pan and baking for about 15 to 20 minutes at 300 F. Remove the pizza screen from the oven and repeat the process at 400 F. If necessary, repeat until you have a nice coating of oil stuck to the pizza screen.
- To clean your pizza screen, simply brush any crumbs off after each use or use an scrub brush, without soap, to remove stuck on toppings and cheese.
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