DIY Baking Steel?
I am interested in baking on a baking steel. I was wondering if there is an inexpensive DIY way to make one out of steel plate purchased from a local metal retailer or if it would end up costing the same as purchasing a baking steel as a finished product? I found one DIY page on the web at https://www.kamadoguru.com/topic/39939-diy-baking-steel/ but would want to know that the process yields a food-grade result. Any advice or suggestions that someone might share with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Best Answer
Steels are alloys of different compositions of iron carbon and other metals. Not all steels are considered safe for food as some contain metals or additives that could in some circumstances leach into food, so not just any steel will do.
Baking steels are usually made of A36 steel or stainless steel:
- A36 is not stainless, it's commonly used for structural members but is also a popular choice for restaurant griddles. It isn't stainless so it will rust, so you will first have to get the rust off and then oil the steel after every use or season it. It's cheap and has good conductivity
- Stainless steel (316 or 430, not 304 as that tends to pit) is more expensive and doesn't conduct heat as well as A36 steel, but it's a lot less maintenance as you don't have to worry about keeping up the seasoning. You can wash these to clean them
Depending on where you are you can get just about any steel cut and shipped to you at any size and thickness. If you ask the shop may soften the edges for you, which is important for safety, if they don't you can do it yourself with an angle grinder and a metal grinding disc. This sounds scary but it's actually pretty easy, just wear eye protection, gloves and old clothes. Whatever steel you buy will need to be cleaned to get any coatings or industrial by-products off before use.
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What can I use instead of a baking steel?
Cast Iron Pan Like the baking sheet, a large cast iron skillet preheated upside down can pretty much exactly replicate a pizza stone in the oven. Set it on a sheet pan for safety and ease.What material is baking steel made of?
As you could probably guess, the Baking Steel is made purely of steel, which has high thermal conductivity. That's just a fancy way of saying that heat moves very quickly from steel's surface to whatever it's touching.How thick should a baking steel be?
At \xbc to \xbd inch thick, baking steels are also much thicker than a baking sheet or even a cast-iron pan, and therefore they hold a lot more heat.Can you bake on steel?
Baking bread on a stone surface will generate high heat spread evenly for a perfect bake. However, if you bake bread in your home oven baking on a steel plate will be a better choice. A steel plate can reach higher temperatures and maintain the heat longer.DIY Pizza Steel - From Scrap Steel To Amazing Pizza And Bread -
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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