Pizza Screen

Author : Efrain S.

A pizza screen is basically just an aluminum – mesh sort of filter – screen – like product ( much like a strainer or a coffee – tea screen ) which is more than often both round and flat, just like most pizza pies out there. It is usually heat – retardant and can handle even a very hot pizza and lets hot air circulate all through it, rising from dough base to surface, all in all. You can see holes all through it, where the air goes through, and they call these rhombus holes ( learned something new there, right? ) . The holes can be bigger or smaller, generally speaking, depending on the size of the plates you are using, the type of screen you bought, etc.

You can get different pizza screens made for different crusts, as well, some keeping your crust softer than others. Did you know that? There’s a whole market of pizza screen products out there, to add, made based on different types of styles ( and sizes ) of pizzas that exist. If you cook the pizza with the screen already on and in place, you will likely result in getting a finished pizza that’s a bit more crispy, all in all, especially in its pie crust. And want to know a quick secret on that note? IT WILL COOK UP FASTER. Yes, so try it.

Just remember to check on the pizza so that you can pull it out a little early, if you see it ready. Do not over – cook it or you can get burns on the crust and side itself. But some people like it that way, too…. I, in fact, do not mind a little bit of burnt crust every now and again as it offers a unique kind of pizza taste, but some people do say I’m a weirdo, so….

Ha ha. ANYWAYS, back to the topic ( or should I say topping? He heh. Lame, cheesy joke….. wait, “cheesy”, like pizza cheese???? Ha hah. I just can’t help myself sometimes… I’m a true joker…. )

If you want that dough a little softer and more moldable as it cooks on that plates, and perhaps melts into the holes of the screen during cooking time, then you can try this little tip as well —- boil the screen in hot water a few seconds beforehand, and then put on the dough and throw everything into the oven. It helps. Trust me.

And if you have a small electric oven, use a 12 – inch pizza oven screen. For a bigger oven, go bigger. 14 – inch, 16 – inch, you get the drift.

Now if you want the right thickness, make sure you have the size or type of screen that can handle the weight of the dough…. if your dough happens to be in pizza rolls or balls, for instance, and you are going for a 12 – inch pie, go with 180 grams or appx. 6 ounces.