Ask Chef Leo: Pizza Pan or a Pizza screen with holes?

[@johnpatrick1588]

Pizza screens are use with conveyor belt ovens, used to slow browning by getting off direct heat in oven deck/stone/steel, real handy if no pizza peel or baking stone/steal in home oven, and can help with cooling if no cooling rack available. Cheap alternative to buying peels, pans and stones. Follow instructions on seasoning and using when new.

[@joer1757]

Chef Leo. You used to have a different channel with the very best explanation of a NY pizza ever made on you tube. Not the recipe itself but how to open and shape the dough. Can you please do another one just like it please. I think your instruction is perfect.

[@herrprepper2070]

How do you tell what side of the screen is the top and which is the bottom side?

[@AskChefLeo]

It usually says “This side up”

[@commonsense5555]

My pizzas baked on the screen have an unpleasant textured bottom with the tiny diamond shapes you mentioned. Is there a solution to this?

[@rray3630]

yeah. put it on a pizza stone initially....then use the screen to control the char ,,,,

[@commonsense5555]

@@rray3630 turned out to be an issue with hydration. An over hydrated dough will sink into the pores of the screen leading to that texture.

[@hildaklotz5592]

I used the pizza screen and it was stocked on the screen, I put olive oil on it but it didn’t work. What should suggest put on it?

[@JK-pp2xl]

I like the screen and the peel. You can slide the pizza screen in without using any flour or corn meal. Easily rotate the screen every 15 seconds. Once the top is done, you slide the pizza off the screen, and place it on the stone. Turn off all burners and let it sit on the stone for an additional 15 to 25 seconds. No one will know. If you are using a home oven just use parchment paper and cut off the excess portion. But I highly recommend a propane pizza oven, as the stone heats up in about 10 minutes vs 1 to 1.5 hrs. Pizza suddenly becomes super easy, fast and yum, yum!!

[@chrisginoc]

Question: Preferment and 24-48 hour fermentation vs Direct Dough (no preferment) with 24-48 fermentation? Which yields better results?

[@D1Zeke]

What type of pizza stone do you prefer for home bakers?

[@AskChefLeo]

Hi Zeke, I really prefer a pizza steel rather than a stone because it holds the heat much better. Thanks for your question. I just started a new KZbin channel, the Pizza Garage with Leo Spizzirri, so I hope to see you and your comments over there.

[@D1Zeke]

@@AskChefLeo thanks! And of course !

[@rbiv5]

Here in NYC I don't see many places using a pizza screen, however where I do, these pizza are normally heavily topped and they are looking to retard the cook of the base a bit and a more even cook. Personally, I don't prefer a pizza made with a screen. I know, it's not a huge deal, but the more rustic cook, where one has dialed in their cook and knows how to tame their oven, is preferable to me.

[@AskChefLeo]

I agree. Personally I’ve never been a fan of screens but there are a couple applications like conveyor ovens where it makes sense and works well. Thanks for watching my videos! 🙏

[@rbiv5]

@@AskChefLeo Chef, you are the man. I am a very passionate home cook. I submitted a really good question on your website and I hope you answer it in a video!

[@AskChefLeo]

@@rbiv5 can you please ask me now? I may have missed your question

[@rbiv5]

@@AskChefLeo I just submitted it..on diastatic malt. Here is the question. When making pizza in my home oven, I like to use a direct method, 72 hour cold fermentation. I use 00 umalted flour and always add 1%-1.5% diastatic malt for color, rise and a great background flavor. I notice the yeast loves malt and therefor to prevent over fermentation, I make sure the dough spends plenty of time in the fridge. Am I using diastatic malt correctly or am I wasting my time? Is it appropriate for longer fermentation times?

[@AskChefLeo]

@@rbiv5 I would say that you’re on the right path but I’d reduce the amount of malt to 0.5 - 0.75%. This will allow you to get the maturation you’re looking for and still have some color in your final bake.

[@sandhill9313]

For the money you can't beat a screen. Just onto a rack in your home oven, no stone, no steel, no peel, great results.

[@rgruenhaus]

The pizza pan I have has such small holes that I can't see heat getting to the bottom of the pizza any different than a solid pan!

[@wimbletone1]

So do both work well

[@Yesdaddyz]

What happened to all the videos on pizza culinary academy

[@AskChefLeo]

Looks like they deleted them all…if I give the info away on KZbin, then they can’t sell a seat to one of their classes. Pretty much sums it up…Not my choice.

[@salcamposano4153]

Only time I use a screen is when baking pizza with a very hot gas pizza oven That GOES up to 650 degrees which prevents burning the button And gives you a nice spring on your dough as its baking

[@hildaklotz5592]

What kind of oven?

[@frez777]

You are a fabulous teacher Leo. It's seems you have moved on from your last endeavor. Glad I found you once again.

[@AskChefLeo]

Thank you Dush. I am glad you found me too! I am moving to a new KZbin channel called "the Pizza Garage with Leo Spizzirri." I hope you will check it out and follow me there.

[@YouTube_can_ESAD]

I love your work and miss your old videos, like the NYC pizza dough recipe! Looking forward to your new videos, I use that NYC pizza recipe t least once a month, the Family loves it!

[@AskChefLeo]

Thank you Slim. Please check out my new KZbin channel "The Pizza Garage with Leo Spizzirri." Tomorrow I am publishing a Master Class on Chicago Stuffed Pizza. I also plan to redo the NYC pizza dough recipe. Some of these recipes are already on my website, LeoSpizzirri.com. I hope you will check it out. Thank you for your comments.

[@YouTube_can_ESAD]

I just saw your reply Chef, I normally live in Chicago but I am taking care of my Folks down South for a bit, so I’ll definitely check that out! Just took a look at the website, very clean, looks great! Thank you for your time Chef!

[@ArgentinaCook]

I love ❤️ the pizza screen!!! Love love! I don’t even use pizza peel Bc the pizza screen is amazing for home chefs

[@AskChefLeo]

Thanks Natalia, it is a great way to bake the pizza for home chefs. I just created a new channel called the Pizza Garage, which includes many 1-2 minute short videos on a wide range of topics. I hope you will check it out.

[@hildaklotz5592]

Mine got stocked on the screen, i put olive oil and it didn’t work, it was new. What do you suggest me to do? I can’t find the oil spray here in Germany .

[@WayneMarion]

@@hildaklotz5592 Oil the screen and put it in a hot oven to season the screen and create a no-stick finish. Do it a few times, like you would do on a new cast iron frying pan. And don't scrub it off. Wash gently or not at all. Good luck.

[@rainerrain9689]

Where you been ,you ok ?

[@tomthalon8956]

Pro tip: ALL screens have holes. Anyone have screens with their home windows which don't have holes? A pizza steel has no holes since it's not a screen. This was such a dumb topic to cover. Plus, you never should make a pizza video without making pizza. I mean, you even said you don't use a screen.

[@AskChefLeo]

You are right Tom. I read the question the way the viewer asked it. I updated the thumbnail but can't change the video. I get a lot of quick questions from viewers that I try to answer, so I can't make a pizza in every video (though I would love to.) I just created a new channel called the Pizza Garage, which includes many 1-2 minute short videos on a wide range of topics and I do make pizza or at least dough in many of them. I hope you will check it and thank you for pointing out the question in this video.

[@ncvman]

Pizza screens are for amateurs

[@rray3630]

so you use one then ?

[@ncvman]

@@rray3630 yea except I use it on top of the cheese.

[@samthunders3611]

Pizza screens are good to get the pizza into and out of the oven When it gets stiff enough you can use the peel to get it off the screen directly on the stove then slide it back on it to safely remove pizza You have to assemble the pizza fas while on the screen or it keep s rising n get stuck between the holes n hard to get off I put it on the stone most of the baking time comes out great