Sicilian Pizza

[chefathome]

Hello, all!

I'm about to prepare Sicilian Pizza based on this recipe (with the no-kneading method). The dough is already "working" for a few hours, and it will wait for the afternoon to be prepared as a pizza.

My question is about using a pan AND a pizza stone.

Although that recipe does not call for a pizza stone, other similar recipes do (for example, this one). As the dough for this kind of Sicilian pizza is rather soft, it is being put in a pan, where some recipes (like the latter) ask to put the pan directly on the stone.

I'm about to use a simple aluminum disposable pan, so the question is that (and sorry if its a dumb question): Can an aluminum disposable pan be put on a pizza stone? My concerns are twofold:
a) Health-wise: are there any problems with heating the aluminum to such high degrees?
b) Stone-care-wise: might the aluminum pan scratch/hurt the stone?

Any comment would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Arnon

 

[jim262]

I do not believe that there are any health concerns as the aluminum in contact with the pizza cannot rise to any temperature higher than the pizza dough.

The aluminum is soft enough that it cannot scratch a pizza stone. If there is an issue, it would relate to softened aluminum being transferred to the stone surface, but this is also not likely based on relatively short cooking times and the fact that the pan is full.

I would not use disposable pans for Sicilian pizza. A well oiled pan contributes to crust browning and as far as I know, most disposable baking pans do not have a completely flat bottom that would allow full contact between the dough and the oil in pan.

Disposable aluminum foil pans are also not known for there structural integrity and may be very difficult to handle when filled with pizza.

The right pan for the job is the 12 x 18 rimmed half sheet baking pan called for in the recipe. If you do not already own some, this would be a great time to acquire them.

 

[chefathome]

Thanks, Jim, for the super detailed reply. It's not likely that I'll purchase a pan today, so I'll probably bake in the aluminum pan but without pizza-stone-contact.

Arnon

 

[Addie]

I do not believe that there are any health concerns as the aluminum in contact with the pizza cannot rise to any temperature higher than the pizza dough.
The aluminum is soft enough that it cannot scratch a pizza stone. If there is an issue, it would relate to softened aluminum being transferred to the stone surface, but this is also not likely based on relatively short cooking times and the fact that the pan is full.
I would not use disposable pans for Sicilian pizza. A well oiled pan contributes to crust browning and as far as I know, most disposable baking pans do not have a completely flat bottom that would allow full contact between the dough and the oil in pan.
Disposable aluminum foil pans are also not known for there structural integrity and may be very difficult to handle when filled with pizza.
The right pan for the job is the 12 x 18 rimmed half sheet baking pan called for in the recipe. If you do not already own some, this would be a great time to acquire them.

Even if you do not have the right size, then use the size you might have. The aluminum is not going to stand up to your handling it when putting it in and removing it from the oven. And it may become dangerous taking it out of a hot oven in that it will bend as stated from the weight of the pizza. Good Luck!

 

[GLC]

I would not use the stone. A stone needs to be soaked in the fully hot oven for a time for the heat to overcome the relatively high mass of the stone. Once it's hot, a stone then has a substantial hot mass that can feed the cold dough. But...

Much of the benefit of the stone is that it takes up moisture from the dough, which has an effect similar to steaming or brushing the top of bread crust with water, both of which cause it to become more crisp. Since you will use a pan, you can't get that benefit, and aluminum is such a good heat conductor that the pan will conduct heat well from the oven to the dough. I would not, however, use a disposable pan that had folds and irregularities formed in it while it was pressed. A simple round aluminum pan is inexpensive.

There are no validated associations of aluminum cookware with disease. Even if such were one day to be found, it would refer mainly to cast aluminum, with it's irregular surface, not sheet aluminum. (Note that antacids are a more significant source of aluminum.)

 

[chefathome]

Wow, that's an enriching response. No stone for me tonight!

Thansk!

 

[Addie]

I would not use the stone. A stone needs to be soaked in the fully hot oven for a time for the heat to overcome the relatively high mass of the stone. Once it's hot, a stone then has a substantial hot mass that can feed the cold dough. But...
Much of the benefit of the stone is that it takes up moisture from the dough, which has an effect similar to steaming or brushing the top of bread crust with water, both of which cause it to become more crisp. Since you will use a pan, you can't get that benefit, and aluminum is such a good heat conductor that the pan will conduct heat well from the oven to the dough. I would not, however, use a disposable pan that had folds and irregularities formed in it while it was pressed. A simple round aluminum pan is inexpensive.
There are no validated associations of aluminum cookware with disease. Even if such were one day to be found, it would refer mainly to cast aluminum, with it's irregular surface, not sheet aluminum. (Note that antacids are a more significant source of aluminum.)

I agree with you GLC. My main concern is (since you addressed any health concerns) is the safety issue. That disposable sheet pan is not going to stand up to any significant weight when she removes it from the oven and she just might receive a serious burn. If she grabs it from each end, it will probably bend in the middle. And if she grabs it in the middle, the ends will bend. Sometimes you just HAVE TO HAVE the right tool to do the job right. And this is one of those times.

 

[chefathome]

BTW, I'm a "he", not a "she"...

 

[Addie]

BTW, I'm a "he", not a "she"...

Either way I am concerned for your safety. Thanks for the correction.

 

[GLC]

Yeah. Sicilian pizza is the heavy-duty industrial version. I don't make it. My pizza is the thinnest of crisp crusts. Does Sicilian need a long cooking time because of the thickness? It always seems to come in the pan. I wonder if a thoroughly heated stone (or the bare masonry floor or a wood oven) would burn the crust?

 

[chefathome]

I've only tried the thinnest version till now (Napolitana/NYC-stlyle), and baked it directly on the stone. It came out great, but I just want to give a shot to the thick one.

As far as I've researched the recipes on the Web over the last a few days, and as it seems now - when the dough is already resting - it seems that the dough is very soft, hence cannot be formed/stretched as with the regular pizza dough. It is almost being poured to the pan.

 

[GLC]

I guess I'm not surprised. That would make sense for a pizza that needed a longer cooking time that would burn a hard thin-type crust.

 

[Addie]

Yeah. Sicilian pizza is the heavy-duty industrial version. I don't make it. My pizza is the thinnest of crisp crusts. Does Sicilian need a long cooking time because of the thickness? It always seems to come in the pan. I wonder if a thoroughly heated stone (or the bare masonry floor or a wood oven) would burn the crust?

It is baked right in the pan. Then cut into squares. I used to get a couple of pieces (5 cents each) every morning on the way to school for breakfast. There would be a big pool of oil on top. Tomato, cheese, and OIL! Sometimes there would be so much oil you had to pour it off. the half moon cookies (half chocolate and half white frosting, day old (2 cents each) ) and pizza. I think every kid had oil on their clothes by the time they go to school.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

First of all, use the stone or don't use the stone, it won't matter if the pizza is in a pan. I store my pizza stone in the oven, and if it's where I am going to put something, I put that something ontop of the stone.

Second, about the aluminium pizza pan. Aluminium cookware and bakeware are made for cooking and baking. The pizza pan will not poison you unless you plan on eating it after you finish the pizza. As for strength, well, as I said, they're made for cooking and baking. If you're afraid, get yourself a pizza peel (10 bucks at Bed Bugs & Beyond) or slide the aluminium pan onto the back of a steel cookie sheet.


One last thing; DO NOT PUT PINEAPPLE ON THAT PIZZA! Yes, Sicily is an island, but it is in the Mediterranean, not the South Pacific!

 

[Addie]

First of all, use the stone or don't use the stone, it won't matter if the pizza is in a pan. I store my pizza stone in the oven, and if it's where I am going to put something, I put that something ontop of the stone.

Second, about the aluminium pizza pan. Aluminium cookware and bakeware are made for cooking and baking. The pizza pan will not poison you unless you plan on eating it after you finish the pizza. As for strength, well, as I said, they're made for cooking and baking. If you're afraid, get yourself a pizza peel (10 bucks at Bed Bugs & Beyond) or slide the aluminium pan onto the back of a steel cookie sheet.


One last thing; DO NOT PUT PINEAPPLE ON THAT PIZZA! Yes, Sicily is an island, but it is in the Mediterranean, not the South Pacific!

How true. I was amazed by the pizzas I saw in Hawaii. Spam and pineapple was a favorite. Maybe 'amazed' is the wrong word. "Stunned" would be more like it.

 

[GLC]

One last thing; DO NOT PUT PINEAPPLE ON THAT PIZZA! Yes, Sicily is an island, but it is in the Mediterranean, not the South Pacific!

So my investment in that Sicilian pineapple farm isn't going to pay off? Oh no!!

 

[Addie]

So my investment in that Sicilian pineapple farm isn't going to pay off? Oh no!!

Thank you for my laugh for the day. I needed some silliness right now.

 

[Addie]

So my investment in that Sicilian pineapple farm isn't going to pay off? Oh no!!

Just a note of interest. See that thing hanging down the back of the throat? That is an uvula. My youngest son has a double one. His looks like a barbell. He also has a double coccyx bone at the end of his spine along with a couple of double spinal discs. The doctors think he was going to be twins, but the egg stop splitting. There is a God after all.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

On a thick, soft crust, like that found in a Scicilian piza, a large, cast iron pan works very well. It heats a bit more slowly, but continues cooking when you take the pizza out of the oven. It is sturdy, and will eliminate the need for a pizza stone.

A sturdy, steel cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) will also work. Simply place the dough onto the pan, place the toppings on it, and let it rise in place. When it has risen to where you want it, pop it into the hot oven. Brush the crest edges with a little watter or egg wash to get a wonderfully browned crust.

There. I've thrown in my two cents. I wish you the best of luck with your pizza.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Just a note of interest. See that thing hanging down the back of the throat? That is an uvula. My youngest son has a double one. His looks like a barbell. He also has a double coccyx bone at the end of his spine along with a couple of double spinal discs.

You weren't abducted and "examined" by aliens before your youngest was born, were you?