Pizza Pan Blues

[SeanCan'tCook]

Ok, I'll admit it here, but not to anyone I know. I LOVE those cheap Wal-Mart 1.19 pizzas. They're the BEST!

I like a softer crust, so I cook them on a pizza pan, rather than just putting them on the rack.

The thing is, I keep ruining pizza pans. I buy the non-stick ones (although I've tried others, too), but the pizza always leaves black residue on the pan, which is almost impossible to get off. If I use a brillo pad or any kind of abrasive scrubber, it takes the non-stick coating off. I got a plastic blade-type thing that gets most of it off, but only with a lot of work, and there's always some left behind, no matter how hard I work at it.

If i use a non-stick spray, it bakes onto the pan and I can't get it off no matter how hard I scrub.

I've tried doing away with the pan altogether and cooking the pizza on a piece of foil that's been crinkled up and spread back out, but that leaves the crust too soft. It's also wasteful, and i'm trying to be greener.

Clearly I'm missing something. There has to be a better way. Can anyone suggest anything?

Thanks

[Alix]

Try using some kind of fat smeared on the pan and sprinkle it with cornmeal.

Or...try a pizza stone.

[Selkie]

Purchase and use a pizza stone and peel. It will give you a MUCH better crust, and just don't worry about getting it dirty with the black from cooking pizzas. (Just brush it off - no need to ever wash it - and actually, washing is not advisable.) No pizza pan, non-stick or plain, can ever give you a decent pizza crust. A pizza stone wicks away the moisture giving you a crisper, more evenly cooked crust.

And an easy way to remove a pizza from a pizza stone, is not to jamb the edge of the peel under the pizza, possibly pushing it to the back of the oven, but to use long-handled tongs holding and lifting the near edge while slipping the peel beneath it. Simple and effective.

BTW: I agree. I also like Wal-Mart pizzas even though I generally make my own. They're better than any frozen, packaged pizza ever made.

[GB]

A pizza stone is the last thing he should use since he said he likes a softer crust. A pizza stone will never give you a soft crust. It's whole point is to give you crisp crust.

Sean, the way you are cleaning your pan is ruining it. You should never use Brillo or abrasive scrubbers. As soon as you use one of those you have ruined the pan.

My suggestion is get a pan and use it just for your pizza. The black gunk on the pan will not hurt anything. Just wash it the best you can with non stick approved sponges (I like Dobi sponges) and don't worry if not everything comes off.

[Selkie]

Actually, GB, the texture of the crust doesn't JUST come from the stone/pan. Primarily it comes from the moisture content of the dough, the thickness, and the temperature and time baked in the oven. I still stand by the pizza stone - but that's just my opinion.

[GB]

Well I never did say that the texture just comes from the stone/pan. Go back and re-read my words.

The whole point of a pizza stone is that it wicks moisture away from the dough to give you a crisp crust. The OP likes a soft crust. How would you recommend that he gets a soft crust using a pizza stone?

I like a crisp crust so I do use a stone. I think it gives me a great crust the way I like it. The OP would not like my crust though because he likes it soft and you just can't do that with a stone.

[Selkie]

For a really soft crush and no major mess clean up, use individual cake pans and make a Chicago-style from scratch - just as an alternative to store-bought, and can be a lot of fun on special occations.

[Andy M.]

Place parchment paper or aluminum foil in/on your pan and put the pizza on the paper.

[Hoot]

One thing you can try, if you haven't already, is check the temp of your oven. It may be that it is getting hotter than the dial says. If so, you can adjust your oven temp. Set your oven to, say 400 degrees. Put an oven thermometer in the oven and when the oven turns off, look to see what the actual temperature in your oven is. All ovens are not the same. There is likely more fat in the frozen pizza crust and that is what is burning.

[Fupduck]

Next time you need a pan just go for the uncoated ones.
I agree with GB about leaving the "gunk" on, after a few dozen pizzas it will look like a profesional pan :)
I always sprinkle a bit of cornmeal underneath to keep it from sticking and it also sucks up the oil from the toppings and becomes its own abrasive when cleaning.
Personally, I like a crust that is crispy on the bottom but still soft enough to let you fold it in the middle.