Can you put pizza directly on the oven rack?
The best method for baking pizza is using a real wood fire oven. But it is costly and requires a lot of space, so many people opt for home ovens.
Home ovens are completely different from real wood fire ovens. They have racks with adjustable heights, and that’s where the puzzle starts.
Ahead, this article discusses how to bake pizza on an oven rack and everything in between.
Can you put pizza directly on the oven rack?
Yes, you can But, you have to consider the state of the pizza before puting it in the oven.
Only frozen pizza should be put directly on the oven rack. The crust of the pizza must be pre-baked or already cooked pizza.
Do not put fresh pizza dough directly on the oven rack because it will fall through the oven grates, ruin the dough, and mess up your oven.
Why shouldn’t raw pizza dough go directly on the oven rack?
Raw pizza dough is stretched and pressed into a thin layer. Also, the toppings add extra weight to the dough, and this can cause it to crumble easily.
Now if you put this dough directly on the rack of a preheated oven, it will melt and burn into the grates of the oven rack.
In the end, it will be a waste of your precious time, effort, and dough. Additionally, cleaning up the burnt and melted dough from your oven is a frustrating experience.
How to cook raw pizza dough in the oven
1. Place the pizza dough at the bottom of the oven
Home ovens have an adjustable oven rack, and the heat comes from the top of the oven.
When baking pizza in a home oven, the ideal thing to do is to place the pizza dough at the bottom of the home oven to cook it thoroughly.
2. Use a pizza slate or a pizza stone
As mentioned earlier, fresh-made pizza dough shouldn’t go directly on the oven rack. Instead, get pizza steel or pizza stone; these materials are designed for cooking homemade pizza thoroughly.
They are excellent heat conductors that can help you cook your pizza dough evenly from the bottom to the toppings.
Make sure to preheat the pizza steel or the stone in the oven for at least one hour to prevent the dough from undercooking.
To get a crispy and thoroughly cooked pizza, the dough should puff as soon as it hits the steel or stone. If the pizza steel isn’t hot enough, the dough will cool off and the bottom of the crust wouldn’t cook thoroughly.
If you cannot find a pizza steel or pizza stone, a thick baking sheet or a clean ceramic tile will do. Similarly, make sure you preheat the baking sheet and ceramic tile in the oven first before putting the dough.
4. Pre-cook in a frying pan or skillet
Cooking the raw dough in a frying pan or skillet helps cook the dough thoroughly before transferring it to the oven.
Before placing the dough on the frying pan or skillet, ensure you heat it for a few minutes. As soon as the base begins to turn brown, add the toppings and give it a few minutes to cook.
But don’t put it directly on the oven rack immediately after frying in the pan because the dough is still partially raw. Instead, preheat the oven and place the dough on a pizza stone or steel before putting it in the oven.
How to cook pre-made or frozen pizza in the oven
Frozen pizza is par-baked, and this gives it enough rigidity. So, it’s safe to put it directly on the oven rack. However, the frozen raw dough shouldn’t go directly on the oven rack because it will thaw and fall out when it gets warm.
The best way to cook this pizza is to preheat your pizza stone in the oven before placing the raw frozen pizza. This gives the pizza a crisp texture and makes the cooking faster.
Also, remember to always heat your oven before cooking your pizza (raw frozen or par-baked frozen).
At what temperature should you cook pizza?
Pizza cooks better at very hot temperatures. Real wood fire ovens cook at between 800 to 900°F which is not obtainable in home ovens.
But when using home ovens, set the temperature between 450 and 500°F.
Remember to heat your pizza steel, stone, or baking sheet, in the oven for at least an hour before letting your pizza go in. This is so that the crust can cook thoroughly before the toppings begin to burn.
How to remove pizza from the oven rack
Because pizza needs a lot of heat to cook well, taking out the pizza from the oven should be done carefully to avoid getting burned and ruining the pizza.
The first precaution is to turn off your oven before removing your pizza. Allow it to cool off for a while.
Wear dry oven mitts. Wet mitts or mitts with holes may make you suffer a steam burn.
Open the oven and grip the oven rack with your potholder or oven mitts. Pull the rack close to yourself so you can reach the pizza easily. If you’re using a pan, simply grab the pan and take it out with the pizza.
Additionally, you can use a pizza peel, cutting board, or baking sheet to slide your pizza out of the oven.
FAQs
What is the best oven for baking pizza?
A real wood fire oven is the best for baking your pizza.
Can you put pizza on aluminum foil in the oven?
You can put pizza on aluminum foil and cook it in the oven. Aluminum foil holds it up so it doesn’t fall through the oven rack.
Should you put pizza on a baking tray?
No, a baking tray will not allow your pizza to cook evenly.
Conclusion
As said earlier, frozen pizza, pre-made crust pizza, and cooked pizza can go on the oven rack. But raw pizza will melt into the oven grates, and all you’d be left with are the burnt remains of your pizza dough.
To avoid this, get pizza steel or stone to place raw pizza dough for thorough cooking in the oven. Always heat up whatever you’d be laying your pizza on in the oven before putting the pizza on it.
Also, always use oven mitts or potholders to ensure safety. Enjoy your homemade pizza!
I hope this article helped. Thanks for reading.
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