Pizza is one of the most popular dishes, which everyone can learn at first glance. However, in fact, there are a lot of pizza recipes - there are simple and very complex ones. The process of making classic Neapolitan pizza (its variations are usually served in restaurants called "Margarita") was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. Not the dish itself, but the process - from the preparation of the ingredients to the serving, and the form in which the pizza is baked plays a great role.
Features
Neapolitan pizza, for example, is baked on a wooden baking sheet in a stone oven, but at home you can restrict yourself to simpler options. Stores of dishes offer a wide selection of dishes for baking and baking using a conventional kitchen oven.
Typically, fireproof materials are used to produce such dishes in order to avoid the occurrence of fires or the melting of dishes in gas ovens.
For a standard pizza, of course, a rather round shape is suitable, although if desired it can be made rectangular - it plays a big part. The popularity of the circle here is due only to the tradition of the Italian masters. And the most popular sizes are 25, 30 and 35 cm.
Materials used
Forms for pizza can be made of different materials. Everyone has their own characteristics and features of choice.
Metallic
Any metal dish should be chosen very carefully, as its inappropriate characteristics can easily destroy your dish. First of all, you should pay attention to the presence of a non-stick coating, the height of the sides, the type of alloy.
Usually for the manufacture of dishes used steel, aluminum and cast iron. Cast iron is easily recognized by large weight - such a large size is not easy to hold in fragile hands, but, perhaps, this is where its disadvantages end. This is the best option when uniform heating is needed - the iron has a very high thermal conductivity. On this form, even optional non-stick coating or bottom perforation.
And in the case of steel, a non-stick coating is a must, otherwise it will be difficult to keep track of the pizza.
It is also desirable the presence of perforated bottom, although you can do without it.
When choosing an aluminum mold, remember that This material has a very high thermal conductivity and heats up quickly. The latter strongly distinguishes it from cast iron, so pizza will bake on it much faster than on any other material. The disadvantage of this option is that any aluminum items bend easily, so you need to handle them carefully.
Ceramic
Forms from this material are even more whimsical in circulation. Ceramics - a fragile material and can crack at the slightest impact on a hard surface.
However, this form can be put not only in the oven, but also in the microwave, and it also warms up evenly and even retains heat for a while.
Therefore, the ceramic form can be used to serve dishes on the table. Often these forms are made of small size - 200 mm.
Glass
Choosing a glass form, be sure to pay attention to the type of material. This must be a refractory glass, and not just a dish of suitable shape and size. Like ceramics, glass can maintain the temperature of the finished pizza for some time, and also allows you to control the stage of readiness of a dish through transparent walls so that it does not burn.
But you need to handle this form very carefully.
Silicone
Recently, silicone forms are gaining popularity. This is not surprising, because, unlike all other materials, silicone is flexible and makes baking easy to take out. However, large pizza at 40, 45 and 50 cm to cook in silicone forms is highly undesirable. Silicone simply cannot give uniform heating over the entire surface of the pizza.
Varieties
Sometimes baking molds may have some special features. Some may, for example, have a perforation. Holes in the form of small holes are sometimes made in forms of steel and aluminum. This is useful in order to bake the dough faster, and at the bottom of the pizza could form a crisp. It is usually not formed on the baking sheet without holes, since this requires access of air.
When choosing such a form, be sure to check the presence of a non-stick coating not only inside, but also on all surfaces of the holes, otherwise they may get dough and burn.
And in order that it does not flow, be sure to use only a thick consistency.
Interesting in its decision is a conical shape. For such pizzas, special forms are made, into which the dough is put, baked, and then stuffing is reported. The result is a pizza in the form of ice cream.
It is convenient to eat because it does not get dirty hands, it is convenient to take with you, you do not need separate dishes - you can wrap the cone in a napkin. This pizza has already gained the popularity of Europeans as the original version of street fast food.
For restaurants produced special presses and ovens for making cone pizza, but it can be done at home.
However, then you will need a non-stick stand that supports the cups in the oven. Otherwise, the filling can simply flow out.
Reviews
The majority of consumers in the reviews about the form with a non-stick grid note its convenience, high speed of cooking pizza and a good roast. However, in such forms with holes it turns out to make only thin pizza. For pizza with lush dough advised to take the usual form.
The disadvantages are observed in aluminum and thin carbon steel trays - they are short-lived compared to cast-iron ones. It is also recommended to use parchment for baking or its analogues, since such baking sheets do not have a non-stick coating. Or you can use the professional secret of chefs - grease the form with margarine so that the pizza does not stick or stick. It does not give a large amount of fat and does not spread like vegetable oil.
Review of silicone pizza molds see below.
