Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world. That is unless the pizza is burnt, which just ruins the entire dish. Let’s go through some tips on how to avoid a burnt pizza crust.
Why is my pizza crust getting burnt?
Too much heat
You are receiving too much direct heat on your pizza stone or steel if you use an oven with a heat source from underneath. As a result, the bottom of the pizza will cook far too rapidly.
If it’s feasible, try putting your cooking surface up higher, away from the heat source. For instance, you may raise the pizza stone rack in your oven. You can also try turning down the heat on a grill if it generates heat from below, so there is less direct heat and more ambient heat.
Too much flour
Being a dry component, flour might burn more rapidly if there is too much left over when you move your peel to the oven. Try using no more flour than is necessary to prevent your pizza from sticking.
You can also try using special peels with holes that can be perforated. By doing this, you can prevent the peel from adhering while allowing any leftover mixes to fall off and avoid burning the oven floor or pizza stone.
Too much sugar
A dough recipe with too much sugar can cause the crust to darken. If you are cooking at high heat, try cutting down on the sugar or eliminating it altogether.
Additionally, if you are using a wood-fired oven to make your pizza, sugar is not necessary. The crust will naturally brown sufficiently because of the intense heat.
Frozen dough
Pizza toppings may not cook as quickly as the crust if the dough is cold. This is particularly if the dough is thick.
Before stretching and cooking, you should take the dough out of the refrigerator for around 2 hours since it is often too cold when put in the oven.
Uncooked toppings
If your toppings aren’t cooking at the same rate as your base, you may need to alter them, so they cook more evenly. Therefore, your toppings will be ready, and the bottom of your pizza won’t burn.
Before adding any toppings to your pizza, you will want to cook them first. Try out different toppings until you discover a satisfying balance. To keep an eye on scorching during cooking, check your base often.
How do I avoid burnt pizza crust?
Use a Pizza Stone or Steel
Pizza stones and steels can help distribute heat evenly, producing a crispy crust without any burnt spots. Make sure to preheat the stone or steel for at least 30 minutes before putting the pizza on it.
Adjust the Oven Temperature
Most pizza recipes call for a high oven temperature, but if your crust is burning, try lowering the temperature slightly. This can help the pizza cook more evenly and reduce the chance of burnt crust.
Keep an Eye on the Pizza
While cooking, keep a close eye on the pizza to see if the crust is starting to brown too quickly. If it is, you can move the pizza to a lower rack or cover it with foil to slow down the cooking process.
Use a thicker crust
Thicker crusts take longer to cook, so they are less likely to burn. If you’re using a store-bought crust, look for one thicker or make your own using a bread dough recipe.
Don’t overload the pizza
Too many toppings can weigh down the crust, making it harder to cook evenly. Try to limit the number of toppings you add or spread them out evenly so the heat can circulate more effectively.
Regulate time and temperature
Different baking techniques demand certain precautions. The perfect balance between baking the pizza’s top and bottom is the most crucial factor.
Use an infrared thermometer to monitor the temperature, as wood or gas-fired pizza ovens have a tendency to grow quite hot. Lift the pizza up toward the hot dome with your peel if the bottom is baking more quickly than the top.
Leaving pizza on a baking sheet in a home oven for too long is the most frequent cause of burned pizza. On the other hand, if you use a pizza stone or steel, you must balance the top and bottom baking, much like in a pizza oven.
The primary difficulty in grilling pizza is that the heat source is underneath the pizza. The bottom bakes considerably more quickly as a consequence. Utilising indirect heat and sealing the lid to capture as much heat as possible that may bake the top is the best approach to handle this. The pizza will bake more quickly on top if you bake one side, burn it, then top it before baking the other.
Select the proper dough type
In order to avoid burnt pizza, oil, and sugar should be fully eliminated from your dough. Sugar will caramelise and burn at a relatively low temperature, whereas oil will lead to heat, baking the pizza more quickly.
Avoid using cold pizza dough
If the dough is cold, the starch will burn more quickly. Additionally, it will produce a measles-like pattern. So, before you start making your pizza, let the pizza dough sit out at room temperature for at least two to three hours.
Conclusion
In general, you should strive to cook pizza at good and even temperatures. One side of the pizza will cook more quickly than the other if there is excessive heat coming from above or below.
Avoiding a burnt pizza crust is relatively simple with the right techniques. We hope our guide on how to avoid burnt pizza, you can enjoy a delicious and perfectly cooked pizza every time.
