Pizza has grown to become a cultural food outside of its home of origin in many parts of the world, such as NYC and Chicago, which are both famous for their unique pizza that is unlike any other in the world. It's no surprise that people are serious about these cheesy dishes, and many people prefer to make their own.
If you are someone who prefers to make their food and you are looking to create your own slice of perfection, then you're going to need the right set of tools to build your pizza. Today, we will be looking at some of the must-have pizza-making tools that you'll need in your kitchen.
8 Pizza-Making Tools for a Homemade Pizza
1. Kitchen Scale
When it comes to preparing and baking bread dough of any kind, it's essential to get a scale that is sizable and accurate. Accuracy is particularly important as pizza dough can end up being quite stretchy, so you can't always just gauge it by eye unless you're experienced.
Other features you'll want to look out for is the ability to switch measurements, adequate upper weight limits, and a large surface area or bowl that won't get in your way but can still hold the dough appropriately.
2. Dough Scraper
Dough scrapers are important tools for any baker but are featured prominently in pizza making. You'll definitely want one as it makes manipulating and preparing the pizza dough much more manageable than just with your hands. You can use it to move, slice, and separate dough, or even as a spatula.
This is a handy tool to keep around. It is a must-have when working with more slack doughs, but it is excellent for other kitchen uses, as well. It's perfect for scraping up smaller bits of dough from the cutting board, and it can be used for general cleaning up thanks to its thinness and use as a scraper.
3. Pizza Dough Roller
Rolling dough can be a tedious activity and can take a long time when you aren't experienced. Even if you don't mind the repetitive, sometimes strenuous work, there are still other complications, such as the dough sticking to surfaces too much or it being too thick, thin, or uneven.
Pizza dough rollers are something you might want to invest in, as these tools can help you roll out large amounts of dough in a fraction of the time. Restaurants and pizza bakeries use them a lot of the time to keep up with their many orders.
4. Pizza Oven/Maker
Many would argue that it wouldn't be authentic pizza if you didn't use a proper pizza oven or pizza maker. These come in various shapes and sizes, but they all stick to a few key features that you should be looking for. The stone of the pizza oven retains heat very well, which means you can keep baking pizza after pizza.
One of the trademarks of a pizza oven is that it keeps temperatures incredibly high for long periods of time, so you can slide a pizza in and let it bake more distinctly. Pizza ovens will leave your pizza with a comparatively larger crust, caramelization, and a moist interior. It's key to making a good pizza.
5. Pizza Peel
Pizza peels are companion tools to your pizza oven, and we strongly suggest that you get two pizza peels. Pizza peels are used to transfer pizza in and out of the pizza oven, which often has a large space between the opening and where the pizza rests while baking. The reason why we recommend getting two is that they come in two varieties - wooden and metal.
Wooden peels are better for getting the pizza into the oven. The rougher surface makes it easier for the pizza to slide off, as it holds the flour dusting easier and is more difficult for the dough to bond with. However, it's far too thin for getting the pizza out of the oven, which is what the metal peel is for, as it is thin and flexible. However, it is also too smooth for getting a pizza into the oven.
6. Pizza Stone or Pizza Pan
The pizza stone and pizza pan fulfill the same role of facilitating a "pizza holder" during the baking process. You would mainly use one of these when you aren't using a pizza oven, as the stone and pan are used to help get a pizza baked in the regular oven as close as possible to one baked in a pizza oven.
With a stone, you preheat the stone in the oven while you build the pizza and then transfer the built pizza onto the hot stone to simulate the hot pizza oven's baking process. With a pan, you create the pizza in the pan and bake the pizza in the pan in the oven.
7. Pizza Cutter
Up until now, everything we've spoken about has been about prepping the pizza and ensuring a good bake, but once you've got your pizza, you need to make sure that you can serve it well.
Pizza cutters, which may seem redundant if you have a knife, are iconic. They have been used for years, and they are incredibly helpful in the slicing process, as they are designed specifically for that purpose.
8. Pizza Seasoning Kit
Pizza gets much of its iconic taste from its distinct seasoning. Many people argue that a margherita pizza is just a basic cheese pizza that doesn't have much going for it, but it's the blend of spices that make it unique. If you're serious about your pizza making and want to start making a professional-standard pizza, you'll need to learn the spices and herbs that go into the pizza spice blend.
You'll need things like oregano, basil, garlic powder, thyme, dried onion flakes, fennel, and ground black pepper. These are a few of the more common ingredients, but a proper pizza seasoning kit will have all of this and more, so you can make appropriate seasoning that will add that finishing touch of flavor to complete any pizza dish.