Baking Steel Original - 1/4" Thick Pizza Steel (16"x14")
The Best Way to Make Restaurant-Quality Pizza at Home
The Baking Steel Original is the answer to perfect homemade pizza. Invented by Andris Lagsdin in 2011, this is the original pizza steel that revolutionized home pizza-making and set the standard for crispy, blistered, pizzeria-quality crusts.
✅ Perfect For:
- Home pizza enthusiasts who want pizzeria-quality crusts in 5-7 minutes
- Bread bakers looking for bakery-level oven spring and crispy crusts
- Anyone upgrading from a cracked pizza stone or flimsy baking sheet
- Grill masters who want restaurant-quality results on gas or charcoal grills
- Multi-taskers who want one tool for pizza, bread, cookies, and stovetop griddle cooking.
Why the Baking Steel is Better Than a Pizza Stone
The Baking Steel conducts heat 20 times more effectively than traditional ceramic pizza stones, creating results that are impossible to achieve with stone. The ultra-high heat conductivity produces incredible oven spring, a perfectly blistered crust with leopard spotting, and a crispy bottom in just 5-7 minutes. Unlike ceramic stones that crack and break, the Baking Steel is virtually indestructible and will last a lifetime.
What You Get
The Baking Steel Original is a 1/4-inch thick, 15-pound solid carbon steel slab (16" x 14") that transforms your standard home oven into a high-performance pizza oven. It comes pre-seasoned and ready to use right out of the box. Made in the USA from solid carbon steel, it's engineered to deliver professional results at home.
Is a Baking Steel Worth It?
If you want pizzeria-quality pizza at home, yes. The Baking Steel is a one-time investment that replaces pizza stones, baking sheets, and griddles. At $129, it pays for itself after just a few homemade pizza nights compared to takeout or dining out. It will last a lifetime with minimal care, making it the most cost-effective way to achieve restaurant-quality results at home.
What Can You Make With a Baking Steel?
The Baking Steel is incredibly versatile. Use it for fresh or frozen pizza, artisan bread, sourdough loaves, English muffins, pastries, flatbreads, roasted vegetables, and more. Flip it over and use it as a stovetop griddle for smashburgers, pancakes, quesadillas, and grilled cheese. It works in your oven, on the grill, or on the stovetop.
🍕 Perfect for Pizza Lovers
If you want pizzeria-quality results at home, this is where it begins. The Baking Steel Original transforms your home oven into a high-performance pizza oven, letting you create blistered crusts, chewy centers, and perfectly melted cheese every time. Whether you're making Neapolitan, New York-style, or Detroit-style pizza, the Baking Steel delivers consistent, professional results.
🥖 Perfect for Bread Bakers
Love baking bread? The Baking Steel produces incredible oven spring and blistered crusts that rival professional bakeries. Use it to bake sourdough, no-knead bread, baguettes, focaccia, and more. You can bake multiple loaves at once and achieve bakery-level results in your own kitchen without a Dutch oven.
How to Use a Baking Steel
Using a Baking Steel is simple. Place it on the middle or upper rack of your oven and preheat for 45-60 minutes at your highest temperature (usually 500-550°F). Launch your pizza onto the preheated steel and bake for 5-7 minutes. For bread, preheat the steel and bake according to your recipe. The steel retains and radiates heat evenly, creating perfect crusts every time.
Do You Need to Season a Baking Steel?
The Baking Steel comes pre-seasoned and ready to use. Over time, you may want to re-season it by applying a thin coat of flaxseed oil or vegetable oil and baking it at 500°F for one hour. This maintains the non-stick surface and prevents rust. Seasoning is easy and only needs to be done occasionally.
How to Clean a Baking Steel
Cleaning is simple. After the steel cools, wipe it down with a damp cloth or paper towel. For stuck-on food or surface rust, use our Cleaning Bricks to gently scrub the surface. Mild soap is okay if needed. Dry thoroughly before storing and apply a light coat of oil to maintain seasoning.
Can You Leave a Baking Steel in the Oven?
Yes! Many home bakers leave their Baking Steel in the oven permanently. It acts as a heat stabilizer, helping your oven maintain consistent temperatures and improving overall baking performance. Just remove it if you need the oven space for large roasts or casseroles.
📏 Product Specifications
- Dimensions: 16 inches x 14 inches
- Thickness: 1/4 inch (6.35mm)
- Weight: 15 pounds
- Material: Solid carbon steel, pre-seasoned
- Made in: USA
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty against defects
- Ships: Within 1-2 business days
What's Included
- 1x Baking Steel Original (16" x 14")
- Care instructions
- Access to our recipe library and free live online cooking classes
🛠 Perfect Pairings
Pair your Baking Steel with our dough containers for perfect pizza dough fermentation, and our 14-inch pizza peel for easy launching. Everything works seamlessly together for effortless pizza nights.
The Original. The Legend.
This is the Baking Steel that started it all. Invented by Andris Lagsdin and launched on Kickstarter in 2011, the Baking Steel Original set the standard for home pizza-making and inspired a movement. Every Baking Steel is cut, finished, and seasoned in the USA. It's built to last a lifetime and backed by our warranty.
Order the Baking Steel Original today and make pizza night unforgettable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Baking Steel?
A Baking Steel is a thick slab of solid carbon steel designed for baking pizza and bread at home. It conducts heat 20 times more effectively than ceramic pizza stones, creating restaurant-quality crusts with incredible oven spring and a crispy, blistered bottom. The Baking Steel Original was invented by Andris Lagsdin in 2011 and is the original pizza steel that revolutionized home baking.
Is a Baking Steel better than a pizza stone?
Yes. A Baking Steel conducts heat 20 times more effectively than ceramic pizza stones, which means faster cooking times, better oven spring, and crispier crusts. Pizza stones are prone to cracking and breaking, while a Baking Steel is virtually indestructible and will last a lifetime. The Baking Steel also works as a stovetop griddle, making it far more versatile than a stone.
Is a Baking Steel worth the money?
Absolutely. At $129, the Baking Steel is a one-time investment that replaces pizza stones, baking sheets, and griddles. It pays for itself after just a few homemade pizza nights compared to takeout or dining out (typically $15-25 per pizza). With proper care, it will last a lifetime, making it the most cost-effective way to achieve professional-quality pizza and bread at home.
Do I need to season my Baking Steel?
The Baking Steel comes pre-seasoned and ready to use right out of the box. Over time, you may want to re-season it to maintain the non-stick surface. Simply apply a thin coat of flaxseed oil or vegetable oil and bake at 500°F for one hour. This is only needed occasionally, typically once or twice a year depending on use.
How do I clean a Baking Steel?
Cleaning is simple. After the steel cools, wipe it down with a damp cloth or paper towel. For stuck-on food or surface rust, use our Cleaning Bricks to gently scrub the surface. Mild soap is okay if needed. Dry thoroughly before storing and apply a light coat of oil to maintain seasoning. Never put it in the dishwasher.
Will a Baking Steel fit in my oven?
The Baking Steel Original measures 16" x 14", which fits comfortably in most standard home ovens. It's designed to sit on the middle or upper rack with space around the edges for air circulation. If you have a smaller oven or need a different size, we also offer the Baking Steel Pro (18" x 14") and other sizes.
Can I leave my Baking Steel in the oven all the time?
Yes! Many home bakers leave their Baking Steel in the oven permanently. It acts as a heat stabilizer, helping your oven maintain consistent temperatures and improving overall baking performance. Just remove it if you need the oven space for large roasts or casseroles. Leaving it in the oven also protects it from rust.
How long does it take to preheat a Baking Steel?
Preheat your Baking Steel for 45-60 minutes at your oven's highest temperature (usually 500-550°F). This ensures the steel is fully saturated with heat and ready to create that perfect crispy crust. For bread baking, 30-45 minutes is usually sufficient.
Can I use a Baking Steel on the grill?
Yes! The Baking Steel works beautifully on gas or charcoal grills. Preheat it on the grill for 30-45 minutes, then use it to bake pizza, bread, or flatbreads. You can also use it as a griddle surface for burgers, vegetables, and more. The steel can handle extremely high temperatures without warping.
What can I make with a Baking Steel besides pizza?
The Baking Steel is incredibly versatile. Use it for artisan bread, sourdough, no-knead bread, English muffins, bagels, baguettes, focaccia, pastries, cookies, roasted vegetables, and more. Flip it over and use it as a stovetop griddle for smashburgers, pancakes, quesadillas, grilled cheese, and bacon. It replaces multiple kitchen tools.
How long will a Baking Steel last?
With proper care, a Baking Steel will last a lifetime. It's made from solid carbon steel and is virtually indestructible. Unlike ceramic pizza stones that crack and break, the Baking Steel can handle extreme temperature changes and heavy use. We back every Baking Steel with a lifetime warranty against defects.
Do I need any special tools to use a Baking Steel?
The only essential tool is a pizza peel (we recommend our 14" pizza peel) to launch your pizza onto the hot steel. A dough container helps with fermentation, and our Cleaning Bricks make maintenance easy. But technically, you can start making great pizza with just the Baking Steel and a cutting board or flat baking sheet as a makeshift peel.
Is the Baking Steel safe to use?
Yes, the Baking Steel is completely safe. It's made from food-grade carbon steel with no coatings, chemicals, or non-stick surfaces. The pre-seasoning is done with organic flaxseed oil. Carbon steel has been used in professional kitchens for centuries and is one of the safest cooking surfaces available.
Can I use a Baking Steel for frozen pizza?
Absolutely! The Baking Steel transforms frozen pizza into something that tastes homemade. Preheat the steel as usual, then place your frozen pizza directly on it. The high heat conductivity creates a crispy bottom crust that's impossible to achieve on a baking sheet. Frozen pizzas typically cook 2-3 minutes faster on a Baking Steel.
Where is the Baking Steel made?
Every Baking Steel is made in the USA. We source our steel domestically and every unit is cut, finished, and seasoned right here in America. We're proud to support American manufacturing and maintain the highest quality standards.
We offer free shipping on all orders in the contiguous United States.
As part of Baking Steel's quality policy, customer satisfaction is essential to our business. We will do anything (well, almost) to ensure you are thrilled with your product. If you're not happy, neither are we!
For any item that is found defective, you have a 30-day period (from when the order was shipped) to contact us for a replacement. This return policy applies to any item that is found to be defective in material or workmanship when put to normal household use and cared for according to instructions.
As for refunds, you have 30-days from when the order was shipped to receive a full refund on eligible merchandise. Merchandise must be unused, in the condition it was received and in the original packaging. Custom size Baking Steels are not eligible for returns/refunds. If your return falls within 30 days from when the order was shipped, we will provide you with a prepaid label for return shipping.
*We do not offer returns, refunds or exchanges on custom Baking Steels or used products due to health and safety. Custom orders are final sale.
Please note: Minor imperfections, surface markings and slight color variations are normal result of our hand seasoning process and will not effect the performance of your Baking Steel. For the Baking Steel patinas, these surface blemishes, imperfections will become unnoticeable as the product seasons with use.
All of our steels are American made, and finished to the highest quality by expert craftsmen.
The #1 rated steel
We use high-quality, carefully crafted steel that is specially designed to retain heat and create restaurant results at home. All of our steels are made in America.
Founded from passion
It all started with a passion for making the perfect pizza at home. After launching Baking Steel on Kickstarter, we were overwhelmed by audience demand and the Baking Steel company began.
How it works
How to use a baking steelUse your oven, grill, or stove to preheat your steel before cooking.
Bake your foodPizza only takes minutes on a Baking Steel.
Make cleanup easyImpress friends and family with restaurant quality pizza, made at home in just a few minutes.
