Here is a list of the equipment I personally use to create my homemade pizzas in my home oven:
- Kitchen scale (0.1g precision)
- Kitchen scale (0.001g precision)
- Stand Mixer with dough hook (Kitchenaid)
- Coarse or Extra Coarse cheese grater
- IR thermometer
- Baking “steel” 18 inches x 18 inches x 3/4 inch 6061 aluminum plate, machined and hard anodized (comparable in performance to 1/2 inch thick steel)
- Food mill (medium plate)
- 96 oz dough pans
- Wooden pizza peels
- Turning peel
- Electric range oven with upper broiler element
Note: You don’t need all of this to get started. This is simply the gear I use in my own workflow, built up over time as I refined my process. The one thing that is essential is a good kitchen scale because accuracy and consistency depend on weighing every ingredient. Start with the basics, learn the technique, and add equipment only when it actually helps your results.
Baking Steel Suggestions:
If you’re serious about pizza making, bake on steel. Don’t waste money on commercial stones or pans. Most off‑the‑shelf steels are thin at about ¼ inch and only 14 to 16 inches wide, which limits you to smaller pies and weaker heat retention.
For a real pizza baking setup, go custom. Call a local steel supplier and ask for an A36 plate cut as thick and as large as your oven can handle. If your oven can fit an 18‑inch square at 3/8 or even 1/2 inch thick, you’ll end up with a serious baking surface. It’ll be heavy, but the thermal mass and performance are worth it.
A36 steel notes:
- It’s mild carbon steel, same as most commercial baking steels and restaurant griddles food safe when prepped.
- Prep: Remove mill scale/rust (vinegar soak 24–48 hrs + scrub, or sand), season with high-smoke oil (flaxseed/canola/etc.), bake 450–500°F for 1 hr, repeat 2–3x.
Thickness picks:
- ¼”: Heats fast, lighter, but drops temp quicker. Only making one pizza before having to reheat for 20-30 min.
- 3/8″: Sweet spot great heat hold, consistent bakes, faster recovery time.
- ½”: Beast mode thermal mass, but heavy AF, longer preheat, can bake multiple pizzas back to back with minimal reheat time.
