Superheating the Steel

Most home ovens can reach a maximum temperature of 550°F (285°C). With a preheated baking steel, that’s plenty hot for many pizza styles. But select pizzas, including our Neapolitan recipes, benefit from a boost of added heat to achieve their full effect. Superheating your baking steel to 625°F (330°C) or greater makes a world of difference in the finished pizza. Following these steps can take the surface of your steel from 550°F (285°C) to 625°F (330°C) or more:

1. Place your oven rack in its top position and place the baking steel on it so that the steel is about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) below the oven’s broiler elements.
2. Set the oven to bake at 550°F (285°C) and preheat the steel for at least 45 minutes.
3. At the appointed time in a given recipe, switch the oven to its broil setting on high for at least 4 minutes.