What to Bake on a Steel

A baking steel does more than make exceptional pizza. Its ability to heat quickly and retain that heat transforms everything from blistered naan to flaky-bottomed pie.

Pocket Pita Bread

When thin pita dough meets a blistering surface, the interior moisture turns to steam, pung the bread before the crust can set. That demands heat both ferocious and unflagging—the steel’s specialty. Its thermal mass holds temperature steady, enabling that dramatic puff, batch after batch. The result is soft, pliable pitas perfect for wrapping souvlaki or chasing a swipe of tzatziki.

Chocolate Chess Pie

This crisp-bottomed Chocolate Chess Pie as inspired by Rose Levy Beranbaum a Bake from Scratch contributing editor and author of The Cake Bible. During a test kitchen visit for her new memoir, Rose baked a pie on a baking steel to achieve an exceptionally crisp bottom crust—a simple technique our team couldn’t wait to try.

Naan with Garlic-Green Onion Butter

Naan’s signature blistered crust comes from brutal direct heat. A tandoor runs as hot as 900°F (482°C), charring the naan in minutes. A steel preheated for a full hour banks enough fierce heat to mimic the tandoor wall convincingly, creating a fast, dramatic rise. Yogurt tenderizes and clarified butter keeps everything supple.