"Best way to make pizza at home. Hands down." — Bart

The Original Pizza Steel. Ridiculously good crust in 5-7 minutes.

The Baking Steel® Original arrives pre-seasoned and ready to use — no homework required. A 1/4-inch-thick, 15-pound slab of solid carbon steel that turns your home oven into a high-heat pizza oven. Steel conducts heat 18x faster than ceramic, giving you blistered crusts, incredible oven spring, and a crisp bottom in under 7 minutes.

Perfect For:

Home pizza makers who want pizzeria-quality crusts in 5–7 minutes
Bread bakers looking for bakery-level oven spring without a Dutch oven
Anyone upgrading from a cracked pizza stone or flimsy baking sheet
Grill cooks who want restaurant-quality pizza on gas or charcoal
Stovetop griddle users — flip it over for smashburgers, pancakes, quesadillas, and grilled cheese (works on gas, electric, and induction)

Why Is a Baking Steel Better Than a Pizza Stone?

Steel conducts heat 18 times more effectively than ceramic. That means faster bake times, better oven spring, and crispier crusts, every time. Pizza stones crack and lose heat after the first bake. The Baking Steel is virtually indestructible, holds intense heat across the entire surface, and bakes multiple pizzas back-to-back with zero performance drop. It's not a comparison, it's a different category. Read the full breakdown →

What Can I Make With a Baking Steel?

Pizza: Neapolitan, New York, Detroit, bar-style, frozen — the Steel handles every style. Blistered crusts, chewy centers, perfectly melted cheese in under 7 minutes.

Bread: Sourdough, no-knead, baguettes, focaccia, English muffins. The thermal mass gives you incredible oven spring that rivals professional bakeries — no Dutch oven needed.

Everything else: Cookies, pastries, roasted vegetables, pies with crispy bottoms. Flip it over on your stovetop or grill for smashburgers, pancakes, seared steaks, and grilled cheese.

How Do I Use a Baking Steel?

Place it on the upper rack of your oven. Preheat for 45–60 minutes at 500–550°F. Launch your pizza and bake for 5–7 minutes. That's it. For the full step-by-step method with broiler tips and rack placement, read our complete guide →

Product Specifications

Dimensions: 16" x 14"
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, free shipping in contiguous USA

What's Included

1x Baking Steel Original (16" x 14")
Care instructions
Access to our recipe library and free live online cooking classes

Complete Your Setup

Pair your Baking Steel with our dough containers for perfect cold fermentation, and our 14-inch cherry wood pizza peel for easy launching and serving. Everything works seamlessly together for effortless pizza nights.

The Steel is Half the Equation. Here's the Other Half.

The most common question I get after someone buys the Baking Steel: "What about the dough?"

After 13 years of teaching home pizza, I built the answer. The 72-Hour Pizza Dough Mix uses the same recipe I've made tens of thousands of time, Central Milling organic flour, pre-measured, pre-portioned. Just add water. No scale, no recipe to follow, no guesswork.

The hydration level and fermentation time are calibrated specifically for a Baking Steel bake. When the dough has fermented 72 hours and hits a steel that's been preheating for 45 minutes at 550°F, the crust blisters in under 6 minutes. That's not an accident — that's what the recipe was designed for.

One pack makes 4 pizzas. Shelf stable. Ships with your steel or separately.

→ Add the 72-Hour Dough Mix — $29

The Original. The Legend.

This is the Baking Steel that started it all. Invented by Andris Lagsdin and launched on Kickstarter in 2012, 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. Built to last a lifetime.

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 2012 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 $129?

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?

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 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 Mini 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 handles extremely high grill 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 to launch your pizza onto the hot steel. We recommend our 14" cherry wood pizza peel. A dough container helps with fermentation, and our Cleaning Bricks make maintenance easy. But you can start making great pizza with just the Baking Steel and a cutting board as a makeshift peel.

Is the Baking Steel safe to use?

Yes. The Baking Steel is 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.

Pizza Starter Kit

The 14" Pizza Peel – Cherry Wood

Baking Steel Dough Container – 5L Cold Proofing Box

Baking Steel Cleaning Bricks Made of Pumice Stone

Baking Steel Pizza Rocker 12" Blade with Walnut Handles

Baking Steel® Original — 1/4" Thick Pizza Steel