The Baking Steel Original

An even, consistent heat is the key to better baking. That's why we love the Baking Steel, a ¼-inch-thick pre-seasoned sheet of carbon steel that sits on your oven rack to help speed baking times, promote even browning and produce perfectly crisp bottoms. Though similar in principle to a ceramic baking stone, the Baking Steel's thermal conductivity is 18 times greater, meaning it absorbs and regulates heat better, mitigating temperature fluctuations. We use it regularly in the Milk Street kitchen and are constantly impressed by the brick oven-caliber bubbling and charring it gives pizzas, the thick, crispy crust it creates on loaves of bread and the faster bake time when cooking quiche. It also turns out evenly golden, chewy chocolate chip cookies and well-cooked pie crusts without a blind bake. And when the summer heat is too much for an oven, you can transfer your baking steel to the grill for even more perfectly charred pizzas and flatbreads.