Topic: special pizza screen help

[jmv]

I am in the process of opening my first pizza place, I used to work for a place in ny that had a special kind of screen. Its not like the aluminum mesh lath ones commonly avaliable. The screen was black in color and was textured like a window screen it was flexable, it wasnt see through. It was almost like a roofing shingle. When they wore out they would be gold in color. Does anyone know what type of screen I am talking about. All the resturant supply place dont know what they are and I can find them online?? I have seen them in other places PLEASE HELP

 

[The_Fat_Boy]

you might try PizzaTools.com they have alot of stuff

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

That doesn’t sound good at all, that is the part about them changing from black to gold as they wore out. Sounds like the finish is coming off, and going where??
If you want to bake on a screen, without all of the problems associated with a mesh screen, get a sample of the Hex Disk from Lloyd Pans <www.lloydpans.com> They never need seasoning, they will wipe clean with a bar towel, there is nothing to break on them, they are totally non-stick, and best of all, unless you flod them in half, they’ll last forever.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[jmv]

My concern is the texture on the bottom of my pizza i dont want my pizza to rise into the mesh lath and be bumpy on the bottom personaly i think it kills the whole pie any sugestions

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

The Hex Disk will address those concerns. As there is less possibility of that happening withthe Hex Disk than with the mesh of a regular wire mesh baking screen screen. It all has to do with the design of the disk. Once you see one, you will understand why.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[jmv]

Does anyone make a non perforated pizza screen, what effect would this have on a finished product.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

JMV;
Sure, but they don’t call them screens, when they don’t have the holes, they just refer to them as “baking disks”. The solid baking pan will slow down the heat transfer to the bottom of the pizza making for a gentler bottom bake. One thing that you can also do with a solid baking disk is to put oil/fat in/on the disk to achieve somewhat of a fried bottom crust effect. They are connonly used when you want to allow for some dough proofing time between panning the dough and baking it. If you were to use a screen, the dough would have a tendency to flow into the screen openings, and when baked, lock into onto the screen, making it impossible to remove the pizza from the screen without destroying the pizza.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[thepizza]

I am personally not a fan of Lloyd Pans / Pizza Tools disks for any type of a deck oven. They do a great job in a conveyor, but a horrible job in a deck oven. They all leave a raised “bump” regardless of the type, I blown way too much money trying every kind they have and have the same results with all. They also warp badly as you bake on them in a deck oven. A good old mesh screen will not leave any bumps or texture to the bottom of the pizza, are much cheaper and you don’t have to worry about cleaning them every night like the others.