Topic of the Issue: Pizza Pans
By Tom Boyles | PMQ Staff

Pizza pans…it’s not something you think a lot about, but maybe you should. Not all pans are created equal. Depending on the type of crust you want, the dough and the materials the pans are made from, there are many factors that go into the decision. In this article we will try to address the differences and show you how the possibility of a different pan can make a different pizza.

In a conveyor oven, in which each pizza spends the same amount of baking time, the amount of metal between the pizza and the heat source determines the doneness of the finished pizza. The more metal in the pan, the less heat that will reach the pizza within a given time. Thus, in a conveyor oven a “longerbaking” pizza would require a thinner and/or more porous pan. The main variables involved in this aspect of pans and disks include the thickness (gauge) of the metal and the size and frequency of perforations (the surface-to-air ratio). A pan’s shape, colour, configuration, and material of construction are less critical factors.

Thickness or Gauge
Pizza pans and disks are typically available in three thicknesses. These include 14 gauge (heavy), 16 gauge (light), and 18 gauge (extra-light). Again, the thinner the pan, the more heat that will be transmitted to the pizza and the faster it will bake within a given time.

Degree of Perforation
Solid-bottom, un-perforated pans are best for very moist doughs and for pizzas requiring oil in the pan to achieve a fried-crust characteristic. Because the pan has a solid bottom, it would require a longer bake time than a perforated pan in order to achieve the same degree of doneness of the pizza. At the other end of the baking-time spectrum are perforated pans and disks. These have the same fast baking characteristics as screens (discussed later), but are more durable, easier to clean. These pans and disks are available in a variety of surface-to-air ratios. A pattern of 60% surface to 40% air is perfect for baking thin-crust pizzas hot and fast. For thicker crusted pizzas, a surface/air ratio of 70/30 or 80/20 might be more suitable, depending on the type of dough, its firmness and thickness. Ultimately, the type of crust desired will drive the decision as to which product is required to achieve it.

Types of Pizza Pans and Disks
In the past, screens were often used as the surface on which pizzas were baked. A screen is a metal mesh which affords even air flow, high heat transfer, and a low price. However, under normal commercial conditions they last only a fraction as long as disks and pans. Screens can trap food within their tight mesh making them hard to clean and they are easily damaged. On the other hand, metal pans and disks are durable, easily washable and available in configurations appropriate for almost any pizza, from heavily loaded, thick-crust styles to delicate dessert pizzas. As a result, use of pans and disks has become the industry standard and pizza screen applications have declined. A pan or disk, by common definition, is a flat metal surface on which a pizza spends its time in the oven. Pans have raised sides or edges while disks do not. Pans and disks come in a broad range of configurations and shapes.

Disks
Because of their durability and ease of cleaning, disks are a better alternative to screens. Two basic styles of disks are available. The first is a flat, die-cut piece of metal while the second has a small, underlapping edge which serves to increase durability of the edge as well as to slightly raise the disk from the baking surface of the oven. Either of these styles can be obtained in various perforation patterns (or unperforated) and in different metal thicknesses. Whatever type of pans or disks are used, it should be kept in mind that dark, or black coloured pans and disks will exhibit faster baking properties with much better bottom colour development than bright, or silver coloured pans and disks.

Pans
A wide assortment of pan styles is available for various pizza applications. As with disks, these pans can be obtained in different metal thicknesses and in a variety of perforation patterns.
• Baking Trays: Baking trays are formed with a low-rising, flared side. This makes them easy to remove from the oven with simple oven mitts or a peel.
• Cutter Pans: Cutter pans have raised sides but no rim. This allows for both rolling and trimming the dough inside the pan.
• Flat Rim Pans: The flat rims on the sides of these pans not only keep the edges from becoming sharp, but also serve to prevent bending or warping.
• Nesting Pans: Designed with sides that angle out slightly, these pans easily nest inside each other when empty. Thus, they require less storage space. When filled with pizzas, separator disks or lids are required to allow the pans to be stacked one on top of another.
• Stacking Pans: These pans are designed with an indentation all the way around near the bottom of the pan. This allows the pans to partially nest (approximately 1.3 to 1.8 cm) within each other. Thus, these pans can be stacked dozens high without a need for lids or separator disks between the pans.
• Straight-Sided Pans: A straight–sided pan has a side that is perpendicular to the flat bottom of the pan. The sides do not angle outward, and as a result, these pans cannot be stacked or nested within each other.
• Deep-Dish Pans: Because of the thickness of their doughs, deep-dish pizzas require pans that have high sides.

Customized Pans
Economies of scale allow larger pizza chains to order custom designed and manufactured products. These can be of various shapes, including round, square, or rectangular. Pans with welded seams can be tailored to exact dimensions and shapes. Noncustomized seamless pans are less expensive because they are less labor-intensive to manufacture; however, the pizza maker’s creativity is limited to the more common pan shapes and sizes. Customized pans may have sides that are straight (perpendicular to the bottom) or angled, and the sides may have various types of rims or no rim at all.

Pan Rims
The sides of a pizza pan can be manufactured with different types of rims and these rims can serve a variety of functions. With a straight, rimless pan (i.e., a cutter pan), dough can be laid on the pan and then cut perfectly into the pan by running a rolling pin over it. In this way, the edge serves as a cutter. Unfortunately, this can also be a disadvantage since over time successive rolling can actually sharpen the edge of the pan making it a hazard to the user. A flatrimmed pan can also serve as a cutting surface and it does not become sharpened over time. The flat rim also makes the pan less prone to bending than the rimless variety. Flat-rimmed pans work well for par-baked and thin-crust pizzas. A round-rimmed pan, while less efficient as a cutting aid, is easier to pick up than are the rimless or flat-rimmed types. The parallel style of rim serves the function of preventing the sauce from spilling off a crustless pizza. Pans with the pie style of rim resemble a dish, and the broad, sturdy lip is easy to pick up with an oven mitt.

Aluminum pans have all but totally replaced steel pans because of their excellent durability. A dark anodized finish on the pans/disks means that they don’t need to be seasoned with oil as the bright coloured pans do. This is a real bonus for the operators as it allows the pans to be washed as needed without fear of damaging the baked on seasoned finish. If a baked on seasoned finish is damaged due to soaking in water, for any length of time, it begins coming off like a bad sun burn peels, and this just keeps getting into the finished pizzas resulting in the need to completely strip the finish from the pan(s) and re-season the pan(s) all over again. This usually results in some pans being darker in colour than those which were just re-seasoned. The end result is a difference in bake time between pizzas baked in the older, seasoned (darker coloured) pans and those which were just re-seasoned.

The latest advancement in pan finish is the ultra hard anodized coating, which is also a non-stick finish too. Pans made with this finish are highly resistant to surface damage such as scratching and abrasion, giving the pans excellent durability.

While the non-stick, dark coloured anodized finish, deep dish pans don’t need to be greased or oiled for baking, the application of a little shortening or oil into the pans will help to improve heat transfer from the pan to the dough, resulting in a shorter bake time, more uniformly baked bottom crust and colour, and most importantly, a crispier bottom crust

Just recently Lloyd Pans (www.pizzatools.com) has introduced some new pizza disks. One is called the Hearth Bake Disk. This disk is designed to be used with the newest generation of high efficiency air impingement ovens, where temperatures as high as 241 to 260C are utilized with this disk to produce a pizza that is the equal of any pizza baked in a deck oven, while still retaining the advantages of being baked in an air impingement oven. Those advantages are faster bake times, typically in the 5-minute range for both thin and thick crust pizzas, drier tops when the pizzas are loaded with vegetable toppings, and excellent bake consistency.

The other new introduction is what is called the Hex Disk. This is a round disk, with hexagon shaped holes in it. The hex holes provide superior strength to the disk, while allowing for as much as 50% air surface to the disk. This means that the disk will perform similarly to a conventional wire baking screen, but it doesn’t need to be seasoned, it has a non-stick finish, and it offers a significant improvement in durability over the screens. These new, Hex disks are especially useful in the reheating of pizza slices as they allow for rapid heating of the slice, and any topping or cheese spillage onto the disk comes right off after baking.

As you can see, there is more to pans than meets the eye. If you still have questions about the pans you use, give Mario Rosolini at Murdock Metal Spinners a call at 03 9544 4285. He’ll be glad to help you.

PMQ’s Pizza Australia would like to thank the following people with their assistance in collecting information for this article: Lyn and Mario Rosolini at Murdock Metal Spinners, Tom Lehmann with AIB, and Paul Tiffany and John Crowe at Lloyd Industries.