How to season a pizza steel in the oven – step by step
Time: about 150 min
Your pizza steel comes ready-seasoned, but after steel wool, acidic ingredients or a rust spot the surface may need building up again. It is easy to do in an ordinary oven.
Short answer
Clean the pizza steel and let it dry completely. Wipe a thin, even coat of neutral cooking oil over the whole surface and remove any excess with kitchen paper. Put the steel in a cold oven, heat to 250 °C and leave it there for one hour. Then switch off the oven and let the steel cool inside before taking it out. The steel darkens while seasoning, which is natural.
What you need
- Carbon steel baking/pizza steel
- Neutral cooking oil
- Kitchen paper
- Oven
- Oven gloves
How to do it
- Make sure the steel is clean and drySeasoning has to be done on a clean, dry steel. If you have scrubbed off burnt-on food or rust with steel wool, rinse away all the dust with hot water and dry thoroughly.
- Wipe on a thin coat of oilCoat the entire surface of the steel with a thin, even layer of neutral cooking oil. Do not forget the edges.
- Wipe off the excessGo over the surface with clean kitchen paper until it looks only slightly glossy. A thick coat can turn sticky instead of hard and even.
- Put it in a cold oven and heat to 250 °CPlace the steel in the oven while it is still cold, then heat it to 250 °C. Make sure the kitchen is well ventilated, as it may smoke a little.
- Leave it for one hourLeave the steel in the oven for one hour at 250 °C. During that time the new surface forms and the steel turns darker.
- Let it cool in the ovenSwitch off the oven and let the steel cool inside before you handle it. It is then ready for your next bake.
Common mistakes
- Applying too much oil, which leaves the surface sticky and blotchy.
- Putting the steel into an oven that is already hot instead of heating it up with the oven.
- Oiling a steel that is still damp or has food residue on it.
- Taking the steel out straight after the hour instead of letting it cool in the oven.
What happens in the oven
When a thin film of oil is heated on carbon steel, it forms a hard, dark layer that protects the steel and gives it an easy-release surface. A thin coat turns even and durable, while a thick one easily goes sticky. Heating and cooling the steel together with the oven also keeps temperature changes gentle for the thick steel.
FAQ
When does a pizza steel need re-seasoning?
The steel comes ready-seasoned, so it is only needed when the surface has been damaged – for example after cleaning with steel wool, after acidic ingredients or if it has started to rust.
Which oil should I use?
A neutral cooking oil. Kockums seasons its steels with Swedish vegetable oils.
Can I season the pizza steel on the barbecue instead?
Yes. Place the steel on the hot barbecue, apply a thin coat of neutral oil with a cloth held in tongs, and repeat until the surface is black again. Keep a close eye on it and let the steel cool on the barbecue.
The surface looks patchy – did I do something wrong?
No, a slightly patchy surface is normal after seasoning. As you use the steel, the surface builds up and evens out.
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