Must-Have Pizza Accessories For Delicious Pizza

Pizza is one of the most beloved dishes ever created, and the proof lies in how popular it is worldwide. There's nothing quite like sitting in an authentic Italian restaurant and breathing in the delicious aroma of garlic and fresh basil as you take a bite - or ordering a fresh, steaming slice from the streets of Chicago or New York.

Store-bought pizzas or pre-made dough just  doesn't seem to do the trick, which is why so many people try recreating that perfection back in their own homes. Luckily, with the right ingredients and a good recipe, it's possible. Pizza tools and accessories can make crafting that perfect pizza so much easier.

What Pizza Accessories Do You Need?

The right accessories can make all the difference when it comes to making pizza, from speeding up the process to ensuring you get your measurements just right. If you're a pizza enthusiast, here are some tools you need in your kitchen to take your pizza game up a notch.

Digital Scale

We've all heard the saying before - baking is a science, and cooking is an art. That’s why a digital scale is a must-have accessory for all baking purposes, giving you the precise measurements you need to create perfection. This is the same when it comes to making pizza dough.

Many online pizza recipes use measuring cups to divide their ingredients, but these tools don't always give you accurate measurements. If you’re using them, your baking may be falling flat. All the ingredients we include in our recipes (like our best pizza dough recipe) are measured in grams, which are much more accurate than cups. A good measuring scale will help you achieve the perfect hydration levels for your dough.
We recommend going for a digital scale, as this means you can measure everything in one bowl, saving time and equipment.

Pizza Stone

A pizza stone, otherwise known as a baking stone, is designed to get that nice, even bake throughout your pizza. This tool mimics the effects of cooking in indoor and outdoor pizza ovens. The stone actually absorbs the moisture released when cooking the pizza, resulting in a much crispier and more satisfying crust. It's a great way to get an authentic pizza without forking out endless dollars on a pizza oven.

Baking Steel

A baking or pizza steel is a much-needed game-changer when it comes to making the perfect pizza. This handy tool will give your pizza that golden, restaurant-quality, crisp crust. This is because, much like a stone, it distributes heat evenly across the bottom of the pizza. This gives you a crust that mimics what you'd get in a traditional wood-fired pizza oven.

Slide the steel into your home oven to heat up before it's time to bake. We recommend heating it up for at least 45 minutes to make sure it's piping hot for your pizza.

Pizza Peel

Pizza peels are used to easily slide pizza in and out of the oven. The point of this tool is ease and safety. It usually has a long handle so you don't have to get close to the scorching heat of the pizza oven and burn yourself. It also keeps all your toppings intact, stopping them from spilling over into the oven.

You can purchase both metal and wooden pizza peel options, depending on which one you prefer.

Cutting Board

If you like to cook, you probably already have one of these in your house. You need a cutting board to quickly prepare all those vegetables for your pizza toppings and protect your countertop.

Large Mixing Bowl

If you're making pizza from scratch, the main thing you need is a mixing bowl to combine all the ingredients for the dough. Although you'll eventually be turning the dough out onto the countertop to knead, you still need a container to mix the water, flour, yeast, and any other ingredients.

Bench Scraper

If you're in the habit of making dough, you definitely need a bench scraper. This tool cleans your work surface by scraping sticky dough easily off countertops or transferring it somewhere else. It also features a sharp blade designed to divide the dough into equal portions, which is great if you like to make multiple pizzas at once.
Bench scrapers come in different forms, but we recommend choosing one with measurement markings to get super-even dough balls.

Baking Sheet

Not ready to invest in a pizza steel? Luckily, you don't need all the best gadgets to make delicious pizza. A high-quality baking sheet is affordable, versatile, and will do just fine.

Look for one that can withstand those scorching hot temperatures you need to make pizza without warping and losing its shape.

One of the best things about a baking sheet is you can use it for all your other baked goods. It's also really easy to clean and store away, which makes it the perfect purchase if you're lacking kitchen space.

As a tip, you can always line your baking sheet with parchment paper. This little trick will stop your pizza dough from sticking to the sheet and make cleaning up afterward so much easier.

Pizza Cutter

A pizza cutter may not be an essential tool, but it definitely makes life easier - especially if you bake a lot of pizzas. Pizza cutters aren't just your average knife.

They're designed to easily and quickly slice through your pizza while keeping all your toppings intact. We've all been there - trying to cut a pizza up into even slices, just to end up dragging all the toppings off and leaving the tomato base behind.

Whether you're in the market for a traditional pizza cutter or a rocking blade, get clean, precise cuts without ruining your pizza every single time.

Cooking Thermometer

If you want to achieve the perfect pizza crust, you need the perfect temperature. A cooking thermometer is the best way to check the temperature of your oven or grill. This is important if you're choosing to make traditional Neapolitan pizzas, as achieving perfection with this pizza needs a high temperature.

A cooking thermometer can also help you determine when your dough is ready for proofing by making sure it’s the perfect temperature. We recommend kneading until the dough reaches 23 degrees c. This will ensure an even better rise, which will result in a tastier pizza. 

Stand Mixer and Dough Hook

Kneading dough traditionally by hand is satisfying, but if you're on the go or making a large batch of dough, you might not have time to stand around and knead by hand. That's where a stand mixer comes into the equation.

This tool will save you huge amounts of time and effort, mixing and kneading your dough for you while you get on with other things. It's also great if you're working with high-hydration doughs that might be a lot stickier than other types, which means they're harder to work with.

If you do a lot of baking in general, stand mixers are essential pieces of equipment that will speed up all processes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pizza Accessories

What Ovens Do Italians Use for Pizza?

If you're looking to replicate the delicious taste of traditional Italian pizzas, you might be wondering what ovens they use and if you can use your own home oven. Italians typically make their pizza in wood-fired ovens. This is because their pizzas, especially Neapolitan-style, need high temperatures to achieve that airy, crispy crust and perfectly melted toppings. These styles of pizzas usually cook in just 60 - 90 seconds.

However, most at-home pizza makers don't have an oven. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to mimic the pizza you get in restaurants, such as using a pizza stone or a pizza steel and preheating your oven to bake the pizza more evenly at a very high temperature.

What is Needed For a Pizza?

Pizza is simple, which can make it simultaneously one of the easiest and trickiest foods to make. You only need a few basic ingredients for the dough:

• Flour
• Water
• Salt
• Yeast
• Olive Oil

However, different tricks and techniques will give you different types of pizza. Swapping out regular bread flour to whole wheat will provide you with a whole wheat pizza. Using a sourdough starter instead of yeast will give you a thick and tasty sourdough pizza. (Sound good? Check out our guide on how to make pizza dough without yeast.)

If you're making a traditional Italian Neapolitan, you'll need a longer fermentation process and to stretch out a really thin base for the toppings.

When it comes to incorporating the best pizza toppings, the choice is yours. Fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato will make a fantastic Neapolitan pizza, whereas pepperoni is perfect for a loaded New York style. However, once you've got a basic recipe down, you can tweak it to fit your own preferences.

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What is the Secret to the Best Pizza?

Getting that perfect, restaurant-style quality pizza is no easy task. Somehow, baking at home just never tastes the same as authentic pizzas you find in Italian restaurants or from food stands on the streets of Chicago.

But what if we told you that you don't need fancy outdoor pizza ovens? The secret to great pizza lies in three key elements: high-quality ingredients, proper technique, and the correct tools.

High-Quality Ingredients

Using poor-quality ingredients will affect both the taste and texture of your pizza, especially when it comes to the dough. If you want a soft, elastic dough that mirrors that of a Neapolitan pizza, we recommend using 00 flour. This finely processed flour will give you the perfect base for your pizza.

Don't skimp on quality with your toppings, either! A few simple ingredients are all you need. We suggest fresh mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes for a beautiful, bright taste that explodes on the tongue.

There are so many different types of cheeses to try, each one bringing a new flavor. Check out our guide on the best cheese for pizza to find the perfect blend for you.

Proper Technique

When you're working with something as simple as pizza dough, you need to refine your technique. Longer fermentation times will bring out the natural flavor of the dough, making for an even better base. Let your dough ferment for at least 24 hours to develop the bread's flavor. But if you have time, the trick is to let it ferment longer than that, for a maximum of three days.

When it comes to stretching the dough for your toppings, do it gently to avoid tearing. We also recommend holding back on the toppings, as overloading the dough might make it sink or tear. You also might end up with a soggy middle, especially if you use toppings that hold a lot of water.

Having the Right Tools

We're not suggesting you go out and purchase every pizza gadget on the market, but if you've fallen in love with homemade pizza and plan to make a lot of your own, then you can't go wrong with a baking steel or stone for even cooking, a pizza peel to make transferring your pizza to the oven much easier, and a sharp pizza cutter for even, clean slices.

The True Secret to Perfect Pizza Dough

If you want to make delicious, restaurant-style pizza at home but don't have the time, energy, or money to purchase all the above accessories, the truth is, you don't really need them. Sure, they can make baking pizza a lot easier, but they’re not essential. 
All you need is a mixing bowl and the right ingredients. This is where Prepa Pizza can help.

Prepa Pizza Dough Kits For the Best Pizza You've Ever Tasted

• Premium, Organic Ingredients - All our kits come with organic, restaurant-quality ingredients to make pizza. This includes flour, olive oil, a splash of honey, malt powder, and active dry yeast.
• Rich, Authentic Taste - Our flour is imported straight from Italy, which means we bring that true, authentic Italian taste right to your door.
• A Healthy Option - Since we only use the best ingredients in our kits, our pizza kits are a healthy option for the whole family.
• Makes More Than Just Pizza - Make garlic knots, breadsticks, and more with our pizza kits. Perfect if you're hosting a pizza party or want to impress your friends.
  

Our Pizza dough kits are designed to give you tasty, authentic pizza every single time - without the need for pizza ovens and stones. Get your Prepa Pizza dough kit today and make delicious pizzas from scratch.

Final Thoughts

Pizza accessories aren't the be-all and end-all of great pizza. In fact, you can still make delicious pizza from scratch without the latest digital thermometer or pizza stone. Our kits are proof of that - all you need are a few high-quality ingredients and a good recipe to bring authentic, restaurant-style pizza into your home.

That said, pizza tools and accessories can help you achieve that perfect pizza with more ease. A stand mixer will save you time and energy, especially if you're making big batches of dough, and a digital scale can ensure you get exactly the right measurements down to a single grain of flour. If your toppings have a mind of their own, a pizza peel can keep your creation intact.

So, if you see a lot of pizza making in your future, some of these accessories might be the perfect purchase for you.