How to Use a Pizza Stone to Make Crispy Pizza at Home

A pizza stone is a type of baking stone that is specifically used to make pizza. It is usually a circular slab of porous material such as cast iron, ceramic, or stone that you can place into a conventional oven. A pizza stone works by absorbing heat and using it to cook your pizza quickly in a similar way that traditional brick pizza ovens cook pizza. The stone slab aerates your dough while exposing it to high temperatures, baking it from the bottom and resulting in a crispier pizza crust than you would get using a traditional baking sheet or pizza pan.

Before you use your pizza stone for the first time, it’s a good idea to read up on the proper way to do so. Using a pizza stone incorrectly can potentially damage it (even crack it) or yield an improperly-cooked pizza. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use a pizza stone to make the perfect pizza with a crispy, toothsome crust.

1. 1. Preheat your stone. Preheating your pizza stone properly is paramount to mimic the high heat conditions of a pizzeria brick oven in your own home oven. To do this, you need to make sure that your pizza stone is as hot as it can be before you place your pizza on top of it. To preheat your pizza stone, place it in the cold oven and turn the temperature of your oven up as high as it goes. (Most conventional ovens go to 500 degrees Fahrenheit). Preheat your pizza stone for about an hour to allow it to absorb as much heat as possible.
2. 2. Assemble your pizza. The best way to transfer your pizza onto your pizza stone is by using a pizza peel, which is the big wooden pizza spatula you see at pizza parlors. Sprinkle a bit of semolina flour or cornmeal on your pizza peel to create a nonstick surface for your pizza dough that will enable it to slide right off your pizza peel. Then, assemble your pizza on top of the pizza peel. If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a wooden cutting board or rimless dish to assemble your pizza.
3. 3. Place your pizza on your pizza stone. After your pizza baking stone has preheated for an hour, carefully slide your pizza onto the hot stone using a pizza peel, paddle, or alternative method to transfer the pizza to the hot oven. You can also pull out the oven rack using oven mitts to safely place your pizza.
4. 4. Cook your pizza. Baking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of your pizza, but pizzas usually take between six to ten minutes to cook on a pizza stone. You’ll know that your pie is done when the cheese has slightly browned and the crust is golden brown.
5. 5. Take out your pizza. Turn off the oven, then use your pizza peel or other kitchen tools to remove the pizza from the stone.
6. 6. Brush your stone. After you’ve removed your pizza and the stone cools, give it a brush with a stone-safe scouring pad.

Many people choose to simply store their best pizza stones in the oven and never take it out, because these kitchen tools shouldn’t be cleaned in the conventional soap-and-water method. The porous material of a pizza stone absorbs whatever comes into contact with it. That’s why you should never clean a pizza stone with dish soap and water. With that in mind, there is an unconventional yet simple way to clean a pizza stone that doesn’t even involve running it under a faucet.

1. 1. Scrape away the residue. Make sure your pizza stone is at room temperature before you attempt to clean it. Allow it to air dry on your counter, outside of your pizza oven. After your stone has cooled, use a plastic spatula, bench scraper, stone brush, or other pan-safe scouring pad in a circular motion to gently remove any stuck-on grime or burnt food remains.
2. 2. Wipe with a damp cloth. Use a soft cloth with a little hot water to wipe away any remaining debris from the stone after you’ve scraped any of the initial cheese or pieces of food off of it.
3. 3. Make a baking soda paste. You can use a baking soda/warm water paste to remove any stubborn stains you want to get off of your pizza stone. Simply mix baking soda and warm water together until it forms a paste, then apply to stains in a circular motion with a cloth or toothbrush. Wipe down the stone again with a damp cloth.

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