How to Use a Pizza Stone
Is nothing better than tucking into a fresh, incredible tasting pizza that you have made with your bare hands in the comfort of your own home?
The answer is no. There is nothing better.
People think that to enjoy pizza you either have to make a reservation at the local italian or call up your highest reviewed local takeaway and get it delivered.
Oh how wrong they are.
Making pizza at home is incredibly easy and all you need is a few ingredients, some hungry mouths to feed and of course a pizza stone.
Now strictly speaking, you don’t actually need a pizza stone to make a fabulous Za at home, you could just use your oven (some ovens actually have a bespoke pizza setting!). However, in order your next pie has a bubbly, irresistible crust you are going to want to get yourself a Pizza stone and learn how to use it.
So firstly, we thought we’d we lay own some foundations on what a pizza stone actually is:
What is a pizza stone?
A pizza stone is a round slab of ceramic or stone that is both oven & grill safe. It acts as a baking surface that mimics the bottom of the classic italian wood burning ovens that have been used to cook pizzas since their invention.
The stone is able to disperse the heat evenly across its surface therefore, minimizing hot spots an chances of burning certain parts of the pizza. It also wicks away moisture from your dough which leaves you with a crispier, more bubbly crust. Just like in Naples!
Now there are a few variations of pizza stones available to purchase on the market. Some of those should not be be cleaned with soap whilst others can be thrown into the dishwasher after each use.
It is also worth noting that some pizza stones out there require seasoning before use!
How to season your Pizza Stone
If you are looking to go super authentic, then you are going to want to buy yourself a pizza stone which requires seasoning.
To season your pizza stone, lightly coat the base of the surface with olive oil before each use. If you would like a crispier crust, add more oil. If you would like a more dough crust, then just season with a lesser amount of oil.
It’s as simple as that!
How to use a pizza stone.
Right, so you have seasoned your pizza stone and your pie is ready to go into the oven.
Before doing anything with the pizza itself, your going to want to place your pizza stone inside of your oven and preheat the oven to 260c or 500f.
Once the oven and the stone have preheated to the above temperature, slide your pizza onto the pizza stone and position directly in the middle. A pizza peel will make this job a lot easier and you will feel like proper italian in using one.
When you’ve slid the pizza onto the stone, shut the oven door and cook for around 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on your pizza after about 7 just to see if she’s alright.
Carefully remove your pizza from the oven either by using a pizza peel or by gently manoeuvring onto a chopping board.
Top tip! Remember to turn the oven off.
Now for the fun bit – Go and enjoy your incredible tasting homemade pizza whilst you wait for the pizza stone to cool down slightly.
Once you have filled your belly and the stone has had time to cool a little, it’s time to clean that puppy up!
How to Clean your pizza stone
Cleaning a pizza stone is as simple as wiping down a chopping board.
To clean, simply was the stone whilst it’s still hot-ish using hot water and a grill brush. Never use any of form soap or allow the stone to soak overnight. This will mess with the seal and could cause your stone to crack in the future.
Once washed, leave to air dry and pop away until next use.
Do I need a pizza stone?
In short, if you want to make great tasting authentic pizza at home then the answer is yes. The science behind pizza stones shows just how much the even distribution of heat can achieve a crispier, more satisfying crust than an ordinary pizza tray.
If you are looking at buying a pizza stone, we’d recommend either the Kitchen Craft Pizza Stone or the Navaria XL Pizza stone. Those 2 are the ones we use regularly in the kitchen and both have produced incredible results.
Andy
Ever since I started cooking I’ve been fascinated by how different people’s techniques are and how they best utilise the ingredients around them. Even the person living next door will have their own unique way of frying an egg or cooking a salmon fillet.
This fascination led me on a journey across the globe to discover the countless practices and traditions the world of cooking has to offer. I thought you’d enjoy and find value in sharing that journey with me so I created Cooked Best!