How do You Use a Pizza Stone Correctly?

What is unquestionably the finest method for making pizza? in a wood-fired oven at 800 F. In less than two minutes, the unbelievably high heat cooks the pie and creates the blistered, perfectly crispy crust that makes pizza so wonderful.

Not simply the oven's temperature but also the baking surface itself—the oven's "floor"—makes a difference. A heated oven generates a hot oven floor, which bakes a crunchy crust. In order to cook the cheese and other toppings, both the heat from the hot air above the pizza and the heat from the bottom must be present.

While this is all well and good, most home cooks lack a wood-fired oven to use in their kitchens. Does that imply you shouldn't attempt to make homemade pizza anymore? No way! A pizza stone is a simple and affordable appliance that can assist in simulating the characteristics of a wood-fired oven in your standard home oven.

What Is a Pizza Stone?

A pizza stone is an interior oven rack-mounted flat piece of stone or ceramic that absorbs and, more significantly, retains heat. Similar to the floor of a wood-fired oven, the hot stone transfers its heat to the bottom of the crust because unbaked pizza dough lies directly on it.

A subset of what is often referred to as baking stones are pizza stones. The primary distinction is that a baking stone is likely rectangular, whereas a pizza stone may be spherical. In essence, all baking stones are also used as pizza stones, but the reverse is also true. However, a square pizaa stone can be used to make pizza.

There are various thicknesses; the thicker ones function better and are typically more durable, but they cost more and take longer to heat up.

How Does a Pizza Stone Work?

A pizza stone primarily transfers heat from beneath to the dough. It's possible to hear that a pizza stone's porous surface "absorbs moisture," which isn't actually the reason why the bottom gets crispy. When dough is cooked to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, no moisture is absorbed at all since liquids are quickly turned into steam and evaporated.

Porousness does play a role in this situation because, in contrast to a metal baking pan, a pizza stone's minute pores and crevices enable steam to evaporate more effectively. A soggy crust, as opposed to a dry, crispy one, results from the tendency of ultra-smooth metal surfaces to retain moisture.

However, the main reason a pizza stone works is that it just gets really hot.

How to Maintain Your Pizza Stone?

Although some manufacturers will provide their own unique instructions, in general, you want to keep it dry and preserve it in the oven.

Sudden temperature changes, such as going from a hot oven to a cold surface, can cause "thermal shock," which can result in pizza stones breaking. (In fact, using a pizza stone to cook frozen pizza is also not recommended.) Similar to how putting a cold stone in a hot oven can make it break, so can Therefore, the simple fix is to never remove it from the oven.

Although this might seem extreme, it kind of makes sense if you bake enough pizzas to require a pizza stone in the first place.

Another benefit of keeping your pizza stone in the oven is that it will help distribute heat across the entire oven, reducing "hot spots. The drawback is that having the pizza stone in your oven will extend the time needed for preheating.

However, you must store it somewhere. Additionally, if you leave it in the oven, you won't have to worry about unexpected temperature changes, you won't be tempted to wash it, and if you never attempt to move it, there is no chance that you will drop it.

After all, it's not just awful for your pizza stone if you drop it on your toe.

Other Applications for a Pizza Stone

The idea that any kitchen equipment must be able to do more than just what its name implies is widespread, and it's not altogether unjustified either.

Therefore, a pair of tongs must also be able to squeeze lime juice, and a Bundt pan isn't worth purchasing unless you can also roast a chicken in it.

A pizza stone may be used for a lot more than just baking pizza, but does that mean you should? Remember that just because something is built of stone doesn't make it unbreakable. Pizza stones do occasionally break. And it's true that some methods of using a pizza stone increase the likelihood of that more than others.

Consider roasting veggies or searing a steak as examples. Regarding the vegetables or the steak, either of these will be suitable. The issue is that the food's oils and fats will seep into the stone and increase the likelihood of it shattering. Similar to washing it after using it to cook a steak, this is also not advised. The stone will absorb detergent in addition to moisture, which might cause cracking.

However, you should definitely bake bread (particularly flatbreads like pita bread and English muffins), handmade crackers, and quesadillas on your pizza stone.