A pizza stone is a round stoneware plate that absorbs moisture and distributes heat evenly, resulting in a perfectly cooked pizza. It can be made of different materials and thicknesses, but care must be taken to avoid breaking it. Sprinkle cornmeal on it to prevent sticking and clean it with a dry brush.
Pizza is one of the most beloved foods in the world, but homemade pizza just doesn’t taste like getting it from a real brick oven. Too often the crust is left set while the topping is done, or the bottom burns waiting for the top to brown! Getting pizza to heat evenly seems next to impossible. But there is a way to make perfect oven pizza at home without redesigning your kitchen. All you need is a pizza stone.
A pizza stone is a round stoneware plate that sits under the pizza as it cooks. The stone’s microscopic pores absorb moisture exuding from the dough while distributing the heat evenly throughout the cake. The result is a perfectly cooked pizza that won’t burn to the bottom before the toppings have cooked to your liking.
Pizza stones can be made in different thicknesses and from a variety of materials such as condensed sand or terracotta. They can break, so care must be taken to avoid dropping or knocking them. Thermal shock, or a sudden change in temperature, can also cause stones to crack, so a cold stone should not be placed in a hot kiln. Instead, place the fresh stone in the unheated oven on the center shelf. Preheat the oven to the desired temperature, slowly heating the stone with the oven. Then use a pizza peel or paddle to place your homemade pizza on the stone.
If you’re baking a frozen pizza, don’t place it on a hot pizza stone. Instead, place the frozen pizza on a cold stone in an unheated oven, then allow the oven to heat up to the correct temperature.
Sprinkling cornmeal on a pizza stone will keep the pizza from sticking. Do not use oil or spray on a stone unless recommended by the manufacturer. When the pizza is done, remove the pizza from the stone with a pizza peel, allowing the stone to sit in the oven and cool as the oven cools. Alternatively, you can remove the stone and place it on a cooling rack, but do not place the hot stone on a cold surface.
To cut the pizza, transfer it to a cutting board to avoid leaving scars on the pizza stone. A stoneware stone will darken with age. It should never be washed, as it will absorb soap and water, ruining the taste of future pizzas. Instead, the stone should be cleaned with a dry, stiff brush. Do not place a pizza stone in the oven on the self-clean setting, as some ovens heat up too quickly and could cause the stone to crack.
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