How To Use a Pizza Stone For The First Time

Would you like to know how to use your brand new pizza stone for the first time? You’re not alone if you have been wondering how to use a pizza stone for the first time. It is not all that easy and takes some guidance and practice.

People often ask me this question about pizza stones, so I thought that it would be a helpful insight into your search process and answer all those nagging questions running through our heads when we first start using them.

Let’s go ahead and talk about the optimal way to cook pizza using pizza stones.

Make Quality Pizza on Pizza Stones

So, you want to make some quality pizza using a pizza stone? Many people do not know this, but the appropriate cooking surface is vital when it comes to making that perfect pizza.

You need the right equipment and know-how. If it’s Neapolitan style, then try a 900 °F pizza oven for just two minutes of cooking time! 

Unfortunately, the heating element of a convection oven or other conventional ovens and grills is not made to provide you with the high temperatures of extreme heat needed to cook a pizza evenly and correctly and reward you with an all together crispier crust.

And let’s face it, having a professional pizza oven in your home is not always all that convenient. This is where the pizza stone comes in.

A great big shout-out goes out to all those passionate pizza stone owners out there making amazing pizzas the day after endless days without fail; we see your dedication because this is not an easy task at best, but one filled with love so keep up what all of you are doing — pizza ovens or wood fired oven kind of suits my palate better than electric ones anyway.

For any prospective home-based pizza maker, who wants to mimic the delicious pizzas that one gets from pizza ovens, one of the most critical tools to have in your kitchen is the Pizza Stone.

With a good quality new pizza stone, you can get even baking and keep your dough from burning on top while it cooks through down below.

What Is A Pizza Stone

A pizza stone is a ceramic slab with a flat surface that sits on top of a rack inside your oven. When you heat your pizza oven with the pizza stone in it, it will absorb a lot of heat which it will transfer to your pizza base when you place the pizza on the hot pizza stone.

When cooking pizza on a pizza stone, the pizza base immediately gets a great amount of evenly distributed heat, which makes for a lovely crispy pizza crust.

What Is The Function Of Pizza Stones?

The pizza stone is a kitchen tool that is used to bake pizza. It is made from a material that can absorb and retain heat, such as ceramic or stone.

When used correctly, the stone heats up rapidly. In short, you heat the stone in the oven, place some parchment paper over it to avoid the base sticking to the stone, slide the pizza onto the hot rock and watch as your yummy pizza starts baking away.

The hot pizza stone helps to create a crispy crust on the pizza by transferring heat evenly to the dough. The even transmission of the heat from the stone to the pizza dough is what makes a pizza stone work as well as it does.

The porous nature of the pizza stone aids in the process of evaporation. This allows excess moisture to escape rapidly rather than trapping it and causing a soggy or soft crust.

Pizza stones are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, and some include a built-in rack for holding the pizza. One is able to buy thicker stones or thin ones.

It is good to know that a thicker pizza stone generally does the job better, but they are unfortunately also more expensive than the thinner baking stones.

You can use both sides to cook on most pizza stones. Ideally, however, you should choose one side of the stone and cook on the same one every time.

They can be used to bake other foods as well, such as pastries and bread. Many people also use them to reheat pizza slices.

Note that it is quite common — especially with a brand-new stone — that the dough sticks to the surface. A light dusting of flour or making use of parchment paper might help in this situation and prevent the pizza from sticking to it.

Pizza Peel

When using a pizza stone to bake delicious homemade pizzas, you will need to have a pizza peel as well.

A pizza peel is a tool that resembles a flat shovel. It has a long shaft attached to the end of the shovel-like part, which is used to slide pizza bases around on the stone.

You will also make use of this peel when inserting pizza or when you want to remove pizza from the stone.

When making use of a pizza peel, and you feel that the base of the pizza keeps on sticking to the surface, simply sprinkle a bit of whole wheat flour onto the surface of the peel. This will make the pizza slide off easier.

How To Use a Pizza Stone for the First Time: Steps Involved

You will need to get yourself a pizza stone and a pizza peel if you want the fresh, homemade dough. The best thing is that they are both very affordable and easy to find.

The trick is to evenly and rapidly bake both the top and the bottom part of the pizza at the same time. The last thing you want is a burnt pizza base with cheese on top that is not melted properly or toppings that are still half raw.

If you have never used a pizza stone before, don’t worry! It’s quite simple. Just follow these easy steps, and you’ll be a pro in no time.

Step-by-Step Guide For New Pizza Stones

Step 1 : Place The Pizza Stone In The Cold Oven

Put your pizza stone on the bottom oven rack of your cold oven, right above where you would normally place a baking sheet. 

Obviously, get rid of any packaging debris from its exterior beforehand or simply wipe it with a soft cloth.

Step 2 : Turn The Oven On.

Turn on your oven as high or low as the temperature setting you would like with the pizza stone already inside. The higher you turn your oven, the quicker you will get the result of a hot rock.

Step 3 : Heat Up The Pizza Stone

Much like when making use of a cast iron pan, the oven needs to be preheated. 

Preheat your oven to the temperature specified by the pizza stone’s manufacturer. This is usually around 500 °F.

Place the pizza stone in the oven on the middle rack before the oven is hot and let it preheat for 30 minutes.

Step 4 : Prepare the Pizza Dough 

Prepare your raw pizza dough according to your recipe or favorite mix. Take your prepared dough and press it into a round shape with the help of flour.

You can use a rolling pin to flatten the dough properly. You will find that the dough of a pizza is quite stretchy. 

Step 5 : Place The Pizza On The Stone

Slide your freshly made uncooked pizza onto the hot surface of the pizza stone using a pizza peel and watch it bubble up like magic as the crust begins to bake instantly. This instant cooking, you will find, resembles that of a traditional brick oven often seen in Pizzerias.

Before you place the raw pizza onto the stone, make sure that it is piping-hot in order for it to get an even crust color throughout. 

Step 6 : Pizza Should Be Baked

The toppings are all that really matters when it comes to pizza, so you should make sure they’re done just right.

Baking the pie until your preferred level of doneness is achieved, will guarantee a delicious meal for you and your guests.

The time and temperature at which you need to bake the pizza depends on how thick you have decided to roll out the crust.

Step 7 : Take The Pizza Off The Stone

Remove the pizza from the pizza stone using oven mitts and a pizza peel and enjoy. Be careful not to burn yourself in this process.

Step 8 : After Cooling, Clean The Pizza Stone

While the oven is still on, turn it off and leave your hot pizza stone inside. Let the stone cool off for about 30 minutes or so (depending on how hot you turned your broiler), followed by brushing any excess flour away from around its perimeter before using it again! You can use a soft brush, paper towel or damp cloth to do this. 

If you have burnt bits of pizza, melted cheese or dough on your stone that are not coming off by simply brushing them off, you can wash them off using a clean wet cloth, steel wool or with materials that are food safe.

For example, baking soda mixed with warm water. A plastic spatula can also be used to scrape off any food that is stuck or burnt to the stone’s surface.

How To Use the Pizza Stone for the First Time : Pizza Stone Suggestions

In Stages, Bake Your Delicious Pizza

Makes perfect sense. A professional pizza oven is hotter than your home oven, so you need to take extra care with it by baking in stages and protecting the sauce from overcooking.

Use Enough Flour To Prepare Your Pizza Peel

To avoid a mess on the way down, use plenty of flour and test that your dough isn’t sticking to the pizza peel before sliding off.

Experiment With Oven Positioning

You can use a pizza stone for the rest of your life and never have to worry about it not working well. All you need is some practice using them in order to learn how that will help guarantee their durability, so they last as long as possible. 

As you become more experienced in the art of pizza making, try to experiment with different recipes and seasoning combinations.

Whether you’re baking stromboli or calzone or regular awesome Sicilian pizza, the pizza stone heat is going to help you get an amazing pizza every time.

Thermal Shock

Have you ever heard of thermal shock? Not sure what it is? This is something that happens when you have a sudden change of temperature.

It is one weakness that the porous surface of the pizza stone has and may be the cause of cracks in your stone.

Thermal shock can happen if a cold stone is placed into a hot oven or, vice versa, if a hot stone is taken out of the oven before gradually cooling down.

Be aware that this can also happen if you put a lot of frozen or colder food on a hot stone. Make sure to heat the cold food together with the stone to avoid your stone from cracking.

Conclusion Of First Time Use Of Pizza Stone

This concludes this piece on all you need to know about a pizza stone and how to use it to make a delicious homemade pizza. As you can see, using it is really not rocket science and practice makes perfect.

Follow the guidelines, and we are sure that you can make the most amazing pizza right in the comfort of your own home.

Do not be afraid to try new recipes or ingredients / seasoning pairings, for he who will not try, shall never succeed.

Just remember: When you use a pizza stone, make sure that the oven temperature stays at around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure that there is no risk of burning or overcooking your pizzas because they won’t be able to brown properly on top if things get too hot!

The best part of owning this amazing kitchen utensil? You can leave the pizza stone inside your oven all day while cooking other dishes – like breakfast pastries – without worrying about them.

The pizza stone retains heat ready to make a great Neapolitan style pizza as soon as you’re ready.

One last tip. Most pizza stone manufacturers advise against adding oil to your stone before using it. Unlike a cast iron skillet or other kinds of pizza pans, it is not necessary on a baking stone.