How to Use, Clean & Maintain a Pizza Stone?

Making homemade pizzas is a joy on a Friday night to watch movies, having friends over to celebrate, or as a quick mid-week meal. Not only are homemade pizzas cost-effective, but you can also experiment with flavours and add as many or little toppings as you like.

Whatever the occasion, we have some great tips to learn about using your pizza stone, from electric or outdoor ovens, that can elevate your pizza cooking experience. In this article, we are talking about all things pizza stones, answering popular FAQs about how to use your pizza stone, how to clean one, and the differences between using electric and outdoor pizza ovens so you can achieve culinary excellence when cooking your next pizza.

What is a pizza stone?

Let’s start with the basics. A pizza stone is a thick, flat slab, typically made of ceramic, stone, or cordierite. It is used as a baking surface in an oven instead of a baking tray to create crispier crusts for pizzas, bread, and other baked goods. The pizza stone evenly distributes heat, mimicking the effect of a brick oven, and absorbs excess moisture from the dough, resulting in a crispy bottom crust.

What’s the difference between a pizza oven and a pizza stone?

While they sound similar, pizza ovens and pizza stones are two very different tools for making yummy, crispy pizza:

Pizza Stone: A pizza stone is a separate thick, flat slab that is used in a conventional oven to cook pizza. The pizza stone makes it easy to create pizza without the need to buy an additional pizza oven.
Pizza Oven: A pizza oven is a specialised appliance designed specifically for baking pizzas. It typically reaches high temperatures quickly and maintains even heat distribution throughout the cooking process. Pizza ovens are capable of baking pizzas rapidly, usually in a matter of minutes. Pizza ovens are usually much bigger and usually make a nice outdoor addition, however, conventional pizza ovens have also become much more popular and can be used in the kitchen.

How to use a pizza stone?

Pizza stones make it super easy to create delicious, crispy pizzas in no time. Below, we’ve highlighted the steps to using your pizza stone:

Once you’ve crafted your pizza dough and have added your favourite toppings (check out our recipe for yummy pizza dough) preheat your pizza stone for 20 minutes in the oven to make sure it’s nice and hot
Once heated, remove the pizza stone from the oven and slide your pizza onto the stone. Make sure to use oven mitts when handling the pizza stone to and from the oven.
Bake your pizza for around 15 to 20 minutes, checking regularly. Once cooked, remove the pizza stone from the oven, using oven mitts to avoid burns and let the stone cool completely before cleaning.

How to use a pizza stone? man preparing pizza dough

How to clean a pizza stone?

Pizza stones are made of a porous material, which not only absorbs oils from your pizza but are also susceptible to wear and tear if not cared for correctly. This means that cleaning your pizza stone is important to reduce a build-up of oils over time and make sure your pizza stone can last.

A pizza stone should be cleaned after each use. Allow the stone to cool to prevent the stone from cracking under cold water and from burning yourself. Scrape off any leftover food or residue. Avoid submerging the stone completely, wet the stone with a small amount of water and scrub the surface with a nylon dish brush. Using metal utensils will scratch the surface of the stone.

Over time, the stone will darken which is perfectly natural from regular use and absorbing oils. However, this will not affect the pizza stones cooking performance or flavour in any way.

If you want to remove stains, try the following:

Scrape away any pieces of leftover food with a spatula or nylon brush.
In a small bowl create a paste using equal parts baking soda and water.
Scrub the paste with a brush onto the stains and allow it to sit for a brief amount of time.
Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Allow the stone to air dry completely before storing away.

How to clean a pizza stone? person scrubbing pizza stone

Pizza stone FAQs

1. Do pizza stones need to be seasoned?

Oiling your pizza stone is not required as they are designed to be used instantaneously. This includes not using flour or seasoning as this can be absorbed into the stone causing it to smoke when heated or cause a bad smell.

The secret to a great pizza stone is pre-heating the stone for approximately 20 minutes before cooking the pizza. A pre-heated pizza stone will ensure you produce pizza with a well-browned, crisp bottom crust and prevent the pizza from sticking to the stone. The dough should be rested at room temperature before cooking for optimum results.

2. Will a wet pizza stone crack?

Avoid wetting or oiling a pizza stone as the moisture will be absorbed into the stone which can cause the stone to crack once it reaches high temperature. The same applies to using cold dough or frozen pizzas on a pizza stone.

3. How do you slide pizza onto a hot pizza stone?

This part can be tricky and may take a little practice. Use oven mitts to avoid any burns. The easiest way to transfer a pizza onto a pizza stone is to form the dough onto a piece of baking paper and add your toppings. Then place the pizza, still on the baking paper, and place on top of the hot stone. After baking for 5-10 minutes carefully slide out the baking paper and finish baking the pizza on the stone.

Once cooked, remove the pizza from the stone by using a pizza paddle or lifter. This large circular-shaped utensil will effortlessly transfer the pizza from the stone to a large round serving board. Approximately 35cm and up is recommended for a large pizza.

How do you slide pizza onto a hot pizza stone? man lifting pizza from a pizza oven

4. What is the optimum temperature to cook a pizza?

For thin crust pizzas get your oven preheated to 250°C. This will achieve a crispy base and perfectly cooked toppings. For thick-crust pizzas, get the oven up to 200°C. The lower temperature will allow the base to cook through while achieving a crispy bottom and not burning the toppings.

5. Can I use soap to clean a pizza stone?

Using soap on a pizza stone can strip away the stone’s natural nonstick properties. The soap can also leave a residue that could transfer to your pizza when using the stone next. The same goes for oils. Even though a pizza stone absorbs oil as it cooks your pizza, using additional oil to lift away marks and scraps isn’t the answer.

6. Are electric pizza oven stones the same as regular pizza stones?

Yes, they are! The stones used in an electric pizza oven are made of the same materials and should be treated the same way as a stand-alone pizza stone.

Baccarat the Gourmet Slice Pizza Oven Black on a bench with pizza and 2 drinks

7. Do electrical pizza ovens cook the same way as outdoor pizza ovens?

The outcome is the same if the stone is treated the same. The benefit of using an outdoor pizza oven is producing an extra bit of smokiness to your pizza. Plus, the aesthetic is incredible. However, not everyone can afford the space or time to have an outdoor pizza oven. Electrical pizza ovens are incredibly convenient, take less time to heat and cook and can be used in all weather conditions.

8. How do I store a pizza stone?

Ensure your pizza stone and/or pizza oven are stored away in a safe, flat, and dry place. Any moisture in the storage area will be absorbed into the stone which can cause the stone to break the next time being used.

Our favourite pizza recipes

Get cooking tonight! Here are a few of our favourite pizza recipes to get your mouth salivating to enjoy with the whole family, group of friends or just yourself.