Baking with a Pizza Stone
The secret to a crust that crackles rather than folds is thermal mass. By moving your baking surface away from the thin air of a sheet pan and onto a thick slab of stone, you reclaim the heat lost during the oven-loading process.
Patience is your primary ingredient
Your oven air will hit the target temperature long before the stone does. If you rush the preheat, the bottom will stay pale and doughy.
- Pizza stone
- Pizza peel
- Parchment paper
- Oven thermometer
What goes in.
- 1 lbPizza dough, room temperature
- 1/2 cupSemolina flour or cornmeal (for dusting)
The Slide and Shake
Build your pizza on a floured peel, then perform a quick, confident shake to ensure the dough slides freely before heading to the oven. A stuck pizza is a catastrophe that leads to spilled toppings.
The method.
Position the stone
Place your stone on the center rack before turning the oven on to prevent it from cracking under thermal shock.
Preheat
Set your oven to its highest setting—usually 500°F or 550°F—and let it run for 45 to 60 minutes after the oven signals it is ready.
Prepare the dough
Stretch your dough on a wooden peel dusted with semolina. If it resists, let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Launch
Open the oven, position the tip of the peel at the back of the stone, and pull the peel back in one smooth motion. The dough should slide onto the hot surface without bunching.
Bake
Watch for the edges of the crust to brown and the cheese to bubble. Depending on your oven's top heat, this usually takes 6 to 9 minutes.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never wash a stone with soap; it is porous and will trap the scent.
Scrape off burnt remnants with a metal spatula once the stone is completely cool.
If your crust is burning before the cheese melts, move the stone one rack level lower.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I put a cold stone in a hot oven?
No. The sudden temperature difference will likely crack the stone. Always start the stone in a cold oven.
Do I need to oil the stone?
Never. The stone should be kept dry to allow the moisture from the dough to escape, which is how you achieve a crisp texture.
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