Food Cooking Tips & Techniques Cooking How to Use a Pizza Stone to Make Restaurant-Quality Pies at Home It’s the secret to a crispy, golden crust. By Phoebe Fry Updated on August 14, 2024 Close Photo: Oleg Breslavtsev/Getty Images Project Overview Total Time: 15 minutes Skill Level: Beginner If you can’t seem to get a crispy, golden crust on your homemade pizzas, it might be because you’re not using a pizza stone. Although it doesn’t look like much, a pizza stone can revolutionize your at-home pizza game. If you’re not sure what a pizza stone is, it’s simply a sturdy, heavy slab of unglazed clay, often in a circular shape. It’s built to absorb, retain, and transfer heat for an evenly baked, crispy crust, mimicking the effect of a real pizza oven. Confused about how to use a pizza stone at home? We’re here to break down the process, from preheating to baking and cleaning. Don’t put a room-temperature or cold pizza stone directly into a hot oven. The sudden, extreme change of temperature causes thermal shock, which can lead to your pizza stone cracking or even exploding. The fix: Put the pizza stone into a cold oven and allow them to heat up together. Another way to avoid thermal shock is to let your pizza dough come to room temperature before transferring it to the stone. The easiest way to transfer a pizza to a pizza stone in the oven is by using a pizza peel, which is a flat-surfaced peel designed for the job. If you don’t own a pizza peel, you can also use the bottom side of a sheet pan. Either way, make sure to dust the surface with plenty of cornmeal before adding the pizza to avoid sticking. To clean a pizza stone, wait for it to cool completely, then wipe it off and give it a rinse with some water. If there’s debris stuck on the stone, use a nylon brush to scrub it off. Avoid using soap, which can damage the stone. You also don’t want to season the stone with oil like you would a cast-iron skillet; it won’t have the same effect. Splotches and stains are inevitable and totally fine. 6 Hacks for Cooking the Crispiest, Tastiest Frozen Pizza What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Pizza stone Pizza peel or baking sheet Large metal spatula Materials Cornmeal Pizza dough Sauce Toppings Instructions Preheat the Oven Place your cold/room-temperature pizza stone on the lowest rack of your cold/room-temperature oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Shape the Pizza Dough Generously sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel or the bottom side of a baking sheet. Gently shape your room-temperature pizza dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer it to the prepared surface (the peel or baking sheet). Add Sauce and Toppings Add your favorite sauce and toppings to the dough. As you go, make sure the dough isn’t sticking to the peel or baking sheet, and add more cornmeal underneath as needed. Transfer the Dough to the Pizza Stone Open the oven door and position the peel/baking sheet close to the pizza stone. Then, quickly and decisively shake the pizza onto the pizza stone. Close the oven door and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until ready. Remove the Pizza From the Oven To remove the cooked pizza, use a large metal spatula to transfer it to another surface, like a pizza peel or a cutting board. How to Use a French Press to Make Delicious Coffee at Home