Like the versatile food it is, pizza can be cooked in a variety of ways. One popular method is to use what’s called a pizza stone. Some say a pizza stone makes for a better crust, but how accurate is this claim? Take a look at the differences between cooking with and without a pizza stone to decide for yourself.
Pizza stones absorb heat easily and retain that heat for a long period of time. This mimics the effect of a pizzeria’s brick oven by raising the temperature and providing an extra-hot surface to bake the pizza.
What Is the Purpose of a Pizza Stone?
A pizza stone is a specialized baking surface traditionally made from a hard, porous material like ceramic or stone. If you’re using a conventional home oven or metal pizza oven, using a pizza stone can help approximate the effect of using a brick oven.
Because of its porous nature and imperfect surface, a pizza stone is able to let evaporating steam and moisture escape more readily. More importantly, the pizza stone heats evenly and holds a high heat well throughout cooking. The goal is to achieve a crisp, evenly baked crust.
A preheated pizza stone puts the crust in contact with a hot surface right away, giving it an immediate surge of heat energy. Combined with the moisture reduction, the crust should end up crispier than it would without the stone. In theory, the even distribution of heat throughout the stone should cook the crust more evenly throughout, minimizing soft or under-baked areas.
Does using a pizza stone really make for a better pizza crust? Possibly! There’s no question that using a pizza stone does make a difference in cooking. Ultimately, though, it’s a matter of personal preference. If you want to make authentic Neapolitan-style pizza and “crispier” means “better” to you, a stone is a must-have. Lots of other things can affect the way your crust turns out, like the ingredients in the pizza dough, the thickness of the crust, or the quality of the oven. In addition to trying a pizza stone, don’t be afraid to play around with your options to achieve your ideal crust.
How to Properly Use a Pizza Stone
The pizza stone should go into the oven in advance so that it can heat to the right temperature. When it’s hot enough, place the pizza (room temperature, not chilled) on the stone and bake as directed. If you need to rotate the pizza while cooking, use a pizza peel to lift and move it on the stone.
Pizza Stone Bricks VS Steel (15% Cooking difference)
FAQ
How much of a difference does a pizza stone make?
Do I really need a pizza stone?
Does pizza taste better on a pizza stone?
What are the disadvantages of pizza stone?
Does baking pizza on a pizza stone make a difference?
So I targeted the baking surface. Specifically: Does baking pizza on a pizza stone, instead of a regular baking sheet, make a difference? Compared to the metal of a baking sheet, the ceramic material of a pizza stone holds heat more evenly, and the porous surface draws water out of particularly wet areas of the dough as it cooks.
What are pizza stones made of?
Generally, pizza stones are made of ceramic or cordierite. Ceramic pizza stones are made of a mixture of clay, earthen elements, powders, and water that’s poured into a mold and baked in furnaces called “kilns.” Modern kilns reach operating temperatures as high as 2,400°F (1,315°C). Ceramic pizza stones are the most affordable.
Is a pizza stone a real stone?
While a pizza stone is sturdy, heavy and heats up like a stone, it’s actually not a real stone. Pizza stones are flat pieces of unglazed clay that are usually about one inch thick and round. They are meant to fit inside a home oven, so they are usually small enough for a standard oven rack.
Why do pizza stones exist?
Pizza stones exist because most regular home ovens don’t get hot enough to properly cook certain styles of pizza. Thinner crust styles, like Neapolitan and New York pizzas, tend to suffer from the lower heat of a home oven, which is why the crust is never quite right without a stone, no matter how much you labored over making the perfect dough.