How to Clean a Pizza Stone
Let your stone completely cool off., With a blunt tool, brush or scrape stuck on pieces of food., Never use soap on your pizza stone., Wipe your pizza stone with a damp cloth if necessary., As a last resort, soak your pizza stone in water., Let your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Let your stone completely cool off.
Before handling, you should allow it to cool off in the oven for an hour, otherwise there's a possibility it could crack, especially if you expose it to cold air or water.Make sure that your stone cools to room temperature before you attempt to clean it.
If you must handle it when it is hot, use heat-resistant gloves so you do not burn yourself.
Be sure any surface it is placed on is heat-resistant.
Pizza stones can also crack if you put a cold stone into a hot oven. -
Step 2: With a blunt tool
You can use a stone brush or plastic spatula to get any excess pieces of burnt food that have stuck to your stone.
Scrape gently on the surface of the stone where the baked on food is.
Using a metal spatula may put scratches in your stone. , Although it may seem intuitive to clean your stone with soap, doing this can ruin the stone for good.
Pizza stones are porous, and soap will get inside of its pores and make your food taste like soap.Once you ruin your stone with soap it may never be the same. , Damp a washcloth with warm water and wipe down the pizza stone.
Wipe off any pieces of loosened food that you were able to get detached from scraping. , Burnt or baked-on gunk may need to be soaked to soften the material for removal.
In plain water, soak the pizza stone overnight, and try scraping again.
Keep in mind that in soaking, your pizza stone will absorb quite a bit of water, so let it dry completely for a week or so.
Even if it looks dry, it has a lot of water in it., Another reason that a pizza stone can crack in the oven is because it hasn’t fully dried before being put back into the oven.
Remember to store the stone in room temperature before you heat it again.
Water gets stuck in the pores of the stone and reduces the integrity of the stone when it’s reheated again.Allow your pizza stone 1-2 hours to dry before using it again. , Olive oil or any other fat can cause your stone to smoke when you cook food on it.While some people think that this seasons the stone like a cast iron pan, the pores in the stone actually soaks up the oil instead of creating a non-stick surface.
To create a non-stick surface, use cornmeal on the top of your stone.
Oils from food will naturally leach into the pizza stone, and will do no harm...in fact it will make it better to use.
However, as mentioned above, do not season it as you would a cast iron skillet.
Your stone will become naturally seasoned after cooking pizza or other foods on it. , A well-used pizza stone typically has many dark, discolored areas.
It does not look like a brand new slab right out of the box.
But a pizza stone actually gets better over time.
Do not try to scrub your pizza stone in an attempt to make it look brand-new, or think once it looks "old" it is time for a new one. -
Step 3: brush or scrape stuck on pieces of food.
-
Step 4: Never use soap on your pizza stone.
-
Step 5: Wipe your pizza stone with a damp cloth if necessary.
-
Step 6: As a last resort
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Step 7: soak your pizza stone in water.
-
Step 8: Let your stone dry completely before using it again.
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Step 9: Avoid putting oils of any kind on the stone.
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Step 10: Embrace your discolored pizza stone.
Detailed Guide
Before handling, you should allow it to cool off in the oven for an hour, otherwise there's a possibility it could crack, especially if you expose it to cold air or water.Make sure that your stone cools to room temperature before you attempt to clean it.
If you must handle it when it is hot, use heat-resistant gloves so you do not burn yourself.
Be sure any surface it is placed on is heat-resistant.
Pizza stones can also crack if you put a cold stone into a hot oven.
You can use a stone brush or plastic spatula to get any excess pieces of burnt food that have stuck to your stone.
Scrape gently on the surface of the stone where the baked on food is.
Using a metal spatula may put scratches in your stone. , Although it may seem intuitive to clean your stone with soap, doing this can ruin the stone for good.
Pizza stones are porous, and soap will get inside of its pores and make your food taste like soap.Once you ruin your stone with soap it may never be the same. , Damp a washcloth with warm water and wipe down the pizza stone.
Wipe off any pieces of loosened food that you were able to get detached from scraping. , Burnt or baked-on gunk may need to be soaked to soften the material for removal.
In plain water, soak the pizza stone overnight, and try scraping again.
Keep in mind that in soaking, your pizza stone will absorb quite a bit of water, so let it dry completely for a week or so.
Even if it looks dry, it has a lot of water in it., Another reason that a pizza stone can crack in the oven is because it hasn’t fully dried before being put back into the oven.
Remember to store the stone in room temperature before you heat it again.
Water gets stuck in the pores of the stone and reduces the integrity of the stone when it’s reheated again.Allow your pizza stone 1-2 hours to dry before using it again. , Olive oil or any other fat can cause your stone to smoke when you cook food on it.While some people think that this seasons the stone like a cast iron pan, the pores in the stone actually soaks up the oil instead of creating a non-stick surface.
To create a non-stick surface, use cornmeal on the top of your stone.
Oils from food will naturally leach into the pizza stone, and will do no harm...in fact it will make it better to use.
However, as mentioned above, do not season it as you would a cast iron skillet.
Your stone will become naturally seasoned after cooking pizza or other foods on it. , A well-used pizza stone typically has many dark, discolored areas.
It does not look like a brand new slab right out of the box.
But a pizza stone actually gets better over time.
Do not try to scrub your pizza stone in an attempt to make it look brand-new, or think once it looks "old" it is time for a new one.
About the Author
Kimberly Roberts
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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