how to clean a pizza stone

If you're a pizza snob, there's no doubt you own a pizza stone. It's the perfect tool for those homes that don't have brick pizza ovens, which is most of them. Whether you're reheating pizza slices, baking a pre-made or frozen pizza, or making the crust from scratch, this stone is quite nifty, delivering foolproof, crispy results every time.

Why do I need a pizza stone, you ask? The answer is simple. A pizza stone is ceramic, which allows it to hold its surrounding temperature. When you introduce your cold pizza (fresh or frozen), it heats it from the dough up, just like a woodfire or gas pizza oven. This allows your pie to cook quicker and more evenly, even if you're operating a standard home oven.

So, if you've been using a traditional baking sheet for reheating pizza or making the crust, you'll definitely find a pizza stone a quite wonderful alternative. As you relish your delectable cheese, meat, veggie, or Hawaiian pizza, though, you have to know one vital thing: how to clean a pizza stone.

Yes, you have to clean your stone after every use to maintain its natural finish and remove food residue. Are you wondering how to do that? We're always on hand to help you, and here is what you need to do.

What You'll Need

You'll need tools and supplies for this task, though some are likely already in your kitchen. Try to have several of these handy items, they make the entire process hassle-free.

They include:

• Bench scraper
• Blunt table knife
• Soft microfiber cloth
• Baking soda
• Metal or plastic spatula
• Stone or stiff-bristled nylon brush
• Sandpaper

Step-by-Step Process

Once you have all the essential supplies and tools, here are the steps you should follow:

1. Allow the Stone to Cool

After using a pizza stone, allow it to cool completely before cleaning it. Dipping the stone in the water while still hot can shock it and possibly crack it due to the sudden temperature change. Even if it doesn't crack, the shock is likely to impact its structural integrity. So, just turn your oven off, and let the stone cool.

2. Scrape Away Food Bits

Once it has cooled, use the bench scraper to scrape away food bits. The metal or plastic spatula can also be handy for this task. If you use the metal spatula, be sure to scrape lightly to avoid scratching your stone.

3. Remove Stuck-On Food

In some cases, burnt food bits from your stone-fire pizza can get stuck to the stone, even after scraping. Here is where the baking soda comes in handy. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with water to make a paste for spot-treating the stuck-on bits. Leave it for a few minutes before scrubbing it with the stiff-bristled nylon brush.

This is also an essential step if you want to know how to clean a pizza stone that has burnt food residue on it. You can also use medium-grit sandpaper to sand down the crumbs.

4. Wipe it Down

Once you have cleared the bits, use the soft microfiber cloth to wipe down the surface of your stone. Ensure the cloth is damp before wiping the stone. If there are still food bits on the surface, you can heat the stone to 500°F in the oven for about an hour before scraping off the debris.

5. Let It Dry

Allow your pizza stone to completely dry; this takes about 1 to 2 hours. You can then store it in the oven or use it to reheat that last piece of your delish stone-oven pizza.

How Do You Take Care of a Pizza Stone?

Unlike your typical kitchen utensils, your pizza stone for grill requires some special care. You don't need water and soap to clean it.

A pizza stone has a porous structure. The pores are useful in absorbing moisture from your pizza to make it superbly crispy. So, if you wash it with soap, the pores will absorb it, giving your pizza a soapy taste — you don't want that!

You should never submerge your stone in water. Even if it has cooled completely, water is a definite no-no. You just need to scrape off the food bits with a scraper or dry brush and wipe it down using a damp cloth.

Can you Wash a Pizza Stone in the Dishwasher?

A pizza stone isn't dishwasher-safe, so be ready to make use of your hands. The dishwasher detergent is likely to affect the non-stick seasoning, meaning it will take longer for your stone to develop seasoning. The detergent will also get into the pores.

However, some stones do claim to be dishwasher safe. For example, the American Metalcraft Store and Pampered Chef offer stones which they claim are dishwasher safe.

How Do You Keep Pizza from Sticking to a Pizza Stone?

When reheating or baking stone pizza, the unexpected happens — your pizza gets stuck to the stone. This occurs because of three main reasons:

• You didn't adequately preheat the stone.
• Your stone was not clean.
• Your dough was too sticky.

Keep your stone clean: Stuck-on food bits cause the next item to stick to the stock. So, it's vital to clean your pizza stone, and the steps above show how you can do that. Remember to clean it properly after each use — you owe it to yourself.

The dough preparation process matters: It can be tricky to work with sticky dough when baking the crust from scratch. So, the trick is to add cornmeal and some flour to your dough to minimize stickiness. Also, apply flour and cornmeal to working surfaces. Some people will line their stone with parchment paper if the dough is sticky — while it helps, it's not recommended.

Be sure to preheat your stone: You need to preheat your stone for about 20 to 30 minutes. It needs to reach 475 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This range of temperature is right for placing your pizza into the oven. Avoid placing the pizza on the stone while it's still out of the oven.

Keep Your Pizza Stone Clean!

The pizza stone doesn't demand much – just some scraping, scrubbing, and wiping. If you like the taste of crispy stone hot pizza, taking the time to clean this vital tool is worth it. Just remember not to use soap to avoid eating pizza with a soapy taste. It doesn't take long to clean the stone. Once it has cooled completely, you'll only need 10 to 20 minutes to clean it.

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how to clean a pizza stone

Source: https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/how-to-clean-a-pizza-stone/

Posted by: katoprieture.blogspot.com

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