Pizza stone: Authentic Italian pizza baking at home!
A pizza stone isn’t rocket science, and don’t believe the overly mystified advertisements for pizza baking stones, which attribute special properties to what is actually a simple ceramic or stone baking slab. Regardless, it really is a special kitchen tool! The baking stone is simply a stone slab that creates the oven effect essential for baking authentic pizza. If you’ve ever baked pizza in a regular oven, the dough likely dried out on the inside, became hard, or had a soggy bottom from trapped steam. This happens because, for one thing, a standard kitchen oven cannot reach 350–400 °C (the operating temperature of a pizza oven), but more importantly, the heat distribution is uneven.
How does a pizza stone work?
The key to the baking stone is its porous natural material, which regulates moisture during baking. It absorbs some of the water evaporating from the fresh dough and toppings, preventing the pizza crust from getting soggy. Another important feature is the heavy, thick heat-retaining material, which radiates heat evenly instead of a thin baking sheet.
How to use it?
First, preheat the baking stone! In a wood-fired oven, heat it to about 350°C (depending on the size of the pizza, the oven, and personal preference, this can range from 300°C to as high as 400°C); in a conventional oven, heat it as high as possible (likely 250°C). You need to quickly place the fresh pizza dough on the hot stone, which requires personal skill and practice. Be careful and plan your steps in advance! Either pull the baking stone out of the oven for just a moment and quickly place the pizza on it, or remove the baking stone from the oven and place the pizza dough on it on the countertop. The key is to get it back into the oven as quickly as possible! If the oven and baking stone are hot enough, the pizza will be ready in just a few minutes! In a wood-fired oven, the pizza’s crust will be super crispy with dramatic bubbles and charred spots, while the inside remains soft!
