The secret to a deliciously crispy crust on your homemade pizza is probably already known to you if you’ve ever used a pizza stone. The only issue is how to clean a pizza stone after using it to bake cheese and grease. A pizza stone should be cleaned with the least amount of water possible when learning how to do it correctly. Why? Because attempts to dry the stone in a hot oven run the risk of causing the stone to crack. Water that is absorbed by the stone will actually prevent a crispy crust from forming. Yikes! To keep your homemade pizza crispy and your pizza stone clean, follow these steps to clean a pizza stone so it lasts for many years to come.
What Is a Pizza Stone?
A pizza stone is a specific kind of baking stone used to make pizza. In a traditional oven, it is typically a circular slab of porous material like cast iron, ceramic, or stone.
Similar to how traditional brick pizza ovens cook pizza, the pizza stone’s material quickly absorbs heat. The stone slab aerates your dough, baking it from the bottom and producing a crisp pizza crust.
Before You Begin
The porous surface of pizza stones allows for quick liquid absorption. The fact that pizza stones absorb moisture from the crust and leave behind crisp, delectable crust is one reason they cook pizza so well. Be cautious when cleaning the stone; only use water. The next time the stone is used, dish soap or other liquids may absorb into the stone and seep into the pizza.
What You’ll Need:
- Soap: Yes, a pizza stone develops a seasoning over time that makes it a nonstick surface, just like your mother’s cast-iron skillet that she warned you not to touch with soap. In addition to removing the stone’s inherent nonstick qualities, soap can also leave behind a soapy residue that may transfer to your pizzas.
- Oils: A pizza stone does absorb oil as it crisps up your pies, but adding additional oil to it to remove grime is not the solution.
- Excess water: When cleaning your pizza stone, you should use as little water as possible because it takes a while for it to dry completely and if you put it in the oven before it is, you run the risk of cracking it.
How To Clean A Pizza Stone?
1. The Pizza Stone Has Been Completely Cooled
Pizza stones are made to absorb and distribute heat, and they have a high heat retention rate. If the stone hasn’t completely cooled, wait to begin cleaning it. A burn or the stone falling and breaking could happen if the process is started too soon. Place the pizza stone on a heat-resistant surface and allow it to cool until it is cool to the touch.
2. Clean Up The Pizza Crumbs
Inevitably, the surface of the pizza stone will become covered in the crust, cheese, and topping bits. A rubber or plastic spatula can be used to scrape off the food that has been left behind after most of the crumbs and debris have been cleaned up. Most of the remaining crumbs will likely be removed by the spatula.
3. Remove Food Particles
Cheese, toppings, and crust can become hard baked to the pizza stone when pizza is baked at high temperatures. Occasionally, more is required to remove them than just a rubber spatula. Use a tablespoon of baking soda and a few drops of water to make a coarse paste. To get baked-on food off the pizza stone, spread the paste on it and scrub it with a nylon-bristled brush.
4. Deep Clean Stains.
Pizza stones occasionally acquire tough food stains that resist removal by standard cleaning techniques. High-temperature baking should be done at that point. Only when stains cannot be removed using other methods, high-temperature baking is required after using the pizza stone.
In order for the oven and pizza stone to reach a temperature at the same rate, place the pizza stone inside and preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pizza stone for an hour after the oven reaches temperature. The self-clean setting on some ovens can reach even higher temperatures, but it can also become smokey.
5. Wipe Off The Stone.
To remove any remaining dirt, wipe a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with water. Food and stains ought to be eliminated at this point.
6. Give The Pizza Stone Time To Completely Dry.
Place the pizza stone in a dish rack or another place where air can flow around the entire stone. Before putting it away, let it dry completely. A soggy pizza results from the pizza stone’s inability to absorb enough moisture from the crust if it is even slightly damp.
The food and debris that are a byproduct of making pizza can be safely removed by following these cleaning instructions for the pizza stone. The pizza stone will function properly and won’t change the taste of the pizza with routine cleaning and maintenance. The stone will continue to get better over time with routine food removal and an occasional deep clean. If maintained properly, a pizza stone can last for many years and become a go-to cooking technique for a favorite family meal.
How To Clean Pizza Stone With Baking Soda?
Pizza stone stains are a representation of affection and care. Consider the mouthwatering pies that you have baked on your stone. These imprints of satisfying meals and enjoyable times are natural and desired features of the stone. Unless you can’t stand the sight of the stains, there is no need to remove them. If you want to remove stains, here’s what to do:
- A spatula or brush can be used to first remove any food fragments.
- Make a paste with water and baking soda in equal parts. For instance, you could combine 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- Rub the paste into the stains. Until the stains are gone, apply the paste with a brush and scrub in circular motions.
- With a damp cloth, clean.
- The stone must have time to dry completely.
How To Clean Pizza Stone With Baking Soda?
Pizza stone smudges are symbolic of affection and care. Imagine the mouthwatering pies you’ve baked on your stone. These marks of satisfying meals and enjoyable times are natural and desired characteristics of the stone. Unless you can’t stand the sight of them, there is no need to remove the stains. If you want to remove stains, here’s what to do:
- With a spatula or brush, first, remove any food fragments.
- Together, water and baking soda should be made into a paste. For instance, you could combine 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
- On the stains, scrub the paste. Circular motions with a brush and the paste will eventually remove the stains.
- Use a damp cloth to clean.
- Give the stone time to dry completely.
Apply the baking soda paste to the grease stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub the paste off with a brush. Finally, clean the stone with a damp cloth. Baking soda, as opposed to soap, will remove the stains from the stone without compromising the flavor of upcoming pizzas.
You shouldn’t worry about over-cleaning your pizza stone because remember, it’s normal for it to have darker stains. More seasoning and better non-stick properties are indicated by a darkened pizza stone. Take pride in your stains!
Bake a loaf of buttery bread or some cookies on your stone to start the seasoning process in order to naturally season a new pizza stone without coating it with oil or grease. Just steer clear of preparing anything that will leave a strong smell on your stone, like fish, as the stone might do so.
How To Clean A Burnt Pizza Stone?
You can give your pizza stone a thorough cleaning in the oven if there are any food particles that won’t come off with a scraper or brush. Here’s how:
- 500 degrees Fahrenheit should be the oven setting.
- Place the pizza stone on the top rack of the oven.
- For about an hour, let it bake.
- Grease bubbles should form and pop on the stone, so check it.
- As soon as the bubbling stops, begin the auto-clean cycle. Smoke may be produced in large amounts if the stone is extremely filthy.
- Food scraps ought to burn off.
- Wait for the oven to cool after the cycle is complete.
What To Do If You Wash Your Pizza Stone With Soap?
It’s nice to see all the dishes done and on the drying rack when you get home from work. Aside from the fact that your pizza stone is gleamingly clean and sitting on the kitchen counter. Your heart suddenly weakens. Your mind immediately conjures up horrifying images of soapy Margherita pizza. Who is in charge of this catastrophe?
Take a deep breath before you spray your friend or spouse with dish soap in retaliation for breaking your pizza stone. It might be fine, and you might not even taste the soap if your pizza stone was well-seasoned. But to be on the safe side, here’s a trick you might try:
- Spread old slices of bread or crescent rolls from pop cans on the pizza stone’s surface.
- Rolls should be baked according to the directions or until toasty.
- You should have tasted the soap in the dough you used.
- Throw away the crescent rolls and bread, or give them to the person who smeared soap on your pizza stone. Just kidding; they did wash your dishes, which was thoughtful of them.
- Remove the pizza stone once it has cooled and clean it with a fresh cloth.