A pizza stone is a simple kitchen utensil that is used and known for baking pizzas that come out of the oven with a more crispy crust. Pizza stones are also known for producing pizzas that are less fattening. These baking devices work by stimulating the extreme and even heat of an oven, especially the ones that use wood fire. These stones can also be used commercially in the restaurants of big hotels for instance, to make the perfect pizza for the customers. They can also be used in home ovens or on a grill giving the pizza a crispier and healthier crust. These special stones are quite easy to use as well as maintain.
Why Use a Stone?
There are a number of benefits of using a pizza stone, which include the following;
• Easy to clean. The stone is quite easy to clean, whereby, you will just wipe it off using a sponge and some water. There will be no need for scrubbing it.
• It balances the heat. The stone will also spread the heat evenly on the food being cooked. As a result, the food comes out evenly cooked.
• It gives the pizza a crispy crust. The stone is specifically meant to bake your pizza with a crispy crust, different from ones baked using an oven tray.
• Bakes faster and perfectly. Compared to the aluminum pan, a stone will bake much faster, but it will be well-baked. This helps to save you time.
• Easier to remove food when it is finished baking. When the food is ready, it will be easier to remove, since it will not stick to the stone.
Generally, the pizza stone is not just a stone, but more of a cooking companion, which will make baking easier.
How To Use a Pizza Stone
First things first, before you begin, you must have a pizza peel or paddle, which is used to put the pizza on the stone and into the oven. When that is done, you will need to do the following steps;
• Place the stone in the oven for preheating.
• Spread cornmeal or flour on the peel, prior to putting the dough on it.
• Place the dough over the peel, then add your toppings to the pizza.
• When the pizza is still in the oven, use a long spoon to spread the cornmeal on it.
• Use the peel to insert the pizza that is already on the stone into the oven and set your oven timer.
The baking time and instructions will depend on the type of pizza that you are baking.
Removing the Pizza
When your pizza is done baking, always know that the stone will be very hot at that time. If you want to remove it, never use a kitchen towel or the normal oven mitt. Conversely, you should use the same items you used to place the stone in the oven. Like you will need to use the peel to remove the pizza, before removing the entire pizza stone if that is what you want to do. Many people prefer to just leave their stones inside the oven until they will bake with it again. After you have already removed the pizza, you can remove the stone later when it has cooled down.
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