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Making homemade bread and pizza can be greatly improved with the use of a pizza stone. Iâve used one for years, and itâs the best way to get a well-browned bottom crust. I thought I had it all figured out, until the pizza steel arrived. If youâre getting serious about cooking (and reheating) pizza at home, one of these tools should be in your oven.
A pizza stone is a plank or circle of ceramic or cordierite (a type of thermal shock-resistant ceramic). Theyâre typically between a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch thick and can range in size from nine to 20 inches across.
Compared to a pizza steel, ceramic stones are relatively lightweight, which makes them easy to move around and store when theyâre not in use. They can stain (especially if youâve flubbed a few pizzas like I have), but cleaning them requires little more than a good scraping once the food bits have burnt to a crisp. I use a metal bench scraper to dislodge big chunks, and then simply wipe off the smaller particles with a damp cloth.
Unfortunately, they are susceptible to cracking or breaking. The material is very brittle, so if you drop the stone or knock it with something hard it could crack. The ceramic material is also porous, which means moisture can get absorbed (thatâs why I recommend a dry scrape or damp towel only after youâre finished using it). If the stone has moisture trapped inside, when it goes into a 475°F oven it can crack as the liquid rapidly evaporates.
Amzdeal Pizza Stone
$19.36 at Walmart
$39.99 Save $20.63
Shop Now
Shop Now
$19.36 at Walmart
$39.99 Save $20.63
Pros:
Cons:
Pizza steels arenât quite as widespread in popularity, but maybe youâve seen one before. They look like the sexier version of a pizza stone; they have the same shapes, rectangular or circular, but they begin to diverge from there. A pizza steel is made of carbon steel. Itâs better at conducting heat and, since itâs more dense, better at heat retention. Which means pizza steels can be effective even when relatively thin. They can range from 3/16-inch to a half-inch thick. But donât let the thinness fool youâtheyâre damn heavy. Like a cast iron pan or a heavy Dutch oven, this trade off can be worth it, but it undoubtedly makes it harder to lift, carry, or situate in a low cabinet for storage when itâs not in use.
Unlike the fussy pizza stone, a pizza steel is robust and relatively indestructible. Water doesnât get trapped inside, as itâs not porous, and it doesnât give a damn about temperature shifts. Your pizza steel can last you a lifetime of pizzas if properly cared for. That is, unless it rusts.
Thatâs right: If you donât ensure your pizza steel is completely dry before storing it, or if you store it with other wet things, you might be greeted with a rusty mess the next time you take it out of the cabinet. Although this sucks, itâs not the end. You can scrub off the rust with something abrasive, like steel wool, but youâll need to re-season it with some oil. Here are other tips on getting rust off of your pizza steel.
Otherwise, you can clean the pizza steel by scraping off the burnt bits with a strong spatula and washing off any grease with warm soapy waterâjust be sure to dry it completely. I usually dab off excess water with a paper towel (donât scrub or bits of paper can get stuck) and toss it back into a warm oven to quickly evaporate any residual moisture. I'm a fan of the original Baking Steel.
Baking Steel - The Original Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone
$129.00 at Amazon
Shop Now
Shop Now
$129.00 at Amazon
Pros:
Cons:
If youâre a person who has a small kitchen, makes pizza or bread only occasionally, or has limited mobility and strength for heavy, cumbersome objects, then you might opt for a small pizza stone. If youâre okay with lifting something heavy and you know that baking pizza, bread, or burgers is something youâll be doing weekly, then a pizza steel might be the better option for you.
Full story here:
Making homemade bread and pizza can be greatly improved with the use of a pizza stone. Iâve used one for years, and itâs the best way to get a well-browned bottom crust. I thought I had it all figured out, until the pizza steel arrived. If youâre getting serious about cooking (and reheating) pizza at home, one of these tools should be in your oven.
Whatâs a baking (or pizza) stone?
A pizza stone is a plank or circle of ceramic or cordierite (a type of thermal shock-resistant ceramic). Theyâre typically between a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch thick and can range in size from nine to 20 inches across.
Compared to a pizza steel, ceramic stones are relatively lightweight, which makes them easy to move around and store when theyâre not in use. They can stain (especially if youâve flubbed a few pizzas like I have), but cleaning them requires little more than a good scraping once the food bits have burnt to a crisp. I use a metal bench scraper to dislodge big chunks, and then simply wipe off the smaller particles with a damp cloth.
Unfortunately, they are susceptible to cracking or breaking. The material is very brittle, so if you drop the stone or knock it with something hard it could crack. The ceramic material is also porous, which means moisture can get absorbed (thatâs why I recommend a dry scrape or damp towel only after youâre finished using it). If the stone has moisture trapped inside, when it goes into a 475°F oven it can crack as the liquid rapidly evaporates.
Amzdeal Pizza Stone
$19.36 at Walmart
$39.99 Save $20.63
Shop Now
Shop Now
$19.36 at Walmart
$39.99 Save $20.63
Pros:
Lightweight
Thermal shock resistant
Easy to store
Easy to clean
Cons:
Susceptible to cracking or breaking
Porous and can absorb moisture
Whatâs a pizza steel?
Pizza steels arenât quite as widespread in popularity, but maybe youâve seen one before. They look like the sexier version of a pizza stone; they have the same shapes, rectangular or circular, but they begin to diverge from there. A pizza steel is made of carbon steel. Itâs better at conducting heat and, since itâs more dense, better at heat retention. Which means pizza steels can be effective even when relatively thin. They can range from 3/16-inch to a half-inch thick. But donât let the thinness fool youâtheyâre damn heavy. Like a cast iron pan or a heavy Dutch oven, this trade off can be worth it, but it undoubtedly makes it harder to lift, carry, or situate in a low cabinet for storage when itâs not in use.
Unlike the fussy pizza stone, a pizza steel is robust and relatively indestructible. Water doesnât get trapped inside, as itâs not porous, and it doesnât give a damn about temperature shifts. Your pizza steel can last you a lifetime of pizzas if properly cared for. That is, unless it rusts.
Thatâs right: If you donât ensure your pizza steel is completely dry before storing it, or if you store it with other wet things, you might be greeted with a rusty mess the next time you take it out of the cabinet. Although this sucks, itâs not the end. You can scrub off the rust with something abrasive, like steel wool, but youâll need to re-season it with some oil. Here are other tips on getting rust off of your pizza steel.
Otherwise, you can clean the pizza steel by scraping off the burnt bits with a strong spatula and washing off any grease with warm soapy waterâjust be sure to dry it completely. I usually dab off excess water with a paper towel (donât scrub or bits of paper can get stuck) and toss it back into a warm oven to quickly evaporate any residual moisture. I'm a fan of the original Baking Steel.
Baking Steel - The Original Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone
$129.00 at Amazon
Shop Now
Shop Now
$129.00 at Amazon
Pros:
Durable
Thermal shock resistant
Easy to clean
Cons:
Heavy
Susceptible to rusting
Larger sizes can be expensive
If youâre a person who has a small kitchen, makes pizza or bread only occasionally, or has limited mobility and strength for heavy, cumbersome objects, then you might opt for a small pizza stone. If youâre okay with lifting something heavy and you know that baking pizza, bread, or burgers is something youâll be doing weekly, then a pizza steel might be the better option for you.
Full story here:
![[DK]](/data/avatars/s/57/57999.jpg?1720990206){kind=avatar}
