Pizza stone

A pizza stone is a thick, flat slab of ceramic or cordierite that you heat in the oven. It stores a lot of heat and gives it straight to the bottom of the dough, so the base puffs and browns fast, closer to a pizza oven. It also helps bread rise with good oven spring. A baking steel is a slab of steel that does the same job and moves heat even faster.

How to do it

1. Put the stone on a rack in a cold oven. The upper-middle rack is a common spot.
2. Heat the oven to its highest setting, usually 250 to 290°C (480 to 550°F).
3. Let the stone heat for 45 to 60 minutes after the oven reaches temperature. The air heats fast, but the stone takes much longer.
4. Shape the pizza on a floured peel, a flat board or a sheet of parchment paper.
5. Slide it onto the stone with a short, quick jerk.
6. Bake until the crust is puffed and spotted with brown, usually 6 to 10 minutes. Some cooks switch to the broiler (grill in the UK) for the last minute to brown the top.

Substitutes

An upside-down sheet pan or a large cast iron skillet heated in the oven makes a crisper base than a cold pan. A steel plate made for baking gives the best result in a home oven.

How to store it

Many people leave the stone in the oven all the time. To clean, let it cool fully, scrape off stuck bits and brush it dry. Dark stains are normal.

Common mistakes

• Putting a cold stone into a hot oven, or setting a hot stone on a cold, wet surface. Sudden temperature changes crack it.
• Washing it with soap or soaking it. A stone soaks up water and can crack when heated. Use only a scraper and a dry brush.
• Not preheating long enough. The base stays pale and soft.
• Using too little flour or semolina on the peel. The pizza sticks and folds over as you slide it.
• Topping the pizza too heavily. Wet toppings make the base soggy even on a hot stone.

In recipes

"Bake on a preheated stone" means the stone goes in when the oven is turned on. Some bread recipes ask for a hot stone and a tray of water for steam.