A pizza stone is a piece of kitchenware that you can use to bake pizzas with. It is used to mimic the brick oven by supplying heat provided from below and above, just like an oven would do. The idea of using a pizza stone came about in the 1950s when it was first invented which has since evolved into what we have today. The presence of a pizza stone in your kitchen can be very beneficial especially if you love baking pizzas.
This type of stone is made from materials such as clay and terracotta and is usually rectangular in shape. The pizza stone itself is placed in the oven and once heated, will radiate heat throughout. A typical pizza stone can reach temperatures of about 550 degrees Fahrenheit which give the pizza its golden crust and crisp texture.
Therefore, you need to take care of it in order to keep it in good condition. You cannot just place this stone without covering it with a lid so that once heated, the pizza stone will not go out of control. The fact that the oven pizzas are baked at lower temperatures than most other foods, makes them more susceptible to getting burnt.
Pizza Stones Require Special Care
It is very easy to keep the pizzas on a pizza stone at a consistent temperature. You can do this by using a thermometer which will only require that you place the thermometer on the bottom of the pizza stone and then it will register a temperature. If you want to be able to mimic the oven as closely as possible, you must buy a pizza stone that has an oven-like heat distribution.
In order to check how well your homemade pizza stone is working, use your hands or some plastic wrap as it will absorb any heat from your pizzas so that you can see if it seems warm enough not too hot, and not too cool. In order to keep it clean, clean both sides every time that you use it. The best way to clean it is to wipe it with a damp cloth. If you cannot clean it, you can also use soap and water. If your pizza stone gets cracked, you have the choice of either repairing or replacing it.
Restore Cracked Pizza Stones
A cracked pizza stone can be repaired by placing some annealed steel in between two halves of the damaged parts. The steel helps in reinforcing them so that when they are heated, they will not break apart easily. This repair job is very simple that even a layman can do it with just minimal tools. Once you have done this, then place the pizza stone back in the oven and heat it up until the newly added steel reaches temperature. This will ensure that the stone is fixed.
If you need to replace it, you can do so by following this simple procedure:
Remove the old pizza stone from the oven. If you are replacing an older one, you can detach it by taking it out in pieces so that there are no sharp edges left over when you are done. Moisturize the new pizza stone with water. This will prevent it from cracking when heated up in the oven. You can also place it in a place where there is warm air circulating for at least 24 hours before using it in order to absorb any moisture trapped inside of its pores. Clean it with soap and water then dry with a towel or rag.
Updating the Pizza Stone
If you use a pizza stone and it is more than 20 years old, it is best to replace it with a newer one. The newer stones will produce better results for your pizza and they also do not break down easily. You can even use this new one for other applications such as grilling and baking cookies which are baked in an oven. You can even buy ceramic tiles which are used to cook your meat so that you have an easy-to-clean surface instead of cleaning up grease spills.
Replace Broken Ones
Pizza stones can sometimes crack or break which is why you need to purchase new ones during the time of their replacement. This is especially true if your pizza stone is made of clay or clay products. There are different types of pizza stones that are used nowadays; some are made of ceramics while some are made of metals. It all depends on your preference and what you like cooking in the oven more. Pizza stones also come in different shapes and sizes so you can choose which one would work best for your oven.
If at times, there is spillage or leakage, do not fret it too much as this happens most of the time when you least expect it. We got the puddle on the floor and we don’t know how to clean it up? Use a sponge and a little bit of water and squeeze it out. All you need to do is to remove the oil. It is better to buy a pizza stone that is cheaper rather than investing too much money on one because it might not be worth it. However, if you want something that is very durable as well as stylish, then this article will guide you in what to choose from.
Can You Repair It?
Yes. But you need to purchase some annealed steel, also known as spring steel, which is used in the repair of broken or cracked pizza stones. You need to know that this can be quite difficult to do especially if you are not familiar with welding or repairing materials made of steel and other metals. If you are not very good at handling these kinds of materials, then it is best that you leave this job for somebody else.
To make sure that your pizza stone does not crack again, place some annealed steel on the parts where it has cracked. To do this, you need to start heating up your pizza stone either in the oven or on a stove until it gets hot enough for the annealed steel and the broken pizza stone to be welded together by your hands. You need to make sure that you apply pressure and make sure that they are welded properly.
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Conclusion
After reading this article you will get to know what you can do with a cracked pizza stone and how you can repair it.