Is there anything more delicious than fresh out of the oven pizzas? Sure there are tons of pizza shops out there to choose from, but there is nothing quite like the taste of homemade pizzas. The reason we often choose restaurants over home baking is because it’s hard to replicate the crisp crust in your oven at home. That’s where pizza stones come in! Using pizza stones allows you to get the crunchy exterior crust, with the soft bready center that usually can’t be achieved with homemade pizzas.
There are actually several kinds of pizza stones available for purchase. It’s important to consider the types of pizzas you’d like to make, this will help you decide which pizza stones are right for you.
Ceramic Pizza Stones
Ceramic is a great beginner’s pizza stone. They’re easy to care for and only require simple cleaning methods to maintain them. They’re usually pretty affordable as well and readily available at most department stores. These stones are also lightweight. The downside to ceramic is it does crack easily.
Cordierite Pizza Stones
These types of pizza stones are often used because they distribute heat evenly lessening the likelihood your pizzas will burn. Though these pizza stones fall under the ceramic category they’re more durable. Its ability to handle extreme temperatures means it’s less likely to break. Cordierite is also lead-free and non-absorbent.
Clay Pizza Stones
If you want a crispy texture you really can’t beat a classic clay pizza stone. This type of stone gives you the same quality crust as a brick over pizza. Because of this it’s the most popular type of pizza stone out there. A con to a clay stone is that it takes a long time to preheat and is difficult to clean. Because clay can be brittle it has to be treated gently or it could break.
Cast Iron Pizza Stones
Cast iron is often a staple in the kitchen, but how does it do as a pizza stone? Its ability to heat quickly and its flexibility as a griddle or grill make cast iron pizza stone very popular. What’s more you won’t have to worry about cracking or breaking a cast iron stone! The downside is that cast iron doesn’t heat as high as clay or ceramic, which can affect the crispness of your pizzas.
Steel Pizza Stones
Finally we have steel pizza stones. A fairly new addition to the pizza stone family, steel has a bad reputation for burning. This is because it heats so quickly you actually don’t have to cook your pizza at the higher temperatures required with other stones. Steel is also durable like cast iron – though it does tend to be heavier and more expensive.
Before Buying Your Pizza Stone Consider This
- Your Oven Size
Pizza stones come in a variety of sizes, 14-16 inches being the largest. Make sure you
pick a stone that fits your oven.
- Electric Or Gas Oven?
You may need more space in a gas oven to make air circulation easier.
- How Do Your Dough Cooked?
A thicker stone is going to absorb more heat and more moisture. Thinner stones are better if you don’t want the crust as crispy, but they also tend to break more easily. It’ll benefit you to learn why a thick pizza stone makes a better pizza.
To learn about more types of pizza stones take a look here: 15 Best Pizza Stones of 2020
Teighlor Chaney 