A refractory stone is excellent for cooking pizza, and more! It has a fabulous cooking surface and can promote good heat uniformity for baking. Here is a simple guide to using this beautiful and versatile kitchen utensil.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Using the Hearthstone
Step 1. Place the baking stone in a ventilated oven
To cook pizza and cakes, the ideal is to use a high shelf. Bread, biscuits and other baked goods, on the other hand, prefer a central shelf.
Step 2. Start with the cold oven
Never put a cold stone in a hot oven, it could break due to thermal shock.
In fact, make sure you never expose the refractory stone to sudden changes in temperature. Put a frozen pizza on the stone is the best way to destroy the latter, just like putting the cold stone in the hot oven. It would be better to cook frozen pizza directly on the pan.
Step 3. Preheat the oven (if necessary) only after placing the stone inside
Step 4. Put the pizza on the stone with a pizza shovel
Do not grease the stone. If desired, add cornmeal to remove bread or pizza with ease.
- It takes a little dexterity to get used to, but the pizza shovel is a practical tool, especially for transferring raw pizza to stone. There are different types: in wood and with a short handle, in wood and with a long handle and in metal. For home use, the short-handled wooden shovel is perhaps the best.
- If you don't want to use cornmeal under the pizza, you can use the common one. Rice flour is great for preventing the pizza dough from sticking to the shovel.
Step 5. Leave the stone in the oven until it is completely cold
You don't have to take it off all the time, as it can give your oven a "stone oven" effect that helps hold and then release heat more evenly. You can place your oven dishes, pots, casseroles and cookie trays directly on the stone.
Method 2 of 4: Clean the Hearthstone
Step 1. Use a tool such as a metal putty knife to remove any residue from the stone surface
Do this of course after checking that the stone is cold enough to handle.
Step 2. Never use dish soap on the stone
It should only be washed with water. Use a clean sponge and scrub away any food residue, but only with water! Do not try to remove the grease from the stone, it is completely useless. Leaving the oil on the stone allows you to have a treatment that makes it "non-stick" and easier to use.
Step 3. Don't let it soak for too long
A simple swipe is more than enough. If the stone absorbs too much moisture, it may break the next time you heat it in the oven.
Step 4. Don't worry if the stone gets stained
It is completely normal, and in any case inevitable. It also represents "experience points", something you can show off to claim your cooking skills.
Step 5. Return the stone to the oven when it is clean, or store it in a safe place
You can also leave it in the oven all the time, even while you're cooking other foods. You can cook them by keeping them on the stone. If you need to prepare large, heavy food (such as a roast), move the stone to the lowest shelf before cooking.
Method 3 of 4: Make a Fortune Hearthstone
Step 1. Carefully measure the inside of your oven
You need to know how much space you have available before choosing the stone. If you buy a stone only to find that your oven is too small you will want to kick yourself.
Step 2. Look for an unglazed stone
The refractory stones on the market are quite expensive. If you are a pragmatic person, who only cares about the taste of the pizza and not the appearance of the stone, you can buy a good quarry stone for around 10 euros. You can start your search in building material stores.
Specifically, look for clay or slate shingles. Terracotta also works wonders, as do all the stones that are defined as "natural"
Step 3. When looking for your stone, make sure it is unglazed
Glazes contain lead which is poisonous and should always be avoided in the kitchen.
Step 4. Decide if you want to buy a single large piece of stone or several smaller pieces
While the single block is aesthetically pleasing, many small stones can prove to be much more practical and versatile. You can put them on the oven shelves; they will absorb the heat, which means turning off the oven (saving energy) and letting the food continue to cook thanks to the heat they release. With many small stones the heat will be distributed more evenly.
Step 5. Use the "do it yourself" stone as a normal commercial firestone
Enjoy your pizza, French bread, cookies, bagels and so much more!
Method 4 of 4: If the Pizza Keeps Slipping
Step 1. Model the shape of the pizza the way you like it, on the spatula
Step 2. Make sure you prick the dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming while cooking in the oven
Step 3. Don't put condiments on the pasta
Step 4. Bake the dough on the stone only
Let it cook for about five minutes.
Step 5. Take the pizza out of the oven using the spatula
Step 6. Add the ingredients to the half-cooked half of the pasta
Despite the extra weight, it should be much easier to slide the pizza off the shovel and put it back in the oven.
