by Rhonda Allen

Created on: June 28, 2009

Pizza is one of the world's most popular foods, and it has become one of the most popular foods to be recreated in private kitchens by home cooks. Unfortunately, much of the pizza created in home kitchens falls far below restaurant standards because of lack of decent quality professional equipment.

Many times, pizza gets soggy on the bottom or burned on the top while chefs work hard to get the dough fully cooked in a standard oven. It is difficult to get a crisp, golden brown crust and well-cooked topping in a regular oven that can match the results that are seen from a traditional brick pizza oven.

One of the most reliable ways to recreate the pizza parlor style pizza is to utilize a pizza stone. Pizza stones are stoneware platforms created from pressed sand or terra cotta and used in the oven under a pizza to create even, high temperature cooking results. Pizza stones work by absorbing excess moisture that has exuded from the pizza crust into microscopic pores in the stone, and redistributing an even, high heat into the product.

Caring for a pizza stone requires some knowledge and attention. Because of their material composition, care must be taken not to drop or otherwise break pizza stones during use or cleaning. Any significant difference in temperature between the pizza stone and pizza or oven can cause thermal shock, which can crack the pizza stone or even cause it to explode.

To clean a pizza stone, allow it to come to room temperature naturally. Scrape leftover cheese or ingredients off of the pizza stone with a scraper tool, and wipe it with a clean, lightly dampened cloth. Take care to not use soap or other chemical cleaning agents on the stone. The porous quality of the stoneware will cause it to absorb soap or water and the taste will leech back into the food for a very long time, ruining pizzas cooked on the stone.

It is normal for pizza stones to discolor. If the staining becomes overwhelming, you can scrub the pizza stone with a baking soda and water mixture using a toothbrush or vegetable brush. To clear the baking soda mixture from the stone, soak it in clean water for 30 minutes and then allow it to dry on a baking rack overnight.

If oil buildup on the pizza stone causes it to smoke heavily when used, scrub the cooled stone with a combination of lemon juice and salt and then follow the soaking instructions above. You may need to soak and dry the stone more than once to clear the salty taste completely.

Making the best pizza really requires using a pizza stone. Taking care of a pizza stone to achieve optimal results requires following a few general rules and applying a decent amount of common sense. A well-cared-for pizza stone will last a lifetime, so treat the stone well and eat pizza happily for the rest of your life.

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