How To Season A Pizza Stone For The First Use Like A Pro

First, you should know – a pizza stone not only helps to make your pizza mouth-watering but also can mimic the brick oven’s power. A well-seasoned pizza stone has many benefits, and seasoning it is an effective way to maximize its lifespan.

A few long backs, when I was a beginner in this cooking world. I also faced this problem. Today I will share how to season a pizza stone with the cleaning and maintenance process and a few tips to help you out!

So, stick with this article.

How To Season A Pizza Stone For The First Use

There are different types of seasoning methods available for different types of pizza stone. And some of them do not need any seasoning as they have already gone through this process during production.

For the rest of them, it is better to follow the manual book. If you cannot find it out, do not worry – I also share with you a general method of seasoning the pizza stone.

Things You Will Need: 

• Oil
• Oven
• The Pizza Stone
• Lint-free cotton cloth

Note: You can use any type of natural oil, but try to use flaxseed oil for a better result

Here I give you a proper demonstration, so just follow the steps – 

• First off, you need to preheat the oven at 450 degrees F.
• Try to use a natural oil; flaxseed oil gives the best outcome. Experts also suggest using flaxseed oil because it is edible and ensures complete coating. 
• Wipe off the extra oil. This step will help you to avoid unwanted smoke. 
• Your stone needs to be a bit wet but never try to make it glossy with oil. 
• Use a lint-free cloth to remove further dust.
• Put the stone in the preheated oven and leave it for 30 minutes. 
• Let’s get the pizza stone out of the oven.
• Never scrub the stone to remove these darker spots and make it like the brand new one. 
• Up to now, the oil has properly polymerized and created a thin coating.
• Continue this step for 3 times

Your pizza stone is ready to go! You can start your cooking session.

Here are 4 selective pizza stones that are pre-seasoned and do not need to season for every use. You can try one of them out –

Also Read: What Kind Of Cheese Do Professional Pizzerias Use?

How Often Do You Need to Season the Pizza Stone

Generally, after two times of seasoning, your pizza stone will be ready for cooking. But I will suggest you go three times as I also do the same. 

Each time of seasoning will add an extra layer. If you season the stone for a third time, then at the end of the third seasoning, the stone will become non-stickier. 

Also, the pizza stone will not look oily. So, the food particles will comparatively stick less on the stone, and it will become easier for you to clean it after every use. 

What Is Seasoning A Pizza Stone – You Must Know

In the context of cookware, it generally includes the process of applying oil and baking it by using heat. The pizza stone should be seasoned several times before starting the cooking session.

The main moto of seasoning is to add a protective layer. So, it will help to reduce rusting. Also, it will give a corrosion-resistant surface. 

That’s why it will minimize the chance of unnecessary sticking. You can use vegetable oils or fat for seasoning a pizza stone. With proper care, you can easily prolong its lifespan. 

Why Is It Necessary To Season A Pizza Stone

Before I convince you to season your pizza stone, I want to discuss – why it is essential! So, why should you season your pizza stone? Here, I will provide some major improvements.

A well-seasoned pizza stone accelerates the seasoning process. It will speed up the time and add some extra flavor.

The extra layer also helps to keep heat trapped in and can hold it better. Cooking pizza needs high heat for making the crust crispy. 

Otherwise, it will become chewy. A well-seasoned stone helps to stand higher heat – so you need to season the stone properly before you start.

Pizza stones can be damaged for many reasons. The extremely high heat and lack of proper seasoning can also damage it. So, it is very crucial to take proper care of your stone. 

A well-seasoned stone means it has been used for several times. Thus it becomes non-sticky. Its non-sticky features protect the pizza from sticking on the surface. It is less time-consuming to clean it. 

So, the more you use your pizza stone, the more it will become non-sticky and easier to remove the food particles from its surface. 

One of the best benefits of using a well-seasoned pizza stone is, it adds an extra mouth-watering taste. 

A pizza that has been cooked on a properly seasoned stone gives a smoky and flavorful texture. It is easy to use and also easy to clean, even though you do not need to scrub it. 

Another advantageous part of pizza stone – it will remain robust after using for a while and become better with time. It will help you to cook a perfect light brown colored crispy pizza. You also get a pizza with perfect stretchy cheese and a delightful taste.

Clean Your Pizza Stone Following These Easy 3 Methods!

However, there are many techniques available to clean the stone. But remember, inappropriate cleaning can impair the efficiency of the stone.  

If you need to clean your pizza stone, I will mention three easy methods. Do not worry! These techniques do not damage and ruin your stone.

Clean The Pizza Stone Using Your Hand

In this method, you can easily clean the pizza stone by using your hand, and it is one of the easiest techniques to follow. 

Note: Hand gloves and Brush or scrape are required. 

• Before you start, you need to cool down the stone completely, and it should be at your room temperature. Use hand gloves, do it carefully, and do not burn your hand.
• Use a brush or scrape to remove the burnt food particles from the surface. Scrape it gently. Never apply soap on the stone.
• As the stone is porous, soap will stick inside the stone and give a soap-like taste to your prepared food. 
• Wipe the pizza stone gently with a damp cloth if required. Then soak it in plain water overnight. 

But remember, your stone absorbs much water; it needs to completely dry for a week for better results. 

If you are running out of time, then leave it for 2-3 hours. Otherwise, it will look dry but contain water inside it.

Warning – Do not use a metal brush or spatula; it will create unwanted scratches on your pizza stone.

Clean The Pizza Stone with Baking Soda

If you are not satisfied with the first method, then you can apply the second one. Baking soda has been known as one of the safest cleaners to clean the pizza stone. 

Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which works wonderfully against stubborn dirt and grease.

Step–1: You need to take equal amounts of warm water and baking soda in a bowl. Then mix it properly until it forms a paste. 

Its consistency should be like toothpaste. Baking soda is a safe option as it does not alter the original taste of food.

Step–2: Remove all the food particles with a spatula. Be gentle; otherwise, the stone can crackdown. Then scrub the baking soda solution with a brush. Apply it on the dark spot areas in a small circular motion. 

Step–3: Then wipe it off using a damp cloth and pay close attention to the affected area. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, repeat the scrubbing process again until it becomes lighter. After that, keep it dry completely. 

The Last Method – Self-Cleaning Function

If you do not get your desired result from the above two methods, then why do you not use this last technique?

So let me explain.

But before starting, you should bear in mind that you should limit the use of this technique to one time. Clean your oven until all the grease and dirt are cleared. Remember, you should keep your oven-dry before starting self-cleaning.

Remove all the food particles and initial grease from the stone. Now put the stone in the oven at 500 degrees. Then start the self-cleaning function. You should continuously monitor the pizza stone through the oven window. 

The self-cleaning function will remove all the remaining dark spots. You should keep it overnight to cool down. 

How To Take Care And Maintain Your Pizza Stone

There is nothing more disappointing than cracking a well-seasoned pizza stone. To erase all sorts of disappointments and make your cooking happy – you need to maintain and take proper care of your pizza stone.

Now I will discuss some basics for maintaining a prolonged lifespan of your pizza stone. 

• You should use a wire or stone brush instead of using a metal brush. Wire brushes do not damage the stone, and they are robust. 
• Do not use steel or metal cleaners as they are too sharp so they can easily cause cracking or other defects.
• Keep your stone dry after cleaning it. If you do not dry it properly, then water will remain inside. 
• When you bake it in the oven, the water will put extra internal pressure on the stone. It may cause cracking. So, proper drying is very important to maintain the stone.
• Never use soap. As the stone is porous, this soap can stick inside into the pores of the stone. 
• It will take more time to dry and have a huge potential risk of cracking. However, the stone may look clean, but the soap will leave a soapy taste. 
• You should not clean it in running water because running water may penetrate deeply. So it will become difficult to dry it and also take more time to completely dry. 
• That’s why I recommend you to use an old towel. Make the towel a bit wet, and then use the towel to wipe the pizza stone.  
• Try to heat above 450 degrees F. So, you can easily remove the remaining food debris, and it is easy to clean.

What If I Used Soap On My Pizza Stone?

As I mentioned earlier, it is better not to use soap on the pizza stone. But if you accidentally use it – then what to do?

I will give you a simple solution to this problem – you need to rinse the stone with clear water properly. Then keep it dry for a while. There is still a chance that soap will leave a soapy taste in your pizza, but it may not taste delicious.  

Should I Oil My Pizza Stone?

You can apply oil as much as required. But remember, never put excessive oil, as it will make the stone soften and can cause cracking. 

You can use flaxseed oil for better results. Also, Flaxseed oil is edible, so instead of using any other oils, go for this one, and it will also ensure complete coating.

How Long Do I Need to Heat My Pizza Stone?

You should preheat the pizza stone for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. It will make the pizza stone hot enough to make the crust crispy enough.