Pizza, Pizza Recipes, Pizza Making Hints and Tips

Pizza Stone: A baking stone should be placed on the lowest oven shelf and preheated with the oven. Once pre-heated, the stone evenly transfers intense heat to the food being cooked, ensuring a particularly crisply baked base.

As to if it might crack, this I do not know, as I have never had it happen. I always place the cold pizza stone in a cold oven. I then turn on the oven to preheat oven and stone. Once the stone is hot, I do not remove it from the oven. I place the pizza on the hot stone in the oven.

Cleaning Pizza Stones: Think of your pizza baking stone as a sponge; it will soak up everything put on it. These "stones" are actually molded sand, tightly compacted under high pressure. Like sand on the beach, they will suck in any liquid exposed to the surface. Anything else in the water -- including soap -- goes right into the stone. Manufacturers warn you to use only clear, plain water to clean a baking stone.

First, completely submerge your baking stone in warm, clear, plain water for 15-20 minutes. This should thoroughly saturate the stone with clean water and dilute the soap residue. Next, remove the stone from the water and place it on a pie cooling rack on your kitchen counter. Allow the stone to dry completely overnight.

Repeat the same soaking and drying process five or six nights in a row. After the last round, bake some pizza dough on the stone. If the pizza stone still smells, I'm afraid your stone is destined for the trash

Dough Docker: Thin pizza crusts usually need to be well docked to help control blistering and bubble formation during baking. This just means to prick it all over the middle part (not the edges) so that it doesn't inflate. Either use a dough docker or use a fork to prick the dough thoroughly.

Baker's or Pizza Peel: Also known as a pizza shovel. It is a long-handled, wide wooden or metal spatula-like implement that slides quickly and easily under the pizza, keeping hands safely out of the fiery oven. It is used for moving pizzas to and from an oven. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the surface of a baker's or pizza peel before using.

Pizza Tips:

A helpful hint is to put a piece of parchment paper on the peel instead of using cornmeal. I place the rolled-out pizza dough on the parchment paper and then add the toppings. The parchment goes into the oven with the pizza. This makes it easier to slide the pizza off the peel and onto the baking stone.
If you don't have a peel, an upside-down cookie sheet will do if you use parchment paper. Just slide the pizza onto the stone with the paper.
Does pizza have to be a circle? - You can make them triangular, square, diamond, or anything else you can imagine. Just change the shape of your pan to the shape of a crust that fits your imagination.