How to Use Granite as a Pizza Stone

Use a granite pizza stone to give your pizza an authentic brick-oven taste.

Instead of spending money on restaurant brick-oven pizza, try making your own, using a pizza stone, at home. Granite pizza stones work by heating the pizza quickly and thoroughly, and creating a crispy crust. The porous surface of the stone allows steam and moisture to escape from under the dough, leaving the crust crispy and the toppings soft and juicy. Use your granite pizza stone correctly and your pizza will turn out just right. Does this Spark an idea?

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Granite pizza stone
Paddle or rimless baking sheet
Ingredients for pizza

Instructions

- 1
  
  Purchase a granite pizza stone online or at a baking-supply store. If you prefer, you can save money by purchasing granite tile at a hardware or tile store, but make sure you get unglazed tile that's at least 1 inch thick. It should be large enough to hold your pizza but still fit into your oven. You can also purchase several smaller tiles that can be placed together inside the oven.
- 2
  
  Wash your tile with warm water. Do not use soap on granite stone because the pores will absorb the soap and give your pizza a soapy flavor. Allow the stone to dry for several hours; if it's not thoroughly dried, it'll crack when it gets hot.
- 3
  
  Place the stone in a cold oven. Leave 1 inch of airspace around the the sides of the stone. Turn the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and allow the stone to heat for at least an hour. Make your pizza while the stone is heating.
- 4
  
  Slide pizza onto the stone using a pizza paddle.
  
  Slide your pizza onto the granite stone using a paddle or a rimless baking sheet. Bake the pizza until done and remove it from the oven. Leave the stone in the oven.
- 5
  
  Turn the oven off and allow the stone to cool. The stone will remain hot for several hours; let it cool completely before removing it from the oven.