How to Clean Baked on Cheese Off a Pizza Stone

Pizza stones are porous rocks used to evenly cook a pizza in an oven. When cheese or other materials burn onto the stone, many people feel unsure about what methods to use when cleaning. The following steps can performed to completely clean baked on cheese and other debris from a pizza stone while keeping it safe and the finish intact.

Things You'll Need

• Scrub brush
• Plastic cooking scraper
• Baking soda
• Grill

Instructions

1. Place the pizza stone in the oven and run the self-cleaning cycle. The extreme heat produced completely burns cheese away. A substantial amount of smoke is produced during this cycle. Use an oven exhaust fan, if available, to suck the smoke out of the house. Alternatively, a stand-up fan facing an open door can be used to suck out excess smoke.

2. Allow the pizza stone to dry for several days. Place it in an oven on low heat for an hour to ensure no moisture is left on the stone. Scrub the baked on cheese clean using a heavy duty scrub brush.

3. Soak the pizza stone in hot water for several minutes. Scrape cheese and any other debris off with a plastic cooking scraper. Allow the pizza stone to dry thoroughly before using it again.

4. Mix two parts baking soda with one part water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the encrusted section of the pizza stone and scrub using the scrub brush. Rinse well and allow the stone to dry before using it again.

5. Put the pizza stone in a gas grill and close the lid. Turn the heat all the way up and allow it to bake for several hours. Open the lid and allow all the smoke to exit. All cheese or other debris should be baked away. Follow with a soak in hot water. If any additional crust remains, scrub it using a scrub brush.

Tips & Warnings

• Pizza stones can be left in the oven at all times. Place it on the bottom rack when not in use. When baking other goods or running self cleaning cycles, the heat will routinely clean the stone.

• Never clean the pizza stone with soap or any other chemicals. Pizza stones are porous and will absorb the chemicals and potentially release them back onto the pizza being cooked. Always allow pizza stones to cool after extreme heat therapy. They will be very hot for a long period of time. Ensure it is completely cool and safe to the touch by pouring a small amount of water onto the stone. If it sizzles or evaporates, wait at least another hour, and administer the test again.