Do it Yourself Pizza Stone

Making a pizza stone takes very little time, is expensive and helps produce a well-baked pizza.

Pizza stones are a type of cookware dedicated to baking pizza that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Purchasing a pizza stone can be costly; you can avoid much of the expense by making a durable, effective pizza stone yourself with just a little time and a few basic materials.

Things You'll Need

• Unglazed tiles
• Tape measure
• Water
• Towel
• Oven
• Oven mitts
• Paddle or rimless cookie sheet

Instructions

Making the Pizza Stone

1. Open your oven door, and check your oven's interior width. Write down this measurement, and take it with you when you shop for your pizza stone materials.

2. Check your local home improvement center for unglazed quarry tiles. Glazed tile contains lead and should not be used for cooking purposes.

3. Use a tape measure to check the thickness of the unglazed quarry tiles. The tiles you use should measure ½ to 1 inch thick. Measure the width of the tile. Check that measurement against your oven's interior width. The tile should be small enough to fit in your oven and leave at least 1 inch of space on each side of the stone.

4. Rinse off the unglazed tile thoroughly with water. Refrain from using soap or other chemicals, which the tile can absorb. Clean the tile with a towel, and give the tile several hours to dry. Then, inspect the tile thoroughly for any signs of moisture. If the tile is still wet when used, the oven's heat may cause the tile to crack.

5. Slide the dry pizza stone onto the oven rack. Check to ensure at least 1 inch of space remains on all sides of the stone. Place a pizza onto a rimless cookie sheet or paddle. Use the paddle or cookie sheet to transfer, or slide, the pizza onto the pizza stone.

6. Bake the pizza according to the directions on the pizza package. Once the pizza has finished baking, turn off the oven and remove the pizza by sliding it out with the paddle or cookie sheet.

Tips & Warnings

• One unglazed tile makes an effective pizza stone for 12-inch pizzas. For a larger pizza, place two or more 6-inch wide stones side by side in your oven to support the pizza.

• Always wear oven mitts when placing food in and removing food from a hot oven.

References

• PlanetGreen.com: DIY: Make a Homemade Pizza Stone for $5 Dollars; Marye Audet; September 2009
• The Paupered Chef; How to Make a 3 Dollar Pizza Stone; Nick Kindelsperger; February 2010

Resources

• "The Art of Pizza Making: Trade Secrets and Recipes"; Dominick A. DeAngelis and Suzanne Ling; 2009