Before grilling your pizza, it’s important to know how to use and clean a pizza stone for grilling. This kitchen utensil is perfect for cooking grilled pizzas, thanks to its ability to absorb and retain heat. It is also an excellent surface for crisping crusts and baking pies in the oven.
To make your pie crust crispy on top or bottom, the key is ensuring sufficient moisture. Make sure your dough has been brushed with olive oil before placing it on the hot stone. If you want some quick pointers about how to get started with making delicious grilled pizza, keep reading!
Why Should You Use A Pizza Stone?
We know that you want your pizza to be the best it can possibly taste, but many kitchen appliances just aren’t made for cooking such a great homemade pie.
Conventional ovens and grills lack the necessary initial heat to make the crust crispy without overcooking the toppings. The reason is that they cook too slowly. This makes soggy dough pizzas that are no better than some cardboard takeout boxes.
There are many benefits to using this type of stone, but the most significant is that it provides you with faster cook times and better crust. A pizza stone is a great kitchen tool to help you make crispy crust pizzas. The high-heat transfer gives your oven the same quality as brick ovens and cooks your food faster than traditional methods like baking sheets or pans.
How To Use A Pizza Stone For Grilling
If you’ve always wanted to make a pizza from scratch but aren’t sure how the process works, then it’s time to clarify everything.
Choose The Right Stone For The Grill
To grill pizza properly, you should only use stones that are manufactured for grilling. Not all baking stones can withstand the high temperatures of a charcoal or gas grill.
If you’re unsure whether your stone is designed to be used on an open flame, consult its manufacturer before using it outdoors. This way, there will never again be frustration when guests come over and discover they don’t have anything to eat other than store-bought chips!
Preheat Your Pizza Stone
One of the best things about pizza stones is that they retain a lot of heat. Before cooking, you’ll want to preheat it on your grill for at least 10 minutes so it can cook pizzas quickly and evenly.
If you plan to use your stone during mealtime with other foods, be sure that it’s placed off one side. This will prevent accidentally breaking this kitchen accessory if hot oil splashes onto its surface during use.
In case you’re using a charcoal grill, place your stone on the grates before lighting it. Even if you are starting with a chimney, put the stone near it so that it comes up to temperature at the same time as your coals and grill.
After arranging glowing embers in your charcoal grill, move where the position of pizza stones is for easy access when cooking. Close lid or cover while increasing heat from fire!
Once you are ready to grill your pizza, ensure that the oven’s temperature gauge reaches between 400 and 500 degrees F. Close up or place a cover on it to trap heat inside. Grill until desired golden brownness is reached before taking off from the heat source with a peel.
Prep Your Pizza
Cooking with live flames can be difficult, but preventing your dough from sticking by using a pizza peel is possible. A metal one will not catch fire when you use it for grilling pizzas because the heat won’t transfer as well as baking in an oven.
Always sprinkle cornmeal or semolina on top of your peels before placing any doughs onto them so that they don’t stick and tear apart while being slid across hot surfaces.
Topping your pizza with too many ingredients can produce a soggy crust, which will stick to the stone. It is best to go light on toppings and flavors so that you do not ruin your delicious meal before it even reaches its destination!
Transfer Your Pizza Onto Your Pizza Stone
It’s best to get your grill ready first. Open your grill’s hood to sprinkle an even layer of semolina or cornmeal onto the stone just before cooking it.
If you wait too long, this important step may burn up! Now gently slide your uncooked pizza on by pointing one end at 45 degrees to rest in place once centered on the stone itself.
Bake Your Pizza
Let your pizza cook for a while by covering it up with the grill hood or lid. This will allow heat from inside and outside of the food to combine, leading to an evenly cooked pie that is not burned on one side like pizzas baked in ovens.
We all know that waiting for the pizza to cook on the grill can be difficult, but you’ll only need five to eight minutes. This is because using a stone helps it get really hot and cooks your crust quickly!
Remove Your Pizza From The Grill
Sometimes things don’t always go as planned when it comes to baking your pizza. If the crust is sticking, use a large spatula or peel and slowly scrape off any pieces of dough by applying pressure against the stone before sliding out what’s left of your pie with ease.
If you are struggling with the crust being too hot to move around, turn off your grill just in case and use a spatula or tongs for safe transportation. Cut up the finished product into slices afterward!
When your pizza dough sticks to the stone, put the dough on a sheet of aluminum foil and then put it in your oven. Never add oil directly on top of the pizza stone, as this will prevent it from working properly.
How to Clean and Care for a Pizza Stone
Hot Water
A good way to clean this tool is by using hot water and scraping off any leftover cheese once it has cooled. Scrape the surface with a sturdy spatula, but don’t submerge your stone in water directly, or you may damage it.
Baking Soda
If your pizza stone has a funky smell, try cleaning it with baking soda paste. Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon water and scrub the board with a dish brush. Then wipe off the excess powder before leaving it in low heat for about an hour or two until dry.
Note: Do not spray a hot pizza stone with water when you are trying to clean it. This will cause the temperature difference and almost certainly crack your stone! Let it cool down slowly before attempting to clean it up.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a new way to cook pizza, try cooking it on the grill with a stone. A pizza stone will not only keep your crust crispy but also provide an even heat distribution throughout your entire pie. Plus, there is no need to use oil or butter when using this method!
Cleaning and caring for this utensil are easy too. Just make sure you always clean before storing them away to avoid any bacteria buildup.
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