A pizza stone is a large, circular cooking slab made from ceramic, stone, or salt. Though they’re designed to cook pizza as if you were using a brick oven, pizza stones are also great for making fresh bread, biscuits, and other items.
1
Place the pizza stone in conventional oven. For cooking pizza and cookies, the top rack in the center is the ideal location. For cooking bread, biscuits, and other items, the middle rack in the center is the better choice.
2
Start with a cold oven. Never put a cold pizza stone in a hot oven, as it can shatter due to thermal shock.
In fact, make sure never to expose the pizza stone to rapid temperature shifts. Placing a frozen pizza on a pizza stone is almost as likely to result in a shattered stone as placing a cold stone in a hot oven. You're better off cooking your frozen pizza straight on the rack.
3
Pre-heat the oven (if necessary) with the pizza stone in it.
4
Place the food item on the pizza stone with a pizza paddle. Do not grease or oil. For breads and pizza crust, you may want to add a little cornmeal to aid removal.
It can take a little finessing to get used to, but a pizza paddle is a useful instrument, especially for transferring uncooked pizza dough onto the stone. There are three different kinds of peels — short-handled wooden peels, long-handled wooden peels, and metal peels. For the average person cooking at home, the short-handled wooden peel will probably work best.
If you don't want to use cornmeal under your dough, you can also use flour. Rice flour is a great way to ensure the dough doesn't stick to your paddle
5
Leave the pizza stone in the oven, at least until it is entirely cool. You do not have to remove it at all, as it can add to a "brick oven effect" that actually helps your oven retain and spread heat more evenly. You can put cooking dishes, pots, pans, cookie trays, and so on right on the stone.
