How to Keep Pizza From Sticking to Stone

Last week I decided to try making some homemade pizza for a second time. I assembled all the necessary ingredients and carefully prepared them. After everything was in order, I slid my pizza into the oven and left it to cook. Then came the time to get it out of the oven. I tried sliding it from the stone, but it had literally stuck!

It was a stressful experience at first since I had no idea what to do. Ideally, pizza stones crisp the base of the pizza and prevent the toppings from overcooking. And now here I was with a serrated knife in my hand, trying to get the pizza off the stone. The trick worked, but where did I go wrong?

No matter how perfect we try to be in the kitchen, sometimes mistakes happen. So read on to understand how to prevent your pizza from sticking onto the stone.

Keeping Pizza From Sticking to the Stone

There are a few tricks to prevent the pizza from sticking onto the stone but first, let us understand why the pizza dough might stick onto the stone.

1. Your dough might be too wet.
2. Maybe you are lifting the pizza too soon. If you try to rotate the pizza too quickly, the base will still be moist and stick onto the surface. Give it time so that the bottom can get crispy enough.
3. Your dough might have a hole in it. A hole in the dough will make your pizza toppings fall off, thus making the pizza stick onto the stone.

Tricks to Prevent the Pizza From Sticking onto the Stone

Here are a few tricks to ensure that your pizza doesn’t stick onto the stone.

i) Keep the stone clean

Your pizza stone should be free of any leftover pizza pieces and bread crusts. Once you place pizza dough on a dirty surface, the charred pieces and the dough stick together onto the stone. To prevent any sticking chances on the stone, ensure that it is dusted after every use. You can also wash it with water to get off any stubborn dirt that might have stuck onto it.

ii) Use the perfect temperatures

Always preheat your oven with the pizza stone in it for up to 20 minutes before the baking process begins. Baking at the correct temperatures is also essential in ensuring that the pizza base is well-crusted. A baking temperature of between 475 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal.

iii) Dusting

Use enough flour or cornmeal to dust your dough. Ensure that it is brushed on the base with sufficient flour before you place it on the stone. The flour will act as a moisture barrier that prevents the pizza from sticking to the stone.

iv) Have a pizza peel

A pizza peel is used in placing the pizza into the oven and retrieving it. If your pizza slides properly from the peel, then there are lesser chances of the pizza sticking onto the stone. If you don’t have a peel nearby, you can use potholders to remove the stone from the oven then slide the pizza off it.

v) Make smaller pizzas

Another great way to ensure your pizza doesn’t stick on the stone is by making smaller pizzas. This solution does help, but it doesn’t solve the problem entirely.

How to Keep Pizza Dough From Sticking to Stone

Ideally, the dough tends to be sticky. It will stick on your rolling pin, on the working surface, especially if it is not floured. That stickiness is essential, so the dough stays together, but it can be a problem if it sticks onto the pizza stone. So how do you keep the dough from sticking onto the stone?

• Ensure that the stone is in the oven before it is turned on.

Pizza stones cannot handle drastic temperature changes. Before you begin to bake, ensure that the stone is in it, so it heats before placing the pizza onto it. During the transfer of the pizza into the oven, the stone should still remain inside the oven. However, you will require a pizza peel to easily slide the pizza without the risk of oven burns.

• The dough should not be too wet.

When preparing the pizza dough, ensure that it does not feel too sticky. If it is very moist, then add some more flour. Ensure you also flour your working surface and the pizza peel so that there will be no problems when transferring the pizza into the oven.

How to Make a Pizza Stone Non-stick

Pizza tends to stick at its edges a lot. If you use the pizza stone and the pizza sticks every time, it is wise to consider ways to prevent it. Here are some ways to make the stone non-stick.

• Flour the stone

Applying some flour on your stone does work the magic in preventing pizza from sticking onto it. The flour may, however, burn during the baking process. It is also advised to avoid using cornmeal on the stone. You might be wondering why. Well, once the cornmeal flour heats up and burns, you might end up having the cornmeal taste on your pizza. I know you wouldn’t want that.

• Vegetable oil

Oil is a suitable method for making stone non-stick. However, there is a potential risk of your stone cracking, especially if you are a pizza enthusiast.

• Tinfoil

Foil is definitely safe to be used in the oven. Place it onto the stone so that your pizza doesn’t get stuck on it.

See on Video how to Keep Pizza From Sticking to Stone

Frequently asked questions(FAQS)