The Pizza Stone: An Invaluable Kitchen Tool

Many years ago my husband purchased a pizza stone for me from the home party company Pampered Chef. I'd never used one before and was not very convinced that it was a worthwhile purchase. Nonetheless, the pizza stone would eventually become one of my most used and valued kitchen tools. Not only do I use it for heating frozen pizzas, but I've found it to be a great tool for preparing biscuits, dinner rolls, cookies and various hot hor d'œuvres.

Pizza stones are made of natural or earthen stone. They are able to be heated at extremely high temperatures and are believed to more evenly distribute heat while cooking. As with cast iron skillets, stones also absorb the flavors of foods that are cooked on them overtime. All of these wonderful flavors are then also absorbed by whatever food one is preparing on the stone making them absolutely delicious.

Pizza Stones Make Great Pizza

My husband is a huge fan of pizza. He especially enjoys one that is loaded with veggies. Over the last few years, a number of frozen pizza companies have begun to offer a wide variety of vegetable toppings. One of my favorites is somewhat of a Greek style offering sliced tomatoes, spinach and goat cheese as toppings.

In the past I had a disdain for frozen pizza. Most often it would taste like a combination of cardboard and rubber. Nonetheless, after using the pizza stone for the last several years, pizza has become a constant on my dinner table. When preparing pizza on the stone, one can expect it to be crispy, chewy (but not gummy) and evenly cooked.

Pizza Stones Make Delicious Breads and Desserts

Most often I use my stone to prepare a variety of breads such as biscuits, dinner rolls and bread sticks. As with pizza, the bread is nice and crispy on the outside, but not too dry on the inside. This same concept makes it a wonderful choice for baking a number of desserts including cookies, waffles (I top them with fresh fruit and whip cream) and pastries.

The pizza stone can also be used to prepare various other goodies. It is ideal for frozen or store bought appetizers (like crab cakes, egg rolls and breaded shrimp) and everyday snacks (like french fries, onion rings and pretzels).

I currently own both a round and rectangular pizza stone. To care for it, I wash the stone with warm water usually using a sprayer to remove all residue (using no soap or detergents). After washing, I allow the stone to air dry. Periodically, I also season my stones with a little olive oil.