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Cookware & bakeware · Bakeware

Baking stone / pizza stone

A thick slab of stone or ceramic that stores oven heat to bake crisp-based pizza and bread.

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What it is

A flat round or rectangular slab of cordierite, ceramic or clay, about 1–2 cm thick. Preheated in the oven, it absorbs heat and releases it straight into the base of the dough, imitating the floor of a brick oven. A baking steel does the same job with metal, which transfers heat faster.

What it’s for: Giving pizza, flatbreads and loaves a crisp, well-browned bottom.

How to use it

  1. Place the stone in a cold oven and preheat at the highest setting for 45 minutes or more.
  2. Assemble pizza on a floured peel or upturned baking tray.
  3. Slide it onto the hot stone with a quick jerk.
  4. Bake until crisp, then remove with the peel; leave the stone to cool in the oven.

Good to know

Tasks
baking pizza, baking bread and flatbreads, baking naan-style breads
Cooking methods
Oven-baked
Materials
cordierite, ceramic, clay
Care and cleaning
Scrape off residue once cool; never use soap, as the porous stone absorbs it. Dark stains are normal.
Limitations
Heavy, long preheat, and can crack with thermal shock.

Safety

  • Do not wet a hot stone or put a cold one into a hot oven; it can crack.
  • It stays hot for a long time; let it cool in the oven.

If you don’t have one

Equipment guide

How it works: A thick slab stores a lot of heat during a long preheat. When dough goes on, the stone conducts that heat straight into the base, quickly setting and puffing the crust and drying the underside before the toppings soak it. Its porous surface also absorbs some moisture from the dough.

MaterialGoodWatch out
CordieriteResists thermal shock better than most stone; common and durable.Still needs a long preheat (about 45–60 minutes).
Clay or ceramicTraditional and porous.Cracks more easily with sudden temperature changes.
Cast iron pizza panNearly unbreakable; stores heat well.Heavy; can rust.
Round stone
30–38 cm.
Rectangular stone
Uses more of the oven shelf.
Pizza-oven floor stone
Used in outdoor pizza ovens.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A rectangular cordierite stone 1–2 cm thick, a little smaller than your oven shelf.

  • Thickness: 1–2 cm (thicker stores more heat but takes longer)
  • Leaves at least 2–3 cm of space around it for air flow
  • Rated for your oven's maximum temperature

No brands or prices — check current reviews before buying.

Techniques:BakingTandoor cooking

Related tools

Recipes that use it