The hot, unglazed surface of a pizza stone helps create the ideal chewy, crispy consistency of an authentic pizza crust. If you've purchased the Williams-Sonoma Pizza Stone, it probably seems too simple, but the square of tile is the secret to getting foods that are evenly heated, have the right consistency and best of all, won't stick to the stone. The best way to season or prepare your Williams-Sonoma Pizza Stone for baking is to use it often.
Step 1
Place the stone in a cold oven only and preheat it with the oven. Since the stone is made from terracotta, it's brittle and prone to breakage. Placing a cold stone in a hot oven can result in cracking, which renders the stone useless. When you're ready to place your food on the stone, remove it hot from the oven and then replace it after you've added the food.
Step 2
Bake foods that don't contain butter or oil the first few times that you use your stone. Because the stone is unglazed, hot oil or butter will cause the stone to smoke during cooking. In fact, the Williams-Sonoma website specifically recommends avoiding baking cookies at first, which can be especially troublesome. Once the stone is seasoned and hardened, it's fine to cook with oil and butter.
Step 3
Bake with your stone often. The best way to season a Williams-Sonoma Pizza Stone is to allow the natural oils from your food to seal the porous surface of the stone. You'll notice that when you use the stone, it becomes darker with patches that look like stains. These are normal. As you use your stone, the surface will eventually become smoother and shinier, meaning it becomes truly nonstick for the best results.
Step 4
Wash your stone with water only. Using soap can cause the bitter taste of the soap to become trapped in the porous stone as part of the seasoning process. Your Williams-Sonoma Pizza Stone is not dishwasher safe. When you're finished using it, allow it to cool and then run it under water as you brush away any crumbs.
Step 5
Store your pizza stone in your oven. Even when you cook other items, you can place the cookware directly on the stone for even heating. If you're cooking with heavy cookware, move the stone to a lower rack. Allowing your stone to heat often will harden the surface for quicker seasoning, and it saves space in your kitchen.
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Brush
- Oven
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