There are some people out there who still go about making pizzas at home without the help of a pizza stone. They believe, with the proper chef and the right ingredients, how you bake a pizza is immaterial. It’ll be just as good baked in a regular oven as it would otherwise. They’d know better if only they tried a Pampered Chef pizza stone once.
So how do you use a Pampered Chef pizza stone? The Pampered Chef pizza stone is made of clay, so it should not be preheated prior to going into the oven. You should also avoid extreme heat with the Pampered Chef, as it’s not meant to absorb it. You should also season your Pampered Chef pizza stone before using it, as this will impart additional flavor to your pie.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the basics of using a Pampered Chef pizza stone, as well as go over all of the benefits, as well as some of the present drawbacks of a clay stone.
Using a Pampered Chef Pizza Stone The Right Way
Pampered Chef Pizza Stone instructions are not complicated, but let me walk you through them. Here’s the easiest explanation of how to use a pizza stone by Pampered Chef brand:
- Before you start doing anything else, you should preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the stone by spreading the flour and cornmeal on the surface. This prevents the dough from sticking.
- Place the dough in the stone’s center and pat it down along the edges of the stone.
- Stretch the dough until it forms a rim for the crust.
- Add sauce, toppings, and cheese in whatever order you deem appropriate.
- Place the pizza stone in the oven. Bake until your pizza is golden brown – typically about 12-18 minutes.
That’s basically all you need to do to prepare a pizza on a Pampered Chef. Cleaning one, however, is a little more involved and important because it will give your pizza stone a long, healthy life.
How to Clean a Pampered Chef Pizza Stone
You should clean your pizza stone after each use to ensure it lasts a long time and doesn’t retain any food particles that could ruin your next pizza. There are a few items you’ll need before you’re ready to clean the stone. However, you’re not going to need all of them for every session.
It’s just worth having them nearby in case you run into any stubborn bits of food.
- Plastic spatula – avoid metal spatulas as they can damage your stone
- Dough scraper
- Damp rag
- Stone brush
- Blunt table knife
- Sandpaper
- Scouring pads
- Toothbrush
Cleaning the Stone
- Allow the stone to cool to room temperature. This can take a while, as it was just over 400 degrees, so avoid touching it for a few hours.
- Using the damp rag or dough scraper, scrape away food particles.
- Make a paste using 1 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
- Spread the paste on any stains or flaking you see. Flaking is a process you’ll only notice after years of use and it can damage the seasoning. Let the paste stand for 15 minutes.
- Wipe away the paste. Rinse in warm water and allow the stone to dry.
Since this is a clay stone, it doesn’t absorb the same way other stones do, so water is not as damaging. You still generally want to keep it as dry as possible.
Seasoning Maintenance
Because it’s made of clay, a Pampered Chef pizza stone will lose its seasoning with time. Because it’s porous, it takes on the taste of the food that’s been made on it. This is why it can be wise to cook other things that will add a bit of flavor, such as a buttery dozen cookies.
That also means there are things you’ll want to avoid cooking on it unless you want a pizza that tastes like a mackerel you caught off the Sound.
But proper cleaning can make the seasoning last longer, which is why it’s so important to keep your stone clean.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the Pampered Chef is that while it retains heat and gives an excellent, crispy crust, that heat is often distributed unevenly. It can be a major issue when you’re trying to make a pizza with a lot of toppings.
The Benefits of Stoneware by Pampered Chef
There are many advantages to baking with Pampered Chef stoneware. The stone itself heats evenly, and above all retains that heat. The results are then exceptionally crisp and well done, and the interior of the dough is moist and soft. It evenly bakes and roasts different types of food to perfection.
To use it the right way, you should apply baking times and the right temperatures as you would with any other bakeware. However, if you’re handling food that takes less than 10 minutes to be ready, you will probably need to bake it for an additional minute or two.
Is It Worth Buying One?
If you’re considering getting this stone for making and baking the perfect crispy pizzas, keep in mind that they are a bit pricey, but they are also worth it. They come pre-seasoned and perfectly oven-safe. You can also use it for other kinds of baking because, unlike the aluminum trays, it won’t conduct the heat and get hotter than your oven.
Overall, it’s a solid cooking device that provides a lot of flavor to your food, particularly in the first few years of ownership. Clay is a tool that only talented chefs enjoy working with, and if you have a knack for it, it can result in some excellent dishes.