Pizza is a very important dish of Italian food and despite the fact that there are many variations in the ingredients and cooking methods, we always try to reach the original recipe prepared by hand and in wood-fired ovens. This is how refractory stone for conventional and electric ovens appears, allowing you to prepare pizzas at home with high-quality results.
Professional pizza ovens reach temperatures between 300 - 400 celsius degrees, while domestic ovens only reach 250 degrees approximately, this large difference can be partially remedied thanks to the use of refractory stone. Its ability to absorb moisture, store heat and distribute it evenly while maintaining a high temperature are decisive for quality cooking in less time.
Refractory stone is composed of refractory materials cooked at high temperatures, such as clay or cordierite (polymorphic rock composed of aluminum, iron and magnesium). The result is a porous material that resists and stores high temperatures, achieving remarkable results; a soft and crispy dough and a sauce that maintains the moisture and fragrance of its ingredients.
There are different structures of refractory stones, the smooth/flat stones that provide all the benefits described above and the stones with longitudinal channels, which help the convective movement of heat, offering faster heating.
In terms of thickness, the advantage of a fine stone lies in the faster heating rate and the better absorption of moisture, but at the same time it will tend to cool down earlier because it stores less heat. A thicker refractory stone will take longer to heat up, but will be able to absorb more heat and hold it longer.
Cleaning the refractory pizza stone
It is very important to use the stone correctly and pay attention to cleaning methods, since due to its composition it is a fragile material. It is particularly susceptible to temperature and cleaning products.
It is recommended never to put the cold stone in an oven that is already hot, the difference in temperature could cause cracks in the stone. And at the end of cooking, it is convenient to wait until the stone is cold before starting to clean it.
As we mentioned earlier, the stone is composed of a porous material that absorbs moisture, which is why a large amount of water should not be used to clean it as it could compromise the resistance of the stone when absorbed. The same goes for cleaning products which, in turn, could add harmful effects.
Neither should oil be used in cleaning or cooking, the stone is naturally non-stick.
Cleaning tips;
- Wait until the stone is cold to start cleaning
- Remove any food remains that have remained after cooking with a spatula or brush.
- With a damp but well wrung sponge, gently pass over the stone
- You can also use salt to rub and remove the last remains of food.
We hope this information is useful to you and that you can get the most out of your refractory stone... allora buon appetito!
If you want to learn more about this and other topics related to electrical devices, you can check out our blog and also follow us on social media. At Fiyo we have a wide range of kits to keep your equipment in perfect condition and many spare parts in case you want to do a repair yourself.
