Cleaning the stone is so easy, you'll be making homemade pizza every night.
Many people shy away from using a pizza stone when cooking because the stones can be difficult to clean. The material is porous, which means soap and water should not be use. Soap can absorb into the stone, ruining the taste of the pizza. Water can absorb into the stone and cause it to crack. Cleaning a pizza stone without soap and water is actually a simple process that takes minimal effort.
Scraping
Find a scrape that is safe for your pizza stone. Pampered Chef makes an excellent scraper that will keep your pizza stone safe while scraping food off it, but you could also use a putty knife as long as it is only used for scraping your stone. Allow your stone to cool completely before scraping.
Scrape the food, sauce, or toppings off of your pizza stone. Wipe down with a dry paper towel. Since pizza stones are intended to absorb flavors and smells each time you cook, you do not need to worry about any oils left behind from the foods. These are good for the stone and help the seasoning process.
Self-Cleaning Oven Method
Put your pizza stone in the oven when you run the self-cleaning feature. Place it on the lowest rack and forget about it. The heat from the cleaning cycle will burn off anything left on the stone. When the cleaning cycle is completed, allow to cool completely and then wipe off any ashes left behind.
If your oven does not have a self-cleaning feature, you can still use this method. Simply put the stone in the oven, set it to the highest available temperature and let it bake for at least an hour. Allow to cool, and then wipe clean.
Perpetual Cleaning Method
Leave your stone on the lowest rack of the oven at all times. It will constantly be heated up and cooled down and this will continually burn off any food left behind on the stone. When you want to use the pizza stone, take it out of the oven and wipe it off with a dry cloth. When you bake on the lower rack of the oven, simply place the pan on top of the stone. The stone will help to distribute heat evenly and your food will actually come out better that way.
Some brands of pizza stone specifically recommend keeping the stone in the oven at all times for seasoning and cleaning purposes. Other brands suggest that you keep the stone in a cool, dry location instead. Check the manufacturer's instructions to be sure. Pizza stones are made of different materials that require different care.
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