Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Making the dough
• Part 2 of 3: Layering and baking your pizza
• Part 3 of 3: Maintaining the pizza stone
• Tips
• Warnings

You don't need a brick oven to prepare a brick oven pizza, flatbread or heather bread. All you need to make a crispy, delicious wood fired pizza is a pizza stone. A pizza stone absorbs the heat from the oven, making the bread evenly warm and giving you a crispy pizza crust. The pizzas you bake in the oven will no longer get soggy in the middle.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Making the dough

1. Gather the ingredients. You can of course skip these steps and buy ready-made pizza dough from the store. However, if you want to make your pizza from scratch, this recipe will make good dough for a New York style pizza. You can make two pizzas with this recipe. If you only want a pizza, put half of the dough in the freezer when you put the other half in the fridge.
   • 1 teaspoon of active dried yeast
   • 60 ml of warm water
   • 250 ml of cold water
   • 1 teaspoon of salt
   • 400 grams of bread flour
   • 3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
2. Sprinkle yeast in a large bowl of warm water. Let everything sit for 5 to 8 minutes. The water will now start to bubble so you can see how well the yeast is working.
3. Stir in salt and cold water. When you have tested the yeast, add salt and cold water. Then add the flour. Add about 130 grams of flour to the mixture at a time until the dough is firm enough to remove from the bowl.
4. Knead the dough. Sprinkle flour on a surface and knead the dough on it until it is smooth. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. When you find the dough smooth enough, divide it into two equally sized pieces. Make a solid ball out of each piece. Cover the dough balls with extra virgin olive oil by spreading the oil evenly on them.
5. Let the dough rise. Place the dough balls in closed containers with enough space for the dough to rise. The dough balls should not take up more than half the space in the container. Leave the dough in the fridge for at least 16 hours and take it out an hour before you plan to use it.

Part 2 of 3: Layering and baking your pizza

1. Preheat the oven. Place the pizza stone on the bottom rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 290 degrees Celsius.
2. Sprinkle flour on the dough. Use one dough ball at a time and sprinkle a thin layer of flour on top. Gradually roll the dough flat on the floured surface until it is about the size of your pizza stone (about 35 centimeters in diameter).
   • It's best to use a cutting board, flat baking tray, or pizza shovel. A pizza shovel is a wide, flat tool for your pizza. The front edge usually flares out so you can slide your pizza off and on easily.
3. Top your pizza. When you have rolled out the dough to the desired size, spread the sauce on it and add cheese. Put the vegetables, meat and herbs of your choice on the pizza.
4. Place your pizza on the pizza stone. This will be a lot easier if you have dusted the flat surface well with flour. Place the tip of the flat surface on the back of the preheated stone and slide the surface out of the oven so that your pizza remains on the stone. If your pizza sticks, wiggle the surface back and forth so it slides off.
5. Bake the pizza. You only need to bake your pizza in the oven for 4 to 6 minutes. Keep a close eye on the pizza and remove it from the oven when the crust starts to brown. Remove the pizza from the oven by sliding the flat surface under the pizza.
6. Cut the pizza into pieces and eat it. Watch out because the pizza will be very hot. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting it up so you don't burn yourself. You now have a crispy wood fired pizza.

Part 3 of 3: Maintaining the pizza stone

1. Let the pizza stone cool. Switch off the oven after you have baked the pizza. Let the stone cool completely before removing it. This will take hours, so feel free to wait until the next morning to clean the stone.
2. Use a soft brush, water and soap. Place the cooled pizza stone in your sink and clean it the same way you would with a plate. Brush off any loose food and scrub away anything that has melted on the surface. Do not leave the stone in the water for too long, because the material is porous and absorbs the water. If that happens, the stone may burst into pieces the next time you use it.
3. Dry the pizza stone. Use a dish towel to wipe your stone dry and place it on the counter to let it dry completely. It is normal if there are some stains on the stone. You can easily reuse the stone, as long as you scrub off all food scraps.
4. Ready.

Tips

• The easiest way to place your pizza on the stone is to use a wooden pizza shovel.

Warnings

• If you bake a pizza on a pizza stone, you will have to set the oven to a higher temperature than if you are not using a pizza stone. Be careful when you open the oven door and put your pizza in and take it out.