Preheating time for a pizza stone – how to avoid cracking it
Always start with the stone in a cold oven. How long cordierite, ceramic and slate each need, and how to tell the core is actually hot before you bake.
Quick answer: Allow at least 45–60 minutes, often a bit more for a thicker stone – and always put the stone into the oven cold, from the start. Putting a cold stone straight into an already hot oven is the most common cause of cracking.
Why stone is more sensitive to thermal shock than steel
Cordierite, unglazed ceramic and slate all cope with heat differently depending on how fast the temperature changes, not just how high it gets (see the materials rundown in pizza stone). A rapid temperature rise can create stresses in the material that make it crack, even if the final temperature itself isn’t dangerous.
How to preheat without cracking it
- Always put the stone in the oven before you turn on the heat, never into an oven that’s already hot.
- Let the stone heat up with the oven at its own pace – don’t force a faster heat-up with a higher setting unnecessarily.
- Make sure the stone is completely dry before it goes in – moisture that flashes to steam inside the stone is a common cause of cracking.
How to tell it’s ready
Measure with an infrared thermometer at several points – the centre and the edges can differ, especially in an oven that heats unevenly. A surface that feels hot after a short while can still be hiding a cool core; better to wait too long than too short, since stone (unlike steel) rarely suffers from a long preheat as long as the temperature rise has been gradual.
Does it differ between cordierite, ceramic and slate
Cordierite copes with rapid temperature swings best of the three materials and is the most forgiving if the preheat does end up a little too fast (see the materials rundown in pizza stone). Unglazed ceramic is more sensitive and should be heated a bit more gently. Slate is the most crack-prone of all and needs the most patient, gradual preheat – lean towards the upper end of the time range if you’re baking on slate.
New stone – extra care the first time
A brand-new stone can still be carrying moisture from manufacturing or storage. The first time you use it, run a gentler warm-up at a lower setting before going full blast, and avoid putting a damp or freshly washed stone straight into the oven. On later occasions, once the stone is bone-dry from previous bakes, you can go straight to the usual preheat without the same caution.
If the stone cracks anyway
If it happens anyway, see cracked pizza stone for common causes and how to tell whether the stone is still usable.
Frequently asked questions
Can I speed things up with a higher setting or the grill function? Avoid it. A faster temperature ramp increases the risk of cracking far more than it saves in time – see the grill setting for why it should only be used briefly and towards the end, not during preheating.
Does stone hold its heat longer than steel between pizzas? Usually not – steel conducts and releases heat faster, which generally gives quicker recovery between pizzas. See the full comparison in baking steel vs pizza stone, where we also have a test set up to measure the difference: baking steel vs pizza stone, our planned test.
Read more about material choice in pizza stone, compare preheating time against steel in preheating time for a baking steel, and see the whole home-oven protocol in pizza in a home oven.
