How to Use a Pizza Steel the Right Way

Pizza steel is denser than a stone, which means it holds more heat once it's hot — but it also takes noticeably longer to get there. Preheat for 45-60 minutes at your oven's highest setting, ideally with the broiler running for the last 5-10 minutes if your oven allows it, to push the surface even hotter.

That extra preheat time pays off in a big way: steel's superior heat transfer is what gives pizza steel fans their signature deeply browned, blistered bottom crust in a home oven, something a stone alone often can't quite match.

Most steels arrive with a light protective coating from the factory that needs to come off, so wash it once with warm water and a bit of dish soap before its very first use — this is the one and only time soap is okay. Dry it completely, then rub a thin layer of high-smoke-point oil (like vegetable or flaxseed oil) over the whole surface and bake it in a hot oven for an hour.

This seasoning step builds a natural non-stick layer over time, similar to seasoning a cast iron pan. Don't skip it — an unseasoned steel is more prone to sticking and rusting.

After your steel cools down, scrape off stuck bits with a metal spatula or scraper. If you need more than that, a little hot water and a stiff brush works fine — just skip the soap from here on out, same rule as a pizza stone.

The step people skip that causes the most regret: dry it completely, right away. Steel rusts if it sits damp, even for a short while. Towel it dry, then set it over low heat on the stove or in a warm oven for a few minutes to drive off any last moisture before putting it away. A very light wipe of oil before storage helps keep rust away between uses, especially in humid climates.