Indie Craft: Turn a Terra-Cotta Plant Saucer Into a Pizza Stone

The secret to amazing homemade pizza is the crust. You can get great results at home with a pizza stone. Stones hold in heat creating a hotter oven environment, which means a perfectly crisp crust to hold your favorite toppings.

Why buy a stone when you can use a terra-cotta saucer from your favorite garden shop?

I bought the largest available at my local shop, a 16in round ($12). It could also be fun to use the smaller saucers for individual pizzas.

Make sure it is unglazed. Glazed saucers can contain lead.

Give your saucer a good scrub with water to remove any dirt. Do not use soap. Terra cotta is porous and the soap could be absorbed into your stone and released into your pizza. Allow the stone to dry completely before using to avoid cracking.

Pizza Time!

Place the stone onto the lower rack of a cold oven. Set the oven to 500 degrees and allow the stone to preheat for 15 minutes. Slide your pizza onto the stone with a wooden paddle.

Your masterpiece will be baked to perfection in 6-10 minutes.