After using the Baking Steel or Baking Steel Griddle, let it cool completely before handling it. Once it’s cool, employ a bench scraper to scrape food matter into the sink. Once you’ve cleared off any food debris, wash your Baking Steel with soap and water. Although using soap on cast-iron cookware is a no-no, using soap on your Baking Steel—and even scrubbing, as long as it’s with nothing harsher than the back of a sponge—is perfectly okay. Be sure to dry both sides thoroughly and immediately every time your Baking Steel gets wet; never let it air-dry, as this can promote rust. And never put your Baking Steel in the dishwasher.
Oil the Baking Steel with a neutral, food-grade oil after every cleaning; this keeps the surface nonstick and creates a seal that keeps rust from forming. If you are used to caring for a cast-iron pan, taking care of your Baking Steel is no different in this regard.
If you’ve left your Baking Steel in the oven for a while or if you forgot to dry it immediately, rust spots may form. A deeper cleaning will be needed, but there’s no need to panic. Run to your local grocery store and pick up a product called Bar Keepers Friend. Place a small amount of this product on a slightly wet Baking Steel, let it sit for about one minute, and then rinse the steel clean. Use a little soap and water to clean it once again, and then carefully dry your Baking Steel. Always re-season your steel after using Bar Keepers Friend; the process is detailed below.
Another product for cleaning stubborn rust spots or stains is the Earthstone KitchenStone brick. Made from 95 percent recycled glass, these cleaning bricks are all natural and nontoxic and have the cleaning power of something like forty Brillo pads. They’re well worth the investment for removing tough, stuck-on food from your Baking Steel or Baking Steel Griddle.
To clean with the scrubbing brick, simply scour the dry Baking Steel until clean. Try to avoid using water; if it is needed, use a very small amount. Wipe the surface lightly to remove loose residue.
If for some reason your Baking Steel develops a metallic smell or taste or you notice rust spots (maybe well-meaning relatives washed your Baking Steel in the dishwasher, thinking they were being helpful), don’t panic. Simply scour off the rust using steel wool or very fine sandpaper and re-season as below.
While the Baking Steel arrives seasoned, it will require occasional re-seasoning. In general, if you notice that its surface is looking dull and gray or that food is constantly sticking to it, it’s time to re-season.
1. Position a rack in the middle of your oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Wash the Baking Steel with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush.
3. Rinse and dry immediately and completely.
4. Apply a dab of neutral oil (I suggest Barlean’s organic flaxseed oil) in the center of the Baking Steel. Using a paper towel, wipe the oil around the steel evenly. Use another paper towel and wipe off excess. Do this to both sides. It will appear to have a thin, light sheen from the oil.
5. Place the Baking Steel in the preheated oven.
6. Keep the Baking Steel in the oven for 1 hour. When the hour is up, turn off the oven and leave the steel there until it’s cool enough to move.
Parchment paper: If you’re worried about drips, parchment paper is a great alternative to launching food directly onto the Baking Steel, and it allows for quick and easy removal of whatever you are baking. Typically, I use parchment paper when I make stromboli, slab pies, and calzones. Now, most parchment-paper packaging will say that it’s suggested for use only up to 400 degrees. Well, I’ve used it many times with a much hotter Baking Steel, and while it turns brown and wrinkles, it has never caught fire. Do not, however, use parchment paper under the broiler.
Silicone mats: It’s okay to use a silicone mat on top of the Baking Steel, but only to the maximum temperature suggested by the mat’s manufacturer. As with parchment, do not use silicone mats under the broiler.
Baking pans: You can put baking sheets, cake pans, and pie plates right on top of your Baking Steel. Even though whatever you’re making is separated from the direct surface of the steel, the steel will still conduct heat evenly through the sheet or pan to give it a perfectly crisped bottom.
Removing grease from your Baking Steel Griddle: When you cook bacon or meat on top of your Baking Steel Griddle, grease or juices can get caught in the channel around the perimeter. To remove, let the griddle cool somewhat so that you don’t burn yourself. Dab paper towels around the channel to remove anything that might slosh, then wait until the Baking Steel Griddle cools down completely to clean more thoroughly. Be careful—that steel gets very hot!
Storing your Baking Steel: We sell every Baking Steel with a storage sleeve, and that’s probably the best place to keep it once it’s completely dry and coated in a thin layer of oil. However, many people simply leave the Baking Steel in the oven and cook everything on top of it. If you do this, you may notice that it becomes very dark, but that’s okay. Just be sure to remove it from time to time so you can clean and re-season it.
Baking Steel or Baking Steel Griddle? There are two key differences between the Baking Steel and the Baking Steel Griddle. One is texture; the Baking Steel surface is lightly textured, whereas the Baking Steel Griddle is smooth. The griddle also features a channel around the perimeter to capture grease or excess liquid. You can use both cooking surfaces interchangeably in many recipes. However, it is suggested that you don’t use the Baking Steel on your stovetop for recipes that could get messy or that might result in grease dripping off.