How to Season, Clean, Maintain & Store Your Pizza Steel (Complete Guide)

If you want restaurant-quality pizza at home, a pizza steel is one of the most powerful tools you can own. But to get the best performance - blistered crusts, crispy bases, and consistent heat - your steel needs regular care. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to season your pizza steel, how to clean it (including tough splatters) and how to store it safely so it stays in perfect condition for years.

Your ScratchMadePizza carbon steel comes pre-seasoned, but in the event that you need to reapply - you can follow this guide.

Why Seasoning Your Pizza Steel Matters

Seasoning does two things:

1. Protects the Steel From Rust

2. Creates a Natural Non-Stick Coating that Improves with Every Use

How to Season Your Pizza Steel (Step-by-Step)

What you’ll need

• Neutral oil with a high smoke point (sunflower, rapeseed, vegetable, flaxseed)

• Clean cloth or paper towel

• Oven preheated to 230–260°C (450–500°F)

  
  

Steps

1. Wash the steel once with warm water and a tiny amount of mild soap (this is the only occasion you’ll ever use soap on it).

2. Dry it completely - no moisture at all.

3. Add a few drops of oil to both sides of the steel.

4. Rub it in until it looks dry → if it looks shiny or wet, you’ve used too much.

5. Place it in the oven for 45-60 minutes.

6. Turn the oven off and let the steel cool inside.

Your steel should now have a smooth, matte finish. This is your protective base layer. If it is sticky, simply leave in the oven for a little longer.

How to Clean Your Pizza Steel (Daily Use)

A pizza steel is incredibly low-maintenance. After each use:

1. Let it cool down completely

Never clean a hot steel - rapid temperature changes can be dangerous and even warp the metal in extreme circumstances.

2. Wipe it down by hand

Using your hand, or a dry cloth - simply brush off any excess semolina - and that's it.

3. Scrape off any stubborn debris

Use a dough scraper, bench scraper, or spatula if necessary.

How to Clean Heavy Burnt-On Splats or Spills

Even experienced pizza makers sometimes get runaway cheese, sauce splashes, or burnt semolina on the steel. To remove them:

Method 1: Heat & Scrape (Most Effective)

1. Preheat the steel in the oven at 230–260°C.

2. Once hot, turn the oven off.

3. Use a metal scraper to remove the softened burnt bits.

4. Let it cool, then wipe clean.

   
   

Method 2: Abrasive Re-Set (For Really Tough Mess)

If something is badly baked on:

1. Let the steel fully cool.

2. Use fine steel wool, a chainmail glove or a scrubbing pad to remove the stubborn area.

3. Wipe off all dust.

4. If needed, use a dry or slightly damp cloth with hot water and mild soap (needs re-seasoning - step 5).

5. Re-season the steel with a thin coat of oil and a 45–60 minute heat cycle.

How to Store Your Pizza Steel Safely

A pizza steel is heavy, which means storing it properly matters.

Best storage options:

• Keep it in the oven permanently (bonus: it helps regulate oven temperature).

• Slide it vertically between kitchen units. You can also use the anti-rust VCI paper that it was provided in. Make sure it won’t fall or tip.

• Store flat in a cupboard with a cloth between it and other cookware.

Avoid:

• Storing it while damp

• Storing it in a cold, humid area (garage, shed, outdoor kitchen)

• Leaning it somewhere unstable - it’s heavy and can cause damage

Final Thoughts

A pizza steel is almost indestructible - it just needs proper seasoning, light cleaning, and dry storage. Look after it and it will give you decades of crisp, pizza-oven-style pizzas, at home.

Ready to make better pizza? Take a look at our professional carbon baking steel.

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