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Baking Stones

post #1 of 26
10/16/07 at 12:51pm
Thread Starter 
I've been searching for a baking stone, to use as a thermal controller when baking bread.

So far everything comes in pizza kits, a box containing a stone, a pizza cutter, an el cheapo peel, and other doodads.

I'm not interested in all that foofooroo. Just want a decent stone. Anyone know who sells them?
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post #2 of 26
10/16/07 at 4:10pm
I've seen them at Bed & Bath. I'm still a great fan of the unglazed, 1/2" thick quarry tile solution. It's cheap and effective.

Jock
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post #3 of 26
10/16/07 at 4:16pm
Thread Starter 
Not recently, Jock. All they have---at least locally---are the kits---two different versions, both of which have all sorts of stuff I don't need.

Quarry tiles might work out. Right now I'm using foil-wrapped bricks, which gets to be cumbersome from both a use and storage viewpoint.
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post #4 of 26
10/16/07 at 6:58pm
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/...yCategory=C451

:chef:
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post #5 of 26
10/16/07 at 7:36pm
Thread Starter 
Now you've gone and done it, KCZ. I mean, did you look at that hearth kit? I got's to get me one of those.

You're on Friend Wife's list now, for sure, cuz I'm gonna blame you when she sees the credit card bill.
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post #6 of 26
10/16/07 at 7:41pm
I was just pointing out the $39 pizza stone. :rolleyes:

LOL Thanks for the laugh.
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post #7 of 26
10/16/07 at 9:41pm
Heirloomer, We have two from Williams-Sonoma. Williams-Sonoma | Catalog

We did have dual convection ovens in our last home but now only have one. But the one still works perfect. It's a very well made stone. I keep it on the deck of the oven at all times. When family visits I use them specifically for Pizza. Crank up the oven to 550deg and they would hold temp like a champ especially when maneuvering the product in the oven. Perfect crust and all. When I produce artisan breads at home they also help to create the crispiest, most even crust I have ever been able to produce at home. I have the second one for the grill now. Does a great job for baking out there as well. The hearth kit is nice but for the bucks$$$$$$ saved the stone alone is sufficent :D
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post #8 of 26
10/16/07 at 11:49pm
Believe it or not, I actually picked up my pizza stone from Pampered Chef many years ago.... it is so well seasoned- it is wonderful! I think it ran me about $30- stone only-17"- 18", I think... but like I said, many years ago..... but hey, maybe worth checking into.....
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post #9 of 26
10/17/07 at 4:58am
Thread Starter 
[quote=KCZ;193009]I was just pointing out the $39 pizza stone. :rolleyes:

quote]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But the road to he_l is paved with good intentions. :lol:
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post #10 of 26
10/17/07 at 5:05am
I bought one of those pizza stones from the Pampered Chef a few years ago. Read the instructions, soaked it for 30 minutes, put it in a cold oven and BAM! ----Cracked straight through the first time I tried to use it.

Bummer!:(

Tried to contact the seller to get a replacement and she's no longer doing the Pampered Chef.
Guess I'm SOOL!
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post #11 of 26
10/17/07 at 5:56am
Any Recommendations for a Pizza Stone Brand? - Cookware - Chowhound
Amazon.com: Old Stone Oven 4467 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone (PIZZA/BREAD): Kitchen & Dining

Also, quarry tiles. Many pizza stones are poorly made and are not worth the money.

Shel
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post #12 of 26
10/17/07 at 7:59am
Where to get Pizza stones?

(drum roll please.....)

Home Despot or any other hardware/home place. BUT, ya gotta look in the BBQ section, those small cardboard boxes of bbq tiles. Same stuff, just a bit smaller that's all. I just jammed them in a sheet pan, custom cutting a few, and keep the sheet pan in the oven.

If you want to go the quarry stone tile route, make sure you use UN glazed tiles. Many glazes use lead and other nasty chemicals, after all they were designed for floors and not for food.

Hope this helps
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post #13 of 26
10/17/07 at 11:36am
What about visiting a kitchen-counter shop and inquiring about a sink-cutout piece of granite? They would porbably cut it in half for a nominal fee, and you'ld have not only a great pizza stone, but a quick-defrost surface for frozen foods. We use our counter for defrosting and it's quite effective. They used to sell small pieces of granite especially for defrosting stuff.

I took our cutouts to my son's cabinet shop to use as a sharpening surface with wet-or-dry paper or carbide grit.

Mike
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post #14 of 26
10/17/07 at 12:23pm
Mike, Granite will not be able to handle the temperatures in the oven. It will crack. Typically it should never be allowed contact anything above 250 degrees. Now some of you may say Phht to that but is it worth the cost of replacing something that can cost as much as 120.00 a sqft? Even though it is solid stone it still contains traces of moisture and will crack.

IMHPO I'll stand by the post I made before. That stone from Williams-Sonoma has been used for 4 years, moved halfway accross the country and has held up. Heck I've even used, and am currently using as I type, the self cleaning feature with no ill effects. The dang thing is as thick as the deck of my old Blodgett oven. If it cracks it's because I did something stoooopid. Not due to how it was made.

Well worth the 39.00 investment.:cool:
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post #15 of 26
10/17/07 at 4:04pm
Well, OldSchool-

You may be right. As I mentioned, I took our cut-outs for sharpening surfaces, and didn't actually try them in the oven. (I have a baking stone like those described in the other posts.)

However, we routinely set hot pots and pans - well above 250 degrees - on our granite counters without problems after four years.

And, while custom-fitted granite counters may certainly cost $120 or more per square foot, the surplus cutouts should not be anywhere near that price.

Mike
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post #16 of 26
10/23/07 at 11:18am
After a private discussion with oldschool, he has convinced me - with his own experience - that I should be wary of setting really hot pans on my nice granite counters, and I'm not going to do it any more.

Live and learn! :o

Mike
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post #17 of 26
10/25/07 at 12:56pm
yeah yeah, get it, do it... and let me know how it works for you!

1 inch thick:smiles:. I think you'd need to preheat for a good hour or even more. I saw it too and wanted it. Hubby raised an eyebrow at the expense and yet another thing in the kitchen, then our friends who barely ever cook but are wealthy just told us they are getting an artisan baker to install a perfectly designed wood fired brick oven (with gas alternative in case they don't feel like lighting a fire) in their backyard for over 10 grand, for the occasional pizza.:crazy: How's that 200 dollar hearth looking now...

Price includes ground shipping... trying to tempt you...

The only thing I wondered, is would you really leave it in your oven at all times? I wouldn't want meat splatters on it and stuff, or if something dripped or leaked on it. I only have one oven right now, and thought it could drive us crazy taking that thing in and out of the oven and needing a place to put it when not in use (and how unbreakable are they?). I guess I could keep it in there but protect it. I thought it would also slow the oven from preheating when you're making something other than bread and don't care about the hearth kit. Thoughts??
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post #18 of 26
10/27/07 at 8:15am

Thanks

Thanks for the great information!

- Polish Pottery Discounts.com
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post #19 of 26
10/27/07 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 
Stir It Up, I have zero experience with stones at all, let alone with that hearth conversion.

All I really know about it is that it does, indeed, take a full hour to preheat the oven when using the hearth kit.

My stone arrived today, and I'll start experimenting with it this week.

FWIW, the care and cleaning instructions include the following: "It is normal for the stone to accumulate stainds from drippings even after washing. This will not alter the tast of your pizza or bread or the ston's baking performance. However, cooking residue may smoke and create odors."

From this I'm assuming the stone is similar to the floor of the oven. If you get drips, and don't clean them, you'll get lots of smoke and odors as the drippings burn off.

From some baking sites, I also deduce it's perfectly OK to leave the stone permanently in the oven.
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post #20 of 26
10/27/07 at 5:52pm
I leave my pizza stone in the oven all the time unless there's some specific reason to take it out. I clean it, when needed, with vinegar & baking soda.
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post #21 of 26
10/27/07 at 6:01pm
KY, let us know how it works. I've been thinking about getting one myself. My suggestion to you was just a plot to find a guinea pig first.
:bounce:
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post #22 of 26
10/27/07 at 7:14pm
test................
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post #23 of 26
11/10/07 at 8:52pm
Jayme---I concur1 I got a Pamered Chef stone and it is fantastic.
They now sell them in several sizes and shapes and they even have baking dishes made of the material.

I do not sell PS so I am not intentionally promoting them! Ever one in my family has one and the only person who had a problem used it wet.

I realize KY that you already purchased, but for those visiting this thread later...thought I would go a head and give another nod to the Pamered Chef.
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post #24 of 26
2/18/08 at 7:02pm

pampered chef

i own of these stones, had it for three years, never had a problem with it. I use it to bake biscuits, heat pizas, make rolls, reheat bread, never burnt anything on it. I dont know what this water soak method mentioned above is about. If you put something porous in water and then heat it, it seems youre going to ask for trouble, simple physics, water turns to steama nd expands.
I just rinse it off in hot water and scrape off the grease with a nylon brush. Its very easy to use. I would highly recommend one.
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post #25 of 26
2/18/08 at 7:11pm
This might be slightly off topic, but

A place I ordered pizza from was in the news because one of their delivery guys was selling marijuana while working.

Pizza stoners.

After I read that I called and asked for a pizza with the special "herb" seasoning. They got a laugh :bounce:
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post #26 of 26
2/18/08 at 7:27pm

lol

Off topic but hilarious!
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