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Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: MrSpock on May 18, 2009, 12:28:07 am

Title: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on May 18, 2009, 12:28:07 am
Hubby came home with a pizza stone the other night after I had read about it from a cooking blog. there was absolutely no instructions with it, but the bread recipe I used mentionned the basics: Heat the stone before, careful it's hot. So that worked out very well when we made bread.

So today Hubby decides to make pizza, and this thing being called "pizza stone", he figures he'll give it a try. However, not knowing how to transfer a freshly made (thus very soft and unstable) pizza from one surface to the other, he decides to make the pizza directly on the cold stone and cook it that way.

The pizza looked delicious when it came out of the oven, but unfortunately half of it stayed stuck on the stone when he tried to serve it. This adventure prompted us to actually look for some instructions on how to use a pizza stone, so we now know not to use it cold, and to use corn meal to prevent sticking.

However, one thing is not clear: A few websites spoke of "seasonning" the stone by rubbing it with oil and heating it, while some other sites say to never ever under penalty of law season or use oil on a pizza stone.

Anyone has an opinion on this? To season or not to season?
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: judydawn on May 18, 2009, 02:34:17 am
The instruction in my box say 'This all-natural stone requires no seasoning or conditioning.  Simply rinse in warm water before the first use and allow to dry thoroughly.  Prepare your pizza or other baked goods on a flat surface such as a pizza peel or cookie sheet.  Lightly sprinkle the stone with cornmeal and slide the pizza or dough onto the stone.  Do not use flour on the stone, as it will burn. Most recipes suggest preheating the stone 15-20 minutes for even cooking and a shorter baking time.  Because the pizza stone retains heat, always wear oven mitts while handling the stone and place it in the serving rack (which came with my stone) to avoid heat damage to countertops or table surfaces.

The pizza stone is freezer, microwave and oven safe.  To prevent cracking the stone, avoid temperature extremes - from freezer directly to oven or from oven to cold water.  Do not place the stone over an open flame.  Before cleaning the stone, allow it to cool.  Then remove baked on foods with a spatula and rinse the stone in warm water.  Do not use soap or detergent, as they may leave a soapy aftertaste.  Let the stone air dry thoroughly before using again.

This information of course, does not help in the transferring process though but thought you would like to have some sort of instructions to go with your stone.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: brazen20au on May 18, 2009, 03:16:14 am
definitely no oil, I speak from personal experience!
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on May 18, 2009, 05:04:29 am
Thank you both :)

Judy, this sure would have been handy on my box! Thank you for taking the time to type it all.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: judydawn on May 18, 2009, 07:27:43 am
My pleasure ;)
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on May 21, 2009, 02:52:57 am
I think I'll have to throw the thing away now :(

After the pizza sticking incident, I let it soak and easiy scraped the stuck pizza away, but when I heated it in the oven, it came out all stained, as if there were microscopic bits of pizza stuck on it that burned in the oven.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Rowyfo on May 21, 2009, 03:46:45 am
 >:( >:( Stupid thing. I don't have one, but my friend told me they don't like to be washed.

I had a pizza sticking incident about a week ago, it was very annoying indeed. My baking pan has huge scratches on it now.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: cookie1 on May 31, 2009, 05:55:29 am
MrSpock, my pizza stone looks like an absolute disaster but it makes no difference to the pizza cooking. I have never wqashed it, I only scrape stuff off it when it's cooled. It actually says that the stone will become stained with use.
To transfer fresh pizza I use 2 wooden paddles. I slide them under the raw pizza and carefully slide it off on the stone. I also use them to take the cooked pizza off.
Good luck.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Paul on May 31, 2009, 11:23:37 pm
I agree with Cookie, never wash it, just scrape off any residue when it's cold.  Mine looks like a mess too.  It seasons itself the more you use it.  To get the pizza on, I roll out the dough and put it on an aluminium pizza tray with some polenta sprinkled on the tray.  It slides off easily, but I do give it a little shake before I put it in, to loosen it up.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on June 01, 2009, 12:10:45 am
I guess I'll learn, but I've had no choice to wash it in water, as food was stuck so bad there was no way I could scrape it off. I'm washing it in plain water though, just to loosen up the stuck bits.

I did also discover the wonders of a wooden paddle AND corn meal to make the pizza roll. Works like a charm, except the floor is covered with corn meal when I'm done!
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Thermomixer on June 01, 2009, 12:35:26 am
Great tip - the cornmeal is good value, but yes, a mess.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Paul on June 01, 2009, 09:16:55 am
I guess I'll learn, but I've had no choice to wash it in water, as food was stuck so bad there was no way I could scrape it off. I'm washing it in plain water though, just to loosen up the stuck bits.

I did also discover the wonders of a wooden paddle AND corn meal to make the pizza roll. Works like a charm, except the floor is covered with corn meal when I'm done!

My dog hoovers up anything that hits the floor
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: I Love Bimby! on June 01, 2009, 12:47:15 pm
Do you have any recommendations for someone about to buy one?

I've been putting it off but would love one.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Paul on June 01, 2009, 01:58:13 pm
Do you have any recommendations for someone about to buy one?

I've been putting it off but would love one.

I got one that came with my oven, but you can get one for $20-30 in kitchen shops, and they're fine.  Put it in a cold oven, then get the oven as hot as you can.  Don't overload the pizza with too much and you'll be fine!
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: UnConundrum on June 01, 2009, 02:25:54 pm
I use a pizza stone all the time in my BGE for bread and pizza.  In the picture below, you can see I'm making naan, and the stone doesn't look anything like it did new...

(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X4ZOECIpkGE/SVw0Z7BSIaI/AAAAAAAAB_k/IMXiSuL8QNQ/s400/P1020871.JPG)

This may depend on the quality of the stone, but to clean it, I just let it bake at high temperatures with nothing on it.  I've heard that with an oven, you should be able to leave it in the oven during a clean cycle.  Everything on it will be reduced to ash.

With regard to using it, a longer pre-heat is better.  You want it to hold the temperature after you put the pizza on.  If you have a convection oven, turn the fan on during the pre-heat period, but remember to turn it off before you add your pizza.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: judydawn on June 01, 2009, 02:30:46 pm
How do you get on when you want to make 3 pizzas at once and only have 1 stone?  Doesn't the everyday cookbook dough make 3 pizza bases? I know it says divide into 4 balls but apparently these are too thin and most people only make 3. Does a stone make a whole heap of difference to the end product?
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: judydawn on June 01, 2009, 02:34:20 pm
UnConundrum is a  BGE the same as our weber over here? It certainly looks like one and that's a pretty big pizza stone you have there, isn't it?
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: UnConundrum on June 01, 2009, 08:04:45 pm
With a stone, you have to make one pizza at a time, and really should give it a few minutes to recover temperature between them, unless you burnt the first one ;)

A BGE (Big Green Egg) is a ceramic cooker, usually used for smoking, and has a temperature range from about 180F to 1200F.  It is far different from a Webber.  You use only lump charcoal with one, as opposed to gas or briquettes.  It's ceramic is about an inch thick, so it holds temps for a long time and keeps moisture in for those long cooks.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Thermomixer on June 02, 2009, 02:43:38 am

A BGE (Big Green Egg) is a ceramic cooker, usually used for smoking, and has a temperature range from about 180F to 1200F.  ... It's ceramic is about an inch thick, so it holds temps for a long time and keeps moisture in for those long cooks.

That's serious !!!!!
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: cookie1 on June 02, 2009, 07:43:43 am
Looks lovely Warren. I also use my pizza stone for the Naan bread.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Paul on June 02, 2009, 08:04:45 am
Looks lovely Warren. I also use my pizza stone for the Naan bread.

I use mine for pitta bread too
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on June 02, 2009, 06:39:57 pm
With a stone, you have to make one pizza at a time, and really should give it a few minutes to recover temperature between them, unless you burnt the first one ;)

Since the stones are so affordable, wouldn't you be able to cook 3 pizzas on 3 stones in a convection oven?
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on June 02, 2009, 06:41:53 pm
Looks lovely Warren. I also use my pizza stone for the Naan bread.

I use mine for pitta bread too

It actually works great with any kind of bread when you don't want to use a bread pan. I use it for my French baguettes  8)
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: UnConundrum on June 03, 2009, 01:50:23 am
You mean you don't go to Premier Moison?  :)

If you're a bread baker, try my baguette recipe.  You can find step by step instructions  HERE  (http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/show/436-baguette-no-knead-larger-loaf).  Do you remember Passe Partout ?  I took a class with the former owner/chef/baker who showed us the method I use in that recipe.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: MrSpock on June 03, 2009, 03:54:56 am
You mean you don't go to Premier Moison?  :)

I actually go to Première Moisson to buy my yeast ;)

Do you remember Passe Partout ?  I took a class with the former owner/chef/baker who showed us the method I use in that recipe.

The only Passe Partout I know was a children show in the 80's... Don't think that's what you're talking about!  ;D I'll check out your recipe for sure. I just love making bread.

Edit: Wait a second! That's not a baguette!!!
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Thermomixer on June 03, 2009, 09:37:07 am

Edit: Wait a second! That's not a baguette!!!

Mon dieu, sacre bleu, c'est vrai - but it is two baguettes that Warren makes in the video !!
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: trudy o on June 03, 2009, 01:07:38 pm
UnConundrum, mine looks like yours
I was a  bit worried until i saw pics on here so thank you so much
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: Thermomixer on June 04, 2009, 01:06:33 am
UnConundrum, mine looks like yours
I was a  bit worried until i saw pics on here so thank you so much

Good point - has anybody seen the bottom of wood-fired ovens ??  They are not spotless, but bread and pizzas just get tossed onto the bricks and come out fine.  That's what has been done for centuries - no scrubbing down the ovens.
Title: Re: How to maintain a pizza stone
Post by: UnConundrum on June 04, 2009, 03:21:39 am

Edit: Wait a second! That's not a baguette!!!

Ok.... so it's a boule.  I just thought it was a great picture that I added after the recipe was already up.  I use the same formula for the dough..... baguette or boule   :-[

The restaurant was traditional French owned by James McGuire (who taught the class).  I found an old review  HERE  (http://www.montrealfood.com/restos/passepartout.html)