mom never used a PIZZA STONE

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jerber160
jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
do I need one??

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  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I don't know. Do you?
  • mapenguinkeeper
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    nah, i had one years ago and gave it away cause I wouldn't remember to put it into the oven 1/2 hour b/f putting in pizza so it gets uber hot.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
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    nah, i had one years ago and gave it away cause I wouldn't remember to put it into the oven 1/2 hour b/f putting in pizza so it gets uber hot.
    so you have to pre heat them? then do you roll out your dough, add your fixings then put it back in the oven? I'm guessing it doesn't cool off much? but you have to have everything prepped ahead of time cos the thing is hot?
  • mapenguinkeeper
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    the one I had you put into the screeching hot oven about 30 minutes before you wanted to use it, rolled the dough on a peel or cutting board, add toppings, then when stone is screaming hot, you slide the pizza directly onto the stone while it's still in the oven, the whole point is to keep it screaming hot so it make the dough nice and crispy. AND more than once the oven was so hot, I missed the stone and ended up scraping pizza toppings out of the oven floor.
  • CEHayes73
    CEHayes73 Posts: 221 Member
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    You prep your pizza on another surface, usually a pizza peel (one of those wooden paddle things) then you slide it off the peel onto the preheated stone. You don't even have to take the stone out of the oven, which is good, cause they're heavy. :happy: That being said, of course you don't 'need' one. You don't even 'need' pizza. But it does give your homemade pizza a pizzeria-style crust, if that's what you're looking for. And then you can make your pizza at home and know exactly what you're eating.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    You don't even 'need' pizza.

    You take that back.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    You don't need it, I use one and love it though.
  • FancyPantsFran
    FancyPantsFran Posts: 3,687 Member
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    they are nice to have I also use mine when I make home made bread and Stromboli get a pizza peel too if you get a stone so you can slide the pizza onto stone once made :drinker: :drinker:
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I bought a great heavy cast iron pizza pan flour it with a little corn flour and it's good to go
  • Junken_Diraffe
    Junken_Diraffe Posts: 716 Member
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    I had one that I hated with a passion. I threw it in the garbage.
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
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    I keep mine in the oven. It gets hot while the oven is preheating
  • dtimedwards
    dtimedwards Posts: 319 Member
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    I don't like using pizza stones because good luck getting a 15" pie on a 15" round stone. Also, their thermal properties pretty much suck.

    I went to a local metal fabrication shop and had them cut a 1/2" thick piece of steel plate to just smaller than the dimensions of my oven. This way there is no "missing" when putting a pie in. It's also great for cooking bread directly on. I just keep it in my oven all the time on the bottom rack as a hearth.

    Another alternative is getting kiln shelf which is usually made of Corderite. Has a little better thermal efficiency than the 1/2" steel, but can be slightly more costly, and prohibitively costly depending on shipping options.
  • KathryneJY
    KathryneJY Posts: 83 Member
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    I have a pizza stone. I make the pizza on it while it is cold (oiled), then put it on my BBQ until done. Perfect crispy crust every time.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Just leave the pizza stone in the oven all the time. Then you don't forget to put it in, and bonus, it works as an insulator to regulate the heat in your oven.
  • mamma_nee
    mamma_nee Posts: 809 Member
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    I love my Pizza Stone, I leave stone in the oven - as oven heats , I prep everything I need , I roll out my dough but working in a restaurant for 30 years - I flip my dough up in the air and then place it directly on the stone add the sauce and by now the dough is already rising nicely - stick it in the oven and pizza - after 8 minutes pull it out to rotate it and add your cheese and toppings , bake till cheese is nice and bubbly. Makes the best pizza`s ever

    NEVER EVER WASH YOUR STONE WITH SOAP !! just rinse with water or club soda --- if you use soap the stone is ruined and pizza will have an after taste no matter how many times you try rinsing it - yuck
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
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    You don't even 'need' pizza.

    You take that back.
    WHAt HE SAID! don't need pizza. SNORT. PULLEASE.. gaaaa!!! that said, more about this peel thing. so you make pizza on a little paddle and slide it onto the hot stone? and if you're making ultra thin crust, this works?

    Like I said my mom never used one, but the Ho Ho man is coming and I really don't know what to ask him for. (although my TV has to heat up before I get sound out of it!)
  • piersonj
    piersonj Posts: 62 Member
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    In my opinion whether you need a pizza stone or not depends on the type of pizza you make. Thinner the crust the more a pizza stone is helpful in getting a crisp crust. If a pizza stone has poor thermal quality, it is to thin. A good pizza stone will be heavy! They are also great for bread and rolls, I like crescent rolls baked on a stone. They also help with an older oven that has large ranges of temp. The best oven will vary 5 to 10 degrees from the set temp, but an old oven can have a large temp cycle. A large stone on the bottom of the oven can help stabilize the temp. Unglazed (new) terra cotta tile can work for a stone in a pinch, they do have a tendency to crack or spal in a sudden temp changes.
  • zacksnana
    zacksnana Posts: 3,230 Member
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    Recipe with BACON:

    Cook hashbrowns in skillet just till slightly brown
    Spread on pizza stone (does not have to be preheated)

    Scramble about 10 eggs in skillet - spread on hashbrowns

    Cook lots of bacon and crumble onto eggs

    Add mushrooms or any other veggies you like

    SMOTHER with cheese. You may have to smoosh it down a little so it is all the same height. And i keep the cheese a couple inches from the edge.

    Bake in oven about 30 min at 350
    Yum! THIS is why i love my baking stone!
    Serve like pizza!