"pltrgyst" > wrote in message
news
> On Sun, 7 Dec 2008 14:18:46 -0500, "Dee Randall" >
> wrote:
>
>>I have not thought of that previously, but a pizza can really destroy nice
>>clean stones that one uses for bread.
>
> Destroy? You must be using some really potent pepperoni...
>
> My stone, which never comes out of the oven, sometimes has a few barely
> detectable stains on it until going through the next self-cleaning sycle,
> but
> nothing that affects baking.
>
> But if you're really paranoid about barely visible stains 8, every bake
> stone
> I've owned has two sides -- simply reserve one pristine side for baking,
> and
> normally keep it downward in the oven.
>
> -- Larry


Hi Larry,

I bought (in other words, DH bought) a large Costco pizza last week (on sale
of course) which I cut into 4 pieces (silly me) and baked. Cheese galore in
hunks on my stones. I can get the hunks off, but wet gloopy bread dough
going on top of those smaller burnt-on pieces of cheese is not for me. I
don't demand pristine by any means, but .... I usually make my own pizza
and keep the cheese to a minimum and closer to the middle, but still I have
problems sometimes.

My stones have small legs on them, so I never think of turning them up-side
down.

But since your posting last week, I'm more apt now to keep the stones in the
oven, although I do sometimes set them aside the range on the counter to
place hot, hot large pans on (in place of the 11x11 silicone hot pads you
recommended and I purchased three of them). Usually I have them covered
with aluminum foil in that case - just because I like to do that ;-))
Otherwise, they have gone in another room, but I like more and more the idea
of keeping them in the oven.

It's hard to get used to the idea that perhaps I don't want to put a
casserole/souffle bowl, etc. directly on top of a heated stone (since I keep
one on top and one on bottom of range), and there is no other place to put
them.

For original poster:
I was reading about Fibrament (sp?) and there is a fact sheet on how to keep
a stone http://www.bakingstone.com/faq.php
At #12. It says:

"You can also bake-off the heavy spills. Instead of turning the oven off
when you are through baking, turn it up to the highest temperature setting
for 60 to 120 minutes. This will charcoalize the residue spilled onto the
stone.

Remember baking stones naturally darken and discolor over time with use.
The grease and toppings that drop on the stone actually improve the baking
properties. This seals the surface of the stone and minimizes the chance of
dough sticking to the surface.

This stone has been used several times a week for the last five plus years."

It shows a picture of the way I find totally acceptable.

Dee Dee