On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:08:53 -0400, Gary > wrote:

>Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>>
>> Yes the stone is in the oven so it preheats. My oven's top setting
>> is 550. When the oven is 550, the surface of the stone is 600+.
>> [the commercial oven is over 700F]
>>
>> When the pizza is slid onto it immediately sears and crusts the
>> bottom-- and transfers more heat quicker than air would.
>
>I'll have to try a stone. I can see how a preheated stone will hold it's
>heat when you open the oven door to put the pizza in. Most of the hot air
>will escape in that move but the stone will still be hot.

The temperature of the stone will drop dramatically as soon as raw
dough with wet toppings is laid on it... and as you admit most of the
hot air will escape when the oven is opened, therefore the recovery
rate for the stone will be nil. Real brick ovens are heated directly,
residential ovens are heated secondarilly by air that first needs to
be heated. Pizza will be fully baked and out of the oven before the
temperature of the stone recovers.