I've been wondering how exactly does a pizza stone help? Will it cook
your pizza quicker, make the crust crisper, or softer?

When I make thin crust pizza, I roll out the dough and bake it on a flat
pizza pan. I really like a soft crust much more than a crisp crust.
How would the stone affect it?

Also if I make stuffed pizza, then I need to keep it in the pan. Do you
still use a stone with deep dish pizza?

"IronMaster" > wrote in message
...
> I've been wondering how exactly does a pizza stone help? Will it cook
> your pizza quicker, make the crust crisper, or softer?
>
> When I make thin crust pizza, I roll out the dough and bake it on a flat
> pizza pan. I really like a soft crust much more than a crisp crust.
> How would the stone affect it?
>
> Also if I make stuffed pizza, then I need to keep it in the pan. Do you
> still use a stone with deep dish pizza?

From a google saearch.

Dimitri

When baking rustic breads, ie: sourdough, baguettes, etc or pizzas, baking
stones retain and radiate heat while remaining fireproof and resistant to
warping or cracking. (I don't use them when baking regular bread recipes).
Cooks put the stone on the lowest rack of the oven before preheating, (or
directly on the floor of a gas oven) to replicate the brick floor of a
traditional baker's oven. I also use them when baking a pie. I place my pie
pan directly on it during baking and the bottom crust bakes better.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Instead of a baking stone, home improvement stores sell quarry
tiles that can be used like the larger baking stone when baking bread. The
larger the tile, the better especially when placing bread directly on them;
during baking, the dough expands and is easily stuck between the seams if
too small. (You can also place a pan on top of the tiles). P.S. A single,
heated tile also makes an ideal warmer for a breadbasket.

Dimitri wrote:

> "IronMaster" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I've been wondering how exactly does a pizza stone help? Will it cook
>>your pizza quicker, make the crust crisper, or softer?
>>
>>When I make thin crust pizza, I roll out the dough and bake it on a flat
>>pizza pan. I really like a soft crust much more than a crisp crust.
>>How would the stone affect it?

The stone will generally make a more crisp crust.

>>Also if I make stuffed pizza, then I need to keep it in the pan. Do you
>>still use a stone with deep dish pizza?

Sure. Deep dish pizza has a fried crust if you oil the pan first. It
works fine.

> From a google saearch.
>
> Dimitri
>
> When baking rustic breads, ie: sourdough, baguettes, etc or pizzas, baking
> stones retain and radiate heat while remaining fireproof and resistant to
> warping or cracking. (I don't use them when baking regular bread recipes).
> Cooks put the stone on the lowest rack of the oven before preheating, (or
> directly on the floor of a gas oven) to replicate the brick floor of a
> traditional baker's oven. I also use them when baking a pie. I place my pie
> pan directly on it during baking and the bottom crust bakes better.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Instead of a baking stone, home improvement stores sell quarry
> tiles that can be used like the larger baking stone when baking bread. The
> larger the tile, the better especially when placing bread directly on them;
> during baking, the dough expands and is easily stuck between the seams if
> too small. (You can also place a pan on top of the tiles). P.S. A single,
> heated tile also makes an ideal warmer for a breadbasket.

Yes. With the single proviso that, if you're going to put the foods
directly on the tiles, you check them to be sure they doesn't have a
lead glaze.

Pastorio

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 13:18:19 -0500, IronMaster
> wrote:

>I've been wondering how exactly does a pizza stone help? Will it cook
>your pizza quicker, make the crust crisper, or softer?
>
>When I make thin crust pizza, I roll out the dough and bake it on a flat
>pizza pan. I really like a soft crust much more than a crisp crust.
>How would the stone affect it?

If you place the pizza directly on the hot porous stone it will absorb
moisture from the dough and make it crisper.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 13:18:19 -0500, IronMaster
> wrote:

> I've been wondering how exactly does a pizza stone help? Will it cook
> your pizza quicker, make the crust crisper, or softer?
>
> When I make thin crust pizza, I roll out the dough and bake it on a flat
> pizza pan. I really like a soft crust much more than a crisp crust.
> How would the stone affect it?

If you bake at a lower temperature (400), it will be softer.
>
> Also if I make stuffed pizza, then I need to keep it in the pan.

Absolutely NOT!!! Bake them directly on the tiles.

> Do you
> still use a stone with deep dish pizza?

Deep dish is completely different. Use a specialized deep
dish pan or a cast iron skillet for that.



Practice safe eating - always use condiments

"Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
...
>
> Yes. With the single proviso that, if you're going to put the foods
> directly on the tiles, you check them to be sure they doesn't have a
> lead glaze.
>

You don;t want any kind of glaze. My understanding is that one way a pizza
stone makes a better crust is because it is porous and will let some
moisture escape from the bottom of the crust. Almost all glazes are
imprevious.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

>Almost all glazes are im'prev'ious.
>
>--
>Peter Aitken

Not "prev"... perv, PERV!


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Peter Aitken wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
> ...
>=20
>>Yes. With the single proviso that, if you're going to put the foods
>>directly on the tiles, you check them to be sure they doesn't have a
>>lead glaze.
>>
> You don;t want any kind of glaze. My understanding is that one way a pi=
zza
> stone makes a better crust is because it is porous and will let some
> moisture escape from the bottom of the crust. Almost all glazes are
> imprevious.

That's the explanation I got way back then, too, but it doesn't seem=20
to actually matter. I have some thick terra cotta floor tiles (7/8"),=20
unglazed and I have some 4-inch square tiles (assembled in a baking=20
sheet with sides) like the ones usually reserved for bathroom walls=20
(3/8"). I've done pizza and bread on each of them with no discernibly=20
different results.

Once the tiles are at 500=B0F, it would seem to me that any moisture=20
coming in contact with them flashes over to steam instantly. Porosity=20
or smoothness at that point seems to be a non-issue.

Pastorio

"PENMART01" > wrote in message
...
> >Almost all glazes are im'prev'ious.
> >
> >--
> >Peter Aitken
>
> Not "prev"... perv, PERV!
>
Who are you calling a perv? ;o0