Baking stones

[Adillo303]

I have a large assortment of PC stones. I most use the "Bar Pan" and a large rectangular one for my Rye Bread. They fit beside each other in the oven and each holds a loaf.

Unfortunately, for me, my Black Labrador, in an attempt to steal a loaf of Rye pulled the rectangular stone foo the stove top and proke it in half. For now, I put it on a cookie sheet and use it till I decide what to do about it.

While PC is less costly, the Fibrament is 3/4" thick and the size of my oven shelf, leavint the suggested 1 1/2" around the stone for heat circ. It would stay in the oven at all times, as suggested.

I think the thick stone would be relatively impervious to temperature shifts, like putting a frozen pizza on it.

These are the folks that make the stones for Pizza parlors.

Just my 2 cents.

[AMSeccia]

Originally Posted by mittshel

Andrea - Let me make sure I get this right. Put the frozen pizza on the room temp. stone and put them in a preheated oven? Correct? Thanks for the help. Betsy.

That is right ... if they heat up together, less chance of thermal shock. The more seasoned your stone gets, the more you will appreciate the results, so until it's nice and dark I encourage you to bake cookies, fries, everything you can think of on it to get it seasoned. If it's a stone with sides (bar pan), bake bacon and have BLTs for dinner once or twice and you'll be good to go.

[Caine]

Originally Posted by mittshel

I want to bake a frozen pizza on a baking stone. Will that work? Thanks for any comments. Betsy.

The only problem with that, as I see it, is that the instructions for most frozen pizzas specify NOT pre-heating the oven, and if your pizza stone is not preheated, you might as well use a pizza pan.

[Russellkhan]

I have a Fibrament stone. It works great. I recommnd it highly. The only disadvantage is that it takes a good long time to heat up - preheat, 30 mins for most baking (350-400 degrees) or up to an hour for pizzas or artisan breads (500+ degrees). I leave it on the bottom shelf of my oven in general, but take it out if making something that I want to do more quickly that won't benefit so much from the stone (quickbreads and sandwich loaves, for example, though the steadier, more even heat from the stone would probably be good for them, it just isn't always worth it to me to use the extra gas and take the extra time to preheat the stone.). Most of the advice above seems to be specifically for Pampered Chef stones - do not follow that advice if you get a Fibrament - the instructions specifically say that the stone should not be seasoned with oil.

[GadgetGeek]

Originally Posted by Adillo303

Who uses a baking stone? Except for loaves for sandwiches, I balka all of my bread on a stone. I am considering one or two Fibrament stones. FibraMent Baking Stone Available For Home Use! - bakingstone.com

Anyone have one? Any opinions? Thank You AC

Several years ago I investigated baking stones to find what the top of the line range companies were using in their ovens and what the commercial pizza ovens were using. I knew it had to be some sort of refractory material that was food safe, durable and usable over a wide range of temperatures. What I found out was that a good many of the companies were using Kiln Shelves. That's right straight out of the pottery industry where ultra high temperatures were used. I worried about the food safety of the kiln shelves that were available to me here in Georgia from some Carolina-based kiln shelf companies, and found that one classification of the shelves was indeed food-safe and that I could custom order almost any shape, or size shelf that I wanted.

So, if there is a company somewhere near you that sells kiln shelves (they are thick, heavy and last a long, long time) give them a ring and ask which of the shelves are food safe and buy the last pizza/bread stone you will ever need. I have round ones for my Big Green Egg and rectangular ones for two sizes of oven shelves. They are not inexpensive, but are the real deal. Shipping the heavy stones may be an issue, but with the cost of gas, I am guessing UPS is the cheapest way to go..?

Highwater Clays:

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[LilChickadee]

Baking stones are amazing! I've never used that particular brand, but I know Pampered Chef works amazingly well (IMO). I use them for everything - from baking cookies, to casseroles, frozen pizza (so much better than a pizza pan!), fresh pizza, scones, etc. I don't have any of the bread loaf pans, but I bet it would make amazing bread, too.

[Adillo303]

Originally Posted by Caine

The only problem with that, as I see it, is that the instructions for most frozen pizzas specify NOT pre-heating the oven, and if your pizza stone is not preheated, you might as well use a pizza pan.

I sort of look at instructions as guidelines. The site seems to be populated with folks who take recipies and instructions and enhance them. Of course with a stone, baking times will change and the crust may be more crisp. If that is what you are after, then go for it. If you like your crust soft, I would avoid a stone.

[Bigjim68]

Alton Brown suggested using stone counter tile as a baking stone. Anybody tried that? These stone tiles come in several different sizes, should be food safe, and are relatively inexpensive.

[AMSeccia]

Originally Posted by Russellkhan

I have a Fibrament stone. It works great. I recommnd it highly. The only disadvantage is that it takes a good long time to heat up - preheat, 30 mins for most baking (350-400 degrees) or up to an hour for pizzas or artisan breads (500+ degrees). I leave it on the bottom shelf of my oven in general, but take it out if making something that I want to do more quickly that won't benefit so much from the stone (quickbreads and sandwich loaves, for example, though the steadier, more even heat from the stone would probably be good for them, it just isn't always worth it to me to use the extra gas and take the extra time to preheat the stone.). Most of the advice above seems to be specifically for Pampered Chef stones - do not follow that advice if you get a Fibrament - the instructions specifically say that the stone should not be seasoned with oil.

Actually Russell, I would offer those same recommendations for any clay baking stone, not just Pampered Chef. Fibrament is not all clay, and therefore may not want to "season". But for clay baking, the worse it looks the better it cooks -- just like old fashioned cast iron, seasoning is GOLD.

[Russellkhan]

Originally Posted by AMSeccia

Actually Russell, I would offer those same recommendations for any clay baking stone, not just Pampered Chef. Fibrament is not all clay, and therefore may not want to "season". But for clay baking, the worse it looks the better it cooks -- just like old fashioned cast iron, seasoning is GOLD.

OK, that makes sense. The Fibrament is my first stone and I haven't ever worked with a clay one, but that's pretty similar to how I was told to treat the base of my La Cloche clay baker (which is getting less use now that I have the stone, sadly).