Emile Henry pizza stone - feedback, please.

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Siegal

Sous Chef
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
Messages
545
I bought one yesterday. I wanted to bake bread on it. Does anyone have one? How do you like it and use it?
 
I use a large unglazed ceramic floor tile and bake all my bread on it. When you start the last rise of your bread, turn on the oven and heat (400 degrees) oven and tile for the 20 minutes or so of that rise before putting the bread into the oven. A piazza peel (long handled flat wood item) is good for sliding the bread onto the stone and you can actually do that final rise on it. Stone gives the bread a nice bottom crust and (I think) gives an additional rise to the bread before the heat kills the yeast.
 
The EH pizza stones I've seen are glazed. The conventional wisdom is that pizza and bread stones should be unglazed.
 
Andy M. said:
The EH pizza stones I've seen are glazed. The conventional wisdom is that pizza and bread stones should be unglazed.

It seems glazed. Does that mean it won't work???
 
I wouldn't say that. I just mentioned one aspect of the stone's function. I'm not sure how much of an impact the glaze will have or if you would be displeased with the result.

Haven't you used it yet?
 
Andy M. said:
I wouldn't say that. I just mentioned one aspect of the stone's function. I'm not sure how much of an impact the glaze will have or if you would be displeased with the result.

Haven't you used it yet?

Yes. Once. Made Irish soda bread. To be honest not sure if it seemed different then when I baked on a sheet pan.... Maybe because it's not a yeast bread?
 
Yes. Once. Made Irish soda bread. To be honest not sure if it seemed different then when I baked on a sheet pan.... Maybe because it's not a yeast bread?

Not sure the leavening agent would make a difference in using the stone. It's the same as baking it on a sheet pan but is it "right" in your opinion? Were you hoping for a difference?
 
Andy M. said:
Not sure the leavening agent would make a difference in using the stone. It's the same as baking it on a sheet pan but is it "right" in your opinion? Were you hoping for a difference?

I don't know. I was hoping for a more brick oven taste
 
The glaze permits it to be used for fish and other foods that would leave an after taste on unglazed stones.

the oil / residue wipes off pretty easily.
 
Yes. Once. Made Irish soda bread. To be honest not sure if it seemed different then when I baked on a sheet pan.... Maybe because it's not a yeast bread?
If the bakestone is glazed then it won't be much different from a sheet pan. The point of the un-glazed bakestone is that it absorbs a certain amount of moisture from the dough giving a crisper bottom crust.
 
I dont have the brand you have...but I do have a pizza stone! Great thing!! I would becareful of adding too much flour though as it will burn. Better to use polenta (when making pizza - not sure about bread).

Only issue I have is cleaning the thing! Can't dishwasher it...not even suppose to get it wet due to cracking when next used. I have found a rough brush tends to clean it up well although you will still get staining due to leaking toppings!
 
I leave my stone in the oven when I run the self-cleaning cycle. That turns the stuff stuck on the stone into ash that I can easily brush off.
 
I just got my Emile Henry in the mail last week, what a coincidence! So far I only baked Naan flatbreads, but they were delicious and yes, there is definitely a difference between a stone and sans stone - much crisper on the outside and softer on the inside, all around - not just the bottom. And a beautiful rise, too. ;) But I skipped the advice EH give in their leaflet and preheated the stone at max oven temperature. Then each flatbread load took 4-5 minutes to finish, comparing to 8-10 on a cookie sheet. I think it's a fine stone. Can't wait to make "real" bread with it. :)
 
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