Question about new baking stone

[skippysan]

Hello everybody. I stumbled upon this group by chance while searching for info about baking stones.

I know that one can use "unglazed quarry stones" in lieu of commercial pizza stones -- but what exactally does the term mean? I was recently at a landscaping supply store and was able to pick up a composite stone (bluestone and concrete) that fits my oven for just $5. This thing is about 1.5" thick and holds heat really well. The only real issue I have is that it is kind of uneven on top (made to look a bit like natural rock) and I wasn't sure how it would treat bread or pizza. Is it safe to cook on?

skippy

 

[BubbaGourmet]

skippyscan;
IMHO "unglazed quarry stone" is way too vague. There are all kinds of "quarried" stone out there. I like the unglazed terra cotta paving stones and I pick the smoothest one they got. You can tell it is unglazed because the surface has no sheen to it at all.

 

[skippysan]

I would think that "quarry stone" and terra cotta are two completely different things though. Terra cotta is a clay tile that has been manufactured (isn't it?) and "quarry stone" would seem to be refering to some sort of natural stone.

My big questions were; Is it ok to use the composite stone? Can it still be useful if that top is not quite smooth?

 

[BubbaGourmet]

skippy;
I am not sure about the compsite stone. It must have some sort of "glue" in it to bind the stone tgether so I would be afraid of that. As far as smoothness...smooth is better.
I was suggesting the unglazed terra cotta as a very inexpensive alternative to the quarried stone.

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

All I can tell ya is that I prefer a rectangle shapped stone as opposed to a round one. I can fit more things on it (cookies, etc.) and it seems to keep the heat evenly distributed. Go and figure.... just my preference.

 

[MJ]

I've had my pizza stone in my oven for A long time. So about A year ago, I had A shell made of refractory cement imported from Italy. I built A small cement house around it. I have storage underneath for my peel and stuff.
You build A good little fire, brush the coals back, and slide in your pizza! If you have ever had anything cooked in A wood fired oven... Man is it tasty

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

WOW! Sounds good! Youre pretty serious!

 

[scott123]

I'm going to have to agree with Bubba about the questionable material in your "unglazed quarry stone" Unless you can get in touch with the manufacturer to confirm that it's safe to use with food, I wouldn't bake on it. It might work nicely placed on an upper shelf in your oven as a ceiling, though, with a corderite or fire brick hearth.

You're definitely on track with the 1.5" thickness, though, especially for baking pizza. I guess it depends on what kind of pizza you're trying to recreate, but if you are striving for a thin crust NYC style pizza, the more thermal mass, the better.

Mileage tends to vary with unglazed quarry tiles. I've heard of some people who swear by them as the cheapest baking stone solution and other people that say unglazed quarry tiles are a recipe for disaster (flaking/chipping/cracking). I'm in the latter camp. Sure, you might get lucky with unglazed quarry tiles and never have them shed any pieces of rock, but the bottom line is that these are not made for baking and don't possess the thermal shock resistence of corderite or fire brick.

 

[Essie]

pizza stone

I just bought a rectangular pizza stone, but am no sure how to take care of it. Do I leave it in the oven, how do I clean it and any other information I should know.
Also, what besides pizza and breads can I use it for.
Sorry, if these are dumb questions.

 

[kitchenelf]

I like my pizza stone and when it breaks I will get unglazed terra cotta tiles.

Essie - For the care of your stone let it cool before cleaning. I have a rubber scraper that I use if my stone needs to be scraped at all. Otherwise I just use warm water to clean it. I have lots of other stones though, about 4 casserole dishes, a bread pan, pie plates, etc. If I think the stone is too greasy I either use some baking soda or I do the absolute "stone no no" - I very quickly wipe it off with a soapy sponge - I do it quickly but at least I get the greasy stuff off. Then I jsut wipe them out and let them dry before I put them back in their drawer. Some people keep them in their ovens which is fine too. Might be a nice way to catch "stuff" that drips and usually ends up on the bottom.

The browner your stone gets the more non-stick it becomes so don't get agressive in the cleaning.

 

[choclatechef]

I bought the Hearthkit to replace my old stone. It is indeed worth the money.