Pizza stone

peaches79 · 30-04-2008 6:26pm #1

Hi there,

Looking for advice on where one might purchase a pizza stone for a normal domestic oven and also a pill (the wooden thingies you make them on before transferring to the stone?).

Thanks in advance

rockbeer · 30-04-2008 6:44pm

peaches79 wrote: »

Hi there,

Looking for advice on where one might purchase a pizza stone for a normal domestic oven and also a pill (the wooden thingies you make them on before transferring to the stone?).

Thanks in advance

For a stone I use a terracotta tile, but I think they sell stones in Kitchen Compliments on Chatham St.

As for the other part of your question, I think you mean a 'peel' and Nisbets have a selection. However, you don't actually make the pizza on the peel, you make it on a surface then use the peel to pick it up and transfer it to the hot stone.

peaches79 · 30-04-2008 6:48pm

Ah that's brilliant, thanks for that.
Yeah I couldn't remember the proper name for the peel, knew someone would know though

oblivious · 30-04-2008 8:03pm

There great, well worth investing in and a great addition if you do home baking:)

rockbeer wrote: »

For a stone I use a terracotta tile,

did you make sure it was not lead glazed?

rockbeer · 01-05-2008 10:27am

oblivious wrote: »

did you make sure it was not lead glazed?

Good point, unglazed is best.

oblivious · 01-05-2008 10:34am

rockbeer wrote: »

Good point, unglazed is best.

mandatory, at least for lead if you don't want a slow poisoning :eek:

peaches79 · 01-05-2008 3:33pm

Eeek about the lead!

Unfortunately that kitchen shop didn't have any

Anyone else have any ideas, in Dub or North east areas?

Thanks

oblivious · 01-05-2008 3:43pm

Did you try stock neat St Stephens green center?

peaches79 · 01-05-2008 4:40pm

Thanks will check it out tomorrow

rockbeer · 01-05-2008 5:53pm

You might also try Sweeney O'Rourke on Pearse St. Probably worth giving them a ring first.

sweet-rasmus · 02-05-2008 9:06am

ah cool, i know someone who has been wanting a pizza stone for ages. let us know if you find one

peaches79 · 02-05-2008 5:08pm

I will to be sure.

What do you guys think of this type of pizza stone?
Does clay give the correct flavour?
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=310038671378&Category=20649&_trksid=p3907.m29

Looks like Irish based or Irish delivery...

oblivious · 02-05-2008 5:52pm

its not really a flavor think there are two effects

1) you over cooks with convection and the stone llow part of the bread/base to cook with conduction

2) the second and probably most import it will absorb moisture allow for a crisp base

that one look interesting , a little pricey,especially when you a delivery

rockbeer · 02-05-2008 6:39pm

Indeed, as oblivious says, the point of the stone isn't to add flavour as such, but to attempt to replicate an authentic pizza oven in which the pizzas are placed directly on the hot stone floor. Obviously a clay 'stone' in your oven won't get as hot as the real thing but it goes a long way towards it.

Any lump of unglazed clay will do the job - the thicker and heavier the better. The reason I use tiles is they're much cheaper than 'pizza stones', even though they're identical in every other important respect. I've owned two 'proper' stones, each cost serious money and each cracked within months. I've been using my current tile for at least two years.

It's a question of maths.

sweet-rasmus · 03-05-2008 10:53pm

i had a look at the ebay link. looks really heavy indeed! i see why the tile would be preferred

peaches79 · 23-05-2008 10:51am

Well, the stones we ordered from the website arrived.
They look good- non glazed, good thickness.

Think we're making pizza over wknd so will let u know if they're any good on first inspection

oblivious · 23-05-2008 11:11am

Enjoy, just don't wash it with washing up liquid or put a hot stone in cold water

peaches79 · 24-05-2008 1:22pm

Thanks; actually what is the best way to clean them afterwards or how often etc. ?

oblivious · 24-05-2008 1:46pm

It will go brown/black over time that natural I just wash it down when cold with a little warm water, not to hot as it could crack the stone

peaches79 · 26-05-2008 10:04pm

Well, made pizza on sat and sun, and they worked really well.
Bottom was crisp and pretty much perfect.

Made a mess of one of them with the peels and had rolled dough too thin, so it didn't slide off into the oven easily- a little learning curve

oblivious · 27-05-2008 8:36am

Enjoy your self and don't forget they are also great from bread making as well

The next step is to start making you own sourdough

sweet-rasmus · 27-05-2008 9:44am

ah sourdough

beware, the blazing salads recipe book gives enough for like 50 loaves. we found out a little too late into starter production

oblivious · 27-05-2008 9:59am

All my pizza dough are now sour dough ,so i hope this won't be consider off topic

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

ah sourdough beware, the blazing salads recipe book gives enough for like 50 loaves. we found out a little too late into starter production

yea i am a little weary of some books as they prescribe using yogurt to get the flavor, adding bakers yeast to get the starter going or in your case a very disproportionate recipes

This is a very good site with videos to show you the process

http://www.breadtopia.com/

peaches79 · 27-05-2008 11:55am

Cool, himself (we both use this logon) was actually talking about making sourdoughs next so I've passed that site on.
He's managed a good few yummy bread recipes using some book recipes and a hint of experimentation

The biggest problem we're having at the moment I find is that the pizza dough isn't creating enough air bubbles. We had a fantastic thin pizza in rome that was full of puffy air bubbles. What about cooking the base first, before adding the toppings? Silly idea, anyone tried?

oblivious · 27-05-2008 12:14pm

Don't cook the base before adding topping.

There could be a couple of thing you could try. Increase you water content in the dough, make sure you using strong flour as the gluten is what allow its to expand.

Allow the dough to rise for an hour or two at room temp, the knock back put in the fridge over night, this allows the gluten to ripen. Let it rise a final time before making the pizza.

An final heat you pizza stone/oven to the max temp possible in you oven, make sure the oven is cold when you put in the stone

rockbeer · 27-05-2008 12:34pm

oblivious wrote: »

yea i am a little weary of some books as they prescribe using yogurt to get the flavor,

Nothing wrong with using live natural yoghurt as a starter base, it's just a source for the bacteria you need to inhabit your starter. I've made great starters that way. Having said that there should be no need to add yoghurt on an ongoing basis or anything once you've got the starter up and running.

oblivious wrote: »

adding bakers yeast to get the starter going

If your starter's a bit sluggish 'cos you forgot to feed it and you need to bake, adding a bit of bakers yeast along with the starter still makes an excellent loaf.

oblivious wrote: »

make sure you using strong flour

+1.
Using bread flour is the single most important thing you can do to get a decent base. Ingredients really are everyhting.

oblivious wrote: »

This is a very good site with videos to show you the process

http://www.breadtopia.com/

Great site, thanks for that. Also well worth a look are:

http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.html and http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.sourdough/topics

For a virtually free commercial quality starter with history and everything, send a dollar to the nice people at http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/

sweet-rasmus · 27-05-2008 7:35pm

good point oblivious. only got as far as making sourdough bread, but the pizza dough must be tried!

peaches79 · 28-05-2008 4:20pm

Thanks for the tips people, there will be more experimentation this wknd

Maybe we should start a bread/ dough appreciate sticky!

Velvett · 20-12-2010 12:11pm

Hi Rockbeer
I'm looking for a pizza stone, hopefully before christmas. I've tried loads of cookware and tiling shops but they're either out of stock or (in case of tilers/stonemasons) are wary to sell me a stone/tile for cooking use. It's mainly as it's not something they've been asked for before and aren't sure if its safe. You seem to have 1st hand experience with one

. Can you advise on the kind of stone you used exactly and where you got it please?
Thanks.

oblivious · 20-12-2010 12:46pm

Velvett wrote: »

. Can you advise on the kind of stone you used exactly and where you got it please?
Thanks.

Just make sure there are no leads glaze used on the stone and it poreses

TheVoodoo · 20-12-2010 1:12pm

TK Maxx had them last week, decent enough ones too.

If you are REALLY stuck unglazed terracotta will work too, which you could pick up in any pavers/patio store.

Pizza stone

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