Pizza Stone help required

belfastgirl23

I'd recommend getting a stone with handles. Mine were about £15 each from a local chef shop. I normally put the stones in the oven while it heats (in fact they pretty much live in there). While it's heating I roll out the dough for the pizzas. Then once the oven is at top temperature I put the dough circle directly on the stone and make the pizza up quickly on it. You do need to have all the ingredients to hand but it's pretty simple once you get into it. I'd personally say it's a mistake trying to make the pizza up and then transfer it, I always end up with ingredients over the floor The flour on the base of the pizza also helps prevent it sticking.

Also for info I find a wallpaper scraper is the best thing for getting off the residue and also cleaning flour etc from the tabletop

Biggles

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

I'd recommend getting a stone with handles. Mine were about £15 each from a local chef shop. I normally put the stones in the oven while it heats (in fact they pretty much live in there). While it's heating I roll out the dough for the pizzas. Then once the oven is at top temperature I put the dough circle directly on the stone and make the pizza up quickly on it.

So, basically, you're for the 'Jamie Oliver method' out of the two I mentioned above? Thanks for that, BG.

I'll keep an eye out for a stone with handles. Most of the ones I see for sale online seem to have a rack with handles, but that seems to be for serving after cooking. The search continues!

Triggles

I had a pampered chef pizza stone for years in the US. Spritzed oil on it before putting pizza dough on it to bake for quite some time until the stone was well seasoned and didn't need it. Always put the dough on it with the stone cold (preheated the oven, but never the stone). Always soaked it in hot water (no soap) for a short time, then scraped it clean with a plastic spatula type thing (it came with the stone - although a regular plastic spatula should work just fine). Then dried it with dish towel and put it away. It got darker as it got used more. I used it for baking pizza, cookies (worked REALLY well!), chips, frozen fish, and all sorts of stuff. I had the metal rack - never used it. Just used potholders to pick it up.

I sold all my pampered chef stoneware before I moved here, as I figured it would just get shattered in the move. I loved using it though, as it all cooked so well! I may replace the pizza stone, as it was quite handy.

belfastgirl23

Biggles wrote: »

So, basically, you're for the 'Jamie Oliver method' out of the two I mentioned above? Thanks for that, BG.

I'll keep an eye out for a stone with handles. Most of the ones I see for sale online seem to have a rack with handles, but that seems to be for serving after cooking. The search continues!

Sorry I wasn't clear mine is the rack system but the rack works fine in the oven as well, I just use the handles to grab it out. I find you do need one long oven glove for the hand that has to reach right into the oven but I just use a silicone mitt on the other one...

Deffo the Jamie Oliver system though...

prettypennies

I have just bought this one form TKMAXX for £6.99 (with the pizza knife included)

http://www.typhoonhousewares.com/TyphoonSite/pages/category/category.asp?ctgry=The+Italian+Job+by+Typhoon%E2%84%A2_Pizza+Stone+Set&cookie%5Ftest=1

I can't wait to try it out. My kids love pizza, but I can never get the base quite right. Hopefully this will help!

fallen121

I LOVE making my own dough for pizza bases and someone has just given me a pizza stone. Unfortunately it doesn't come with any instructions and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with the bloomin' thing!

Can anyone please give me a quick tutorial?

Thanks! :beer:

belfastgirl23

Before you use it, put it in your oven at top blast for about an hour (this is if it's brand new, it needs seasoned).

Then it's pretty simple, when you want pizza leave the stone in the oven and heat up to top temperature. Then lift the stone out (carefully!), put the rolled out dough on top and then assemble the pizza on top of this. You do need to have everything sitting ready to go on before you lift the stone out. The put it back in the oven. Be careful cos by the time you have floury dough on the stone it can get a bit slippy and the pizza can slide around a little bit. Cooks in prob 5 mins depending how hot your oven gets.

For mine you need two oven gloves, at least one of which should be long-ish for the arm reaching into the oven...

Harriett

Once the stone is seasoned, I put it in the oven when I switch on the oven and leave it heat up. I never put a cold pizza stone into a warm oven.

I roll out the pizza base and assemble pizza on a sheet of waxed paper, then bring out the pizza stone and slide the pizza onto it, then back into the oven.

I find it easier that way for myself.

nopot2pin

I also remember something about not washing it...
It should only be wiped clean....
I expect someone will remember the reasoning why

Penelope_Penguin

fallen121 wrote: »

I LOVE making my own dough for pizza bases and someone has just given me a pizza stone. Unfortunately it doesn't come with any instructions and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with the bloomin' thing!

Can anyone please give me a quick tutorial?

Thanks! :beer:

Hi there :beer: We have an existing thread on pizza stones, so I'll add your question so that all ideas are kept together

Penny. x