baking stone
{{Short description|Portable cooking surface used in baking}}
A baking stone is a portable cooking surface used in baking. It may be made of ceramic, stone or, more recently, salt.{{cite book|last=Bitterman|first=Mark|title=Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes|year=2010|publisher=Ten Speed Press|isbn=9781580082624|page=271}}{{cite book | last1=Fowler | first1=D.L. | last2=Stratton | first2=A. | title=Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking: Classic Flavors for Today's Cook | publisher=Simon & Schuster | year=2005 | isbn=978-0-7432-5058-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YXjEJmEuSw4C&pg=PA27 | access-date=October 11, 2017 | page=27}} Food is put on the stone, which is then placed in an oven, though sometimes the stone is heated first.{{cite book | last=Hitz | first=C. | title=Baking Artisan Bread: 10 Expert Formulas for Baking Better Bread at Home | publisher=Quarry Books | year=2008 | isbn=978-1-61673-526-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4j44xnk4hYAC&pg=PA36 | access-date=October 11, 2017 | page=36}} Baking stones are used much like cookie sheets, but may absorb additional moisture for crispier food.{{cite book | last1=Orsini | first1=G. | last2=Orsini | first2=J.E. | title=Italian Baking Secrets | publisher=St. Martin's Press | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-312-35820-4 | url=https://archive.org/details/italianbakingsec00orsi | url-access=registration | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=[https://archive.org/details/italianbakingsec00orsi/page/53 53]}} A pizza stone is a baking stone designed for cooking pizza.
Overview
Due to the thermal mass of baking stones and the material's property as a poor heat conductor, food is less likely to burn when one uses a baking stone instead of metal or glass bakeware. Baking stones are a variation on hot stone cooking, which is one of the oldest cooking techniques known. Some cooks recommend sprinkling corn meal or flour on the baking stone to prevent the crust from sticking or using parchment paper atop the stone.{{cite book | last=Jordan | first=M. | title=California Home Cooking: 400 Recipes that Celebrate the Abundance of Farm and Garden, Orchard and Vineyard, Land and Sea | publisher=Harvard Common Press | series=America cooks | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-55832-119-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NDuMDMLKtHMC&pg=PA263 | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=263}}{{cite book | last=Brooks | first=M. | title=The Guaranteed No Burnt Bottoms Cookies Cookbook | publisher=Monica's Best Bakes | year=2006 | isbn=978-0-615-13418-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eGkzCNdhLGoC&pg=PA13 | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=13}}{{cite book | last1=Reinhart | first1=P. | last2=Manville | first2=R. | title=The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread | publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-60774-129-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htveL1MPqYMC&pg=PA260 | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=260}}{{cite book | last=Black | first=S. | title=One Dough, Ten Breads: Making Great Bread by Hand | publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | year=2016 | isbn=978-0-544-57933-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d2cGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA158 | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=158}} Baking "stones" may be purchased as unglazed ceramic tiles, unglazed fired clay tiles and quarried tiles, from tile shops and hardware stores.{{cite book | last1=Reinhart | first1=P. | last2=Manville | first2=R. | title=Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor | publisher=Ten Speed Press | series=Cookery, Food and Drink Series | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-58008-759-9 | url=https://archive.org/details/peterreinhartswh00rein | url-access=registration | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=[https://archive.org/details/peterreinhartswh00rein/page/85 85]}}{{cite book | last1=Alterman | first1=T. | last2=Nauman | first2=T. | title=Whole Grain Baking Made Easy: Craft Delicious, Healthful Breads, Pastries, Desserts, and More - Including a Comprehensive Guide to Grinding Grains | publisher=Voyageur Press | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-7603-4598-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2o-1CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA90 | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=90}}
To prevent fracturing of the stone by thermal shock, some bakers place the baking stone in a cold oven and heat it over at least 45 minutes, then allow it to cool slowly inside the oven after switching it off. Because of the possibility of rapid temperature change,{{Cite news|url=https://pizzaovenradar.com/p/best-oven-temperature-for-pizza/|title=Understanding the Best Oven Temperature for Making Pizza Using Different Oven Types}} baking stones should not be left in an oven while it is in self cleaning mode.{{cite book | title=Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America's Most Trusted Food Magazine | publisher=America's Test Kitchen | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-936493-13-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CIZKCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT3463 | access-date=October 11, 2017 | page=3463}}
Baking stones can be cleaned with a dry brush or scouring pad followed by plain hot water. Because it is porous, a baking stone will absorb any fluid it contacts,{{cite book | last1=Bridge | first1=F. | last2=Tibbetts | first2=J.F. | title=The well-tooled kitchen | publisher=Morrow | year=1991 | url=https://archive.org/details/welltooledkitche00brid | url-access=registration | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=[https://archive.org/details/welltooledkitche00brid/page/136 136]| isbn=9780688081355 }} including detergent. Use of any detergents may taint the stone, imparting the flavor of detergent to foods later cooked on the stone.{{cite book | last1=Gemignani | first1=T. | last2=Morgan | first2=D. | last3=Peterson | first3=S. | title=Pizza: More than 60 Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pizza | publisher=Chronicle Books LLC | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-4521-1276-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Kj8zkUWIM4C&pg=PA18 | access-date=October 12, 2017 | page=18}}
Pizza stone
When designed for cooking pizzas, a baking stone is often referred to as a pizza stone. Using a pizza stone more or less mimics the effects of cooking a pizza in a masonry oven. The porous nature of the stone absorbs moisture, resulting in a crispier crust. Small pizza stones can be purchased to fit any conventional cooking oven or an enclosed barbecue-style grill. High-end ovens sometimes offer optional pizza stones that are specifically designed for each oven model and may include a specialized heating element. In addition to traditional methods, a pizza stone can also be made out of metal.{{cite web | author=Parsons, Russ | title=A pizza stone of steel | website=Los Angeles Times | date=February 1, 2013 | url=https://www.latimes.com/food/la-xpm-2013-feb-01-la-dd-a-pizza-stone-of-steel-20130131-story.html | access-date=October 14, 2017}}{{cite web|author=Perry, Charles | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-22-fo-soapstone22-story.html |title=Soapstone: cookware that rocks |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 22, 2006 |access-date=2017-10-11}}
{{anchor|Pizza Steel}}{{anchor|Baking Steel}} Pizza / baking steel
A usually {{cvt|16|inch}} long x {{cvt|16|inch}} wide x {{cvt|1/4|inch}} thick A36 steel plate{{cite web |title=Combine The KettlePizza and the Baking Steel For The Ultimate Home Pizza Setup |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/the-pizza-lab-combine-the-kettlepizza-and-the-baking-steel-for-the-ultimate-home-pizza-setup |website=The Pizza Lab |publisher=Serious Eats |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Lagsdin |first1=Andris |title=Baking with steel : the revolutionary new approach to perfect pizza, bread, and more |date=2017 |publisher=Voracious |location=New York |isbn=978-0316465786 |edition=First}}{{cite web |title=Baking with Steel: The Revolutionary New Approach to Perfect Pizza, Bread, and More |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baking-with-steel-andris-lagsdin/1126092930 |website=Barnes & Noble |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en}} conducts heat better than stone and is safe to use with any broiler or grill, but gives off too much heat for bread, cookies, and croissants.{{cite news |title=The Best Pizza Stone and Baking Steel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-pizza-stone-and-baking-steel/ |access-date=1 January 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=21 July 2021}} Its carbon steel is heavier thus it needs to be pre-seasoned before use. The optimal thickness is determined by the oven temperature.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-01 |title=Pizza Steel Thickness Guide: Why Girth Matters When It Comes To Homemade Pizza - My House Of Pizza |url=https://www.myhouseofpizza.com/best-pizza-steel-thickness/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.myhouseofpizza.com |language=en-us}}{{cite web |author1=Ben |title=Best Pizza Stones & Baking Steels |url=https://na-pizza.com/best-pizza-stones-baking-steels/ |website=Na Pizza |access-date=1 January 2022 |archive-date=1 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101103329/https://na-pizza.com/best-pizza-stones-baking-steels/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Baking Steel Archives |url=https://modernistcuisine.com/tag/baking-steel/ |website=Modernist Cuisine |date=19 April 2013 |access-date=1 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=Steel VS Stone: Which Surface is Better for Baking Bread? |url=https://thebreadguide.com/steel-vs-stone/ |website=The Bread Guide |access-date=1 January 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Lagsdin |first1=Andris |title=Perfect Pizza Using Baking Steel Broiler Method |url=https://bakingsteel.com/blogs/recipes/perfect-pizza-using-baking-steel-broiler-method |website=Baking Steel ® |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en}}
See also
{{portal|Cooking|Food}}
- Earth oven – underground ovens
- Masonry oven – colloquially known as a brick oven or stone oven