I realized that, in making some of my recipes, I use tools that a lot of people might not know about: what they are, how they work, is it really worth the investment.
Here's a post explaining the tools I used in the recipe for Pull-apart Flatbread: the pizza stone and the pizza peel.
Pizza Stone
The pizza stone is a fantastic device for baking pizzas and breads. It is made out of earthenware or ceramic and, much like a good piece of cookware will do on top of the stove, a pizza stone evenly distributes heat inside the oven. By absorbing excess moisture, it also helps give a crispiness to bread and pizza crust that a normal baking sheet simply cannot accomplish.
Bottom line: A pizza stone turns your regular oven into a brick oven.
Pizza Peel
A pizza peel can best be described like a giant spatula. You've probably seen one, if you've ever watched somebody make pizza. Essentially, it is used for putting pizza/bread/etc into a brick oven, or removing the delicious little morsel after cooking.
Bottom line: A pizza peel makes working with pizza on a pizza stone much easier.
Recommendations
So, if you are wondering whether or not you need/want a pizza stone, think about the following questions:
1) What do you want to cook? If you already bake your own bread, or make a lot of pizza at home (Pizza stones work great for frozen pizzas, too! It's not just for made-from-scratch.), then I would honestly consider a pizza stone. It's something you know you already enjoy doing, and you will get a lot of use out of this tool. If you are only thinking about baking bread or making pizza, start out with just a baking sheet. Wait to see if you even enjoy cooking those things. If you don't enjoy it, you won't use the pizza stone enough to make the investment really worth it.
2) Can you afford a pizza stone? A complete pizza stone kit can run anywhere from $30 and up. You can also find pizza stones to fit something as small as a toaster oven to as large as 14" x 16" x .5". Base the decision on your own budget and how much you think you will use this. If you are a bread-baking fiend, then I'd probably save up for a really good pizza stone (just like you'd save up for a tool for any other hobby - knitting needles, really nice yarn, a good sewing machine, a camera). If you will only use it sparingly, going whole-hog won't really help you all that much. Get a smaller stone, and save the "extra" money for something else you will use much more often in the kitchen.
3) Is a pizza stone easy to care for? Absolutely. As far as kitchen tools go, pizza stones are one of the easiest things to have around. Pizza stones are porous - one of the reasons they make breads and pizza crusts so crispy. This means that the only thing you should use to wash it is pure, clear water - absolutely no detergent! The stone will soak up detergent like there's no tomorrow, and you will ruin the stone. For cleaning, just use a brush or detergent-free scrub pad to get off any bits that are stuck and rinse with water. Pizza stones (much like cast iron) develop a seasoning and hardness after repeated use - increasing the quality of the stone. Unlike cast iron, you do not need to "re-season" a pizza stone. Instead, a pizza stone can just be left in the oven permanently (Except for oven self-cleaning cycles! Remember to remove it during those times!). Whenever the oven is being used, just put the baking sheet or pan on top of the stone, and the stone will develop further. Remember, a pizza stone will crack if exposed to extreme heat changes, so make sure you put it into a cold oven first - then preheat the oven. Let the pizza stone completely cool in the oven before removing and rinsing. These are pretty universal ways to care for a pizza stone. Always refer to the instruction and care manual when you get one.
So, what do you all think? Are you considering getting a pizza stone? Do you already have one and want to share your thoughts and suggestions? Feel free to leave comments!
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