<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Well, I think the responses have finally stopped rolling in. The
consensus seems to be that you don't need to preheat the stones before you
use them, and you can put anything on them. Many people recommended
oiling and/or flouring the stones though the manufacturers say you don't
need to. A few selected items of interest with my comments in [brackets]
*****
I have an entire kitchen of stoneware. It is all Pampered Chef stoneware.
With the PC you don't have to preheat the stone, that way it can be used
for anything anytime, anywhere. I have contacted Pampered Chef, and they
have told me that the gluten does not stay when the stone is washed even
when the stone is in the seasoning process.
*****
For pizza I put the crust on parchment (on the stone) and after it's firm
enough (maybe 10 minutes), I slide it off the parchment, directly onto the
stone. I have seen the stone cooking ware, including pie pans at two
places: 1)those catalogs for selling cooking items at home parties, 2)at
the store (a chain - name I can't remember) that sells bedding, bath and
kitchen items.
*****
I learned from this list to use parchment paper! I use a pizza pan to
trace a circle on the parchment paper, which I place on a wooden pizza
peel. Next I roll the dough on the paper covered by a sheet of plastic
sprayed with olive oil. Roll the dough just inside the circle to make it
12 inches and peel off the plastic. Build the pizza then just slide the
paper onto the preheated stone. I cut three corners off the paper because
they can burn and roll up. I use the fourth corner to pull the pizza. when
it is done, the whole thing slides off the stone with easy cleanup. I
would think the paper would work with cookies also. [This I'm going to try
- I've always wanted a pizza peel]
*****
I've also seen Julia Child make pita breads on public television before
Pampered Chef sold pizza stones...She advised to buy unglazed floor tiles
at your local store to cover the bottom rack of your oven. Making pitas
was quite a show. The oven was very, very hot & the flat glutenous disks
would puff up like balloon & almost dance. The pressure from the steam
that inflated them would eventually cause them to burst & flatten & they
then were done with a pocket in the middle. I don't know is it would be
possible to make them without gluten. [is there anyone out there who'll
try this? It's beyond my skills]
*****
I use a stone for baking - but I never preheat it. I gave up on pizza on
a stone, the dough is just too "runny". It needs edges. I cook chicken,
boneless pork loins and the like on my stone. It is wonderful. I season
my chicken (almost always boneless chicken breasts) with either garlic
powder, rosemary, thyme or a combination. Then stick it in the oven at
350-400 degrees and turn it a couple times. Make sure you "mop" the meat
in the juices near the end - this really helps brown the meat and adds a
lot of flavor. And the clean-up is a breeze! Just water.
I also bake my hamburger buns on the stone, since I pour the dough into
rings, this works OK.
*****
I've been using my stone but not preheating it-either I forgot that rule
or never learned it. Anyway, I grease it with olive oil, flour it, then
plop some dough onto it. I sprinkle the dough with flour and hand form
the crust. It typically doesn't stick at all. I run a spatula under the
pizza before cutting it, just to loosen it from the stone. I also tend to
precook the crust for about 5 minutes before adding the sauce and cheese.
That way, the crust will be cooked all the way through and the cheese
won't be burnt.
*****
I use flour sack towels to roll out flatbreads and some other bakeables
which I can then simply flip over onto the hot stone. You lightly flour
the towel with rice flour, and use plastic wrap or wax paper between the
dough and the rolling pin. Because the towel is pliable it is easier to
handle the dough without breaking it. The stone definitely improves the
baking of a lot of things.
*****
I don't preheat my pizza stone. I just shape the dough right on the
stone, bake the crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then add the toppings
and bake another 20-25 minutes (following Carol Fenster's recipe). I
think the result is fantastic.
*****
I use mine for everything... I use it just like a regular cookie sheet..
My pizza dough I spread on it just like I would on anything else if I am
not using a thicker dough.. I like the you are special pizza dough, it is
a little bit stiffer... but I use my pizza stone for anything that has to
be cooked on a cookie sheet..
*****
Here's how we get the pizza dough onto the stone -- Use a
pizza peal (the wooden paddle thing) lightly flour w/
cornstarch. Gently form pizza dough on the peal -- don't
push down too hard or it sticks. Once stone is heated to
proper setting, gently transfer dough to stone. If it
sticks a bit, try lifting with a long spatula (I use one of
the extra long and wide BBQ types). Cook according to
recipe.
We also use the stone for bread baking. If you want a nice
crusty bread put a small pan of water on lower shelf, and
the stone on the next higher rung. Then put dough on stone
to cook. Works great. Especially w/ the Dr. Schar's
Pastry B mix for bread!
*****
I never preheat the stone....and I mainly use my pizza round stone for
cookies...both the gf and the regular kind. The key, for me, is to take
them out of the oven when they first start to slightly turn brown. Then I
let them sit on the stone for 5 minutes (outside of the oven) to cook some
more. That one recipe posted on the Celiac On-line thing....I think they
are called Carol Fetchner's Chocolate Chip Cookies....they are delicious!!
[http://forums.delphi.com/n/main.asp?webtagiliac&nav=messages I think is
the site she's referring to]
*****
Pampered Chef makes stones you don't have to preheat, so I just spread my
crust right on it cold, prebake for about 15 minutes ( I use the recipe
that comes with the Gifts of Nature All Purpose Flour mix, which is
wonderful, and will work in almost any regular recipe with equal
substitution), top it and bake again for 15 minutes. The pizza turns out
great! My boys are 1-year and 5-years old and love Mama's pizza!
Pampered Chef also has a pie stone, as well as muffin stone, bread pan
stone, etc. I hope this helps.
*****
I bought a cookie sheet with side that is a stone from a pamper chef
party. I Love it!!
I keep that pan just for cooking for my daughters. It works great for
cookies and also makes nice crispy chicken nuggets. For cookies I don't
prehat I just spray with Pam. for the nuggets, I melt some butter in the
panwhile I'm warming up the oven to 425, dip the chicken in egg-milk , then
coat with Gillians bread crumbs,dot with butter on the top. Bake turning
over once.cook til white through. Enjoy!
*****
http://www.abcdistributing.com/
at this site they have them in the christmas catalogue on page 403
You dont have to buy in quanity.
We order from our school for gifts.
I only use this company with good results, i dont know endorse nor work for
them.
*****
It's me again. Stones can also help if your oven heats unevenly. The
stone soaks up heat and radiates it out, so if you have bad problems with
hot spots, letting your stone live on the bottom shelf can help even
things out for you.
I know that Williams-Sonoma carries the pizza stones (but not other
stoneware). I've also seen them at other bed/bath/kitchen stores. If you
have one, support your local kitchen specialty store - they might not have
the best prices, but you'll be able to find stuff that no-one but us would
seem to need.
For those of you interested in Pampered Chef, there's a form for finding a
local consultant (like Tupperware, Avon, or Party Lite candles) at
http://www.pamperedchef.com That's a global site, with regional areas of
UK, Canada, US and Germany. They have more than just stones, too!
And the inevitable disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with or endorsing any of
these companies, just passing along information.
Happy baking!
-Meredith
_______________
Meredith Johnson
Newport, RI
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