When pizza stones first came out in the market they were around $75-100 (they are now around $30-40). Back then when I was selling them at the store I worked at I wondered, for that much money, do they really make that much of a difference?
So when I bought this itty bitty toaster oven pizza stone for just $2, I knew it had to go through my test kitchen and finally answer that question.
Cleaning the Stone
I wanted to clean and season my pizza stone but apparently most people do not do this anymore.
I wet the stone, scrubbed salt on it, rinsed and then let dry. It took days for the stone to dry all the way through!
I put a dollop of canola oil on the stone and rubbed across and in with a paper towel.
I put the stone in a cold oven and turned the heat to around 325F. I let sit for around 20 minutes. To cool off, I turned off the heat and opened the oven door for a long time until it came to room temperature.
Testing the Stone
I put the stone in a cold toaster oven and then preheated it around 400F.
I made the Podleski sisters’ pizza dough and flattened it out as much as I could.
I took the pizza stone out of the toaster oven.
The hardest part was getting the pizza onto the stone. I really need to get some cornmeal, apparently that helps.
I baked for 20 minutes.
Everything cooked through beautifully.
Not only was the bottom of the dough crispy, there is something about using a pizza stone that helps the dough drink in the sauce to give it a richer flavour. What a wonderful foodie surprise!
After eating this amazing pizza, I was a believer. I bought a full size pizza stone as soon as I could. I wanted Reg to try it too. I could not wait for his opinion.
I made a larger version of the same pizza and did not tell him I had used the stone but he picked up that something about our favourite pizza right away. It was not only different, it was better. He loved it and is a believer now too. It took something we thought we loved and made it even more delicious and loveable.
I am totally a pizza stone believer now! Worth the money? Absolutely! If you make pizza at home, this is a must-have. I was grilling my dough before which was OK but this is a whole new fabulous level of pizza-making paradise. If you do not have a stone now, buy one! You will not be sorry.
Did you buy the stone in HRM? I would love one for my toaster oven!
Wow, you did a really great job seasoning your stone. I’m impressed. It really paid off. I love my stones and pizza just works better on them. I will have to try that dough recipe (although my husband cringes at the word healthy – if I cover the crust well, he may never guess!)
I tend to roll my dough out right on the stone, using one of those dough and pizza rollers – much easier that way. Cornmeal dries it out a bit.
For some reason, this post made me think of the Sacred Stone of Scone. WTF? The ancient Scots didn’t even eat pizza.
Connie, I bought both mine new but at thrift stores but Cucina Moderna sells this set and it’s only $30 and you get the paddle!
Dianne, thank you! That healthy dough is amazing BTW, doesn’t taste healthy. I’m not a fan of hearty bread dough but the Podleski sisters totally pulled it off.
You roll the dough on the hot stone?
Debra, what foodie poet were you channeling there? I wonder if I should try making scones on the stone now. Cool!
I try not to buy too many kitchen gadgets, but I think I need a stone. A trip to Cucina Moderna is in order 🙂
Me too Alexis and making room for one more “thingy…” not my style but this? Absolutely. It is totally worth it and Cucina Moderna is totally where I would go to get mine. Enjoy!
Can you tell me where to get the stone for $2. I would buy it for my daughter. I love pizza stones, I have two big round stones. Pizza is so good on them.
i am so glad to read this post! i have a pizza stone and have never used it. now i know i have to! 🙂
blessings
~*~
This looks crazy good!
Helene, I got it at a thrift store that has now closed but you can get them from amazon.ca here. Hope that helps!
Laura, oh good, enjoy! And I hear they’re great for general baking too, especially cookies.
Thanks Cbass!
Look for Alton Brown’s comments regarding pizza stones. I’m paraphrasing, but he thinks they’re overpriced because you can get one at a hardware store for about one-third the price if you know what you’re looking for.
I think that episode of Alton’s (which is a great one) had a lot to do with the price of the stones coming down! It made me hesitate for sure but thankfully they are more reasonably priced now.