Baking Stones – which creates the best crust?
I’ve been collecting pizza stones in order to recommend the best ones to you and because I have never met a piece of kitchen equipment I could resist. I have been surprised by some and disappointed by others. Here is my review…the stones are in random order.
1. Here is the workhorse of the group, 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone
I also love the size since I tend to bake lots of loaves at once. I can fit about 3 boules or baguettes on here at the same time.
2. This is not a stone at all, but a disk of iron, Lodge Cast-Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan
It is thinner than my heavy duty stone (above) so it preheats in 20 minutes and still creates a very crispy, caramel colored bottom crust. Because iron conducts heat well, but doesn’t retain heat for long, it cools off quicker. You can also stick this into a super hot oven, which is a NO NO for stone and ceramic pizza pans.
The only thing I don’t like about this pan is that it has a lip on it, which makes it more challenging to clean. With all my other stones I use a bench scraper to clean off any extra cornmeal or flour (see bottom of post for more info.) With the Lodge I have to carefully take it out of the oven and use a brush
3. The PizzaQue is a stone made specifically for the grill, as long as your grill is large enough to handle the stone and base. I thought it was clever to have the stone sit up above the grates so that the flames wouldn’t hit it and the toppings would have a chance to cook before the bottom crust burned. It also has a built in thermometer, which I figured would be more accurate than the one on the outside of my grill. My assumptions were mostly wrong.
The stone, which sits on a thin metal frame, is so thick that it takes 30+ minutes to preheat in my grill. The built in thermometer is attached to the thin metal frame so it reads 700 degrees after just 10 minutes, which is not long enough for the actual stone to reach that temperature. I highly doubt this stone ever got to 700 degrees or the pizza would have been baked in less than 10 minutes.
This stone is wonderful when used in my home oven, but the frame is useless since it won’t fit in my oven. Wanted to love this, but don’t!
Update: I just read the glowing reviews on Amazon and decided to give it another shot. After a 35 minute preheat…I baked a pizza and it came out much better than I remembered from the first attempt. The bottom crust was crispy and the toppings were just caramelizing after 10 minutes, this is the benefit of having it sit up higher on the metal frame. Still not in love, since my Lodge (see above) does a nicer job and takes less time to preheat.
4. For those of you who are just getting started and want to try the bread/pizzas without investing in a pizza stone, I suggest using a heavy gauge baking pan. I like the industrial strength version, 18-by-13-by-1-Inch Jelly-Roll Pan
5. Here is a traveling Pizza Stone
To clean the flat stones: I use a Bench Scraper
7. I didn’t review Unglazed Terra Cotta Garden Tiles because I don’t own any, but I have baked on them successfully. They are very inexpensive, but thin and small. You will want to push several together in your oven. You tend to get much more flour or cornmeal on the bottom of your oven as a result, which can mean smoke when baking pizzas. You can find these at most Garden or Hardware stores.
8. I just have to mention that the only stone we have had numerous complaints about it cracking is the one made by Pampered Chef. I have never personally tried this stone, but it seems it is fragile from what I hear–given that, we don’t recommend this company’s products.
Which stone do you use and do you love it?
Zoe, I can concur with you 100%. My big thick stone did finally crack after about 20 years, and I’m using a provisional round one for the moment. The glazed on really surprises me too. Might just have to try one. Thanks.
thank you for the review of the different options! the only stone i have is the rectangular one from pampered chef, i’ve had it for about four years now and it is holding up very well, no cracks at all and i get a nice crust on all my breads with it.
All of the baking stones I have are from Pampered Chef and I love them. But like the name, I do Pamper them. =) I rarely ‘wash’ them with water, and if I do I make sure they sit for several days to dry completely. I NEVER use soap on them. I also never put ANYTHING frozen or overly cold on them. Not even a fish stick.
I’ve just started baking your recipes, and I think my oven temp may be off a bit or I need to let it pre-heat a bit longer. I don’t get a golden crisp crust on the bottom of the loaf, though the rest of the crust is nicely brown and crispy.
Love the book, and I look forward to mastering the basic bread and moving on to the variations!
Thank you!
Michelle
My stone is from Pampered Chef. I want to say it’s 13″? I’ve had it for about 7 years now so it’s really well-seasoned (and quite dark). Most of the time I just scrape or wipe it off but I do occasionally run it under really hot water as well. I’ve used soap a few times but only very lightly. I loove it, I get a great pizza crust on it (as well as bread and cookies).
I had a pampered chef one that broke after a few uses, and its replacement broke even sooner. I bought a Williams Sonoma stone, but got the run around on the warranty. No one could tell me what warranty applies to the stone. I did buy it, and inside the box was a statement that there is a lifetime warranty, so I’m keeping the reciept and all of the packaging in my attic just in case!
My Pampered Chef stone cracked. The temeprature difference between the room temp bread dough and the hot stone was the cause. The cracks radiated out from directly under the loaf. PC warranteed it, but the replacement cracked as well. I’ve not gotten around to getting something else yet, and have been baking on the larger half of the 2nd stone. 🙁
I have a round 13 inch pampered chef stone that I have had for about 8-9 years. I used it on and off before I started making bread daily using your method. But since then, I have kept it in my oven and used it daily with no problem at all. It makes a nice crust on my bread and pizzas.
The only stone I had when I started was the round stone from Pampered Chef. I heard it pop after about 10 minutes of baking. I had had it for about 10 years but had never used it for bread. I went out and bought the stone from Williams & Sonoma. Love it!
Its funny, but I have the Pampered Chef stone as well, and I absolutely love it! I’ve had it for almost three years now so obviously it hasn’t had the chance to take too much abuse, but I haven’t ever had any trouble with it. I stick it in the oven when the oven is cold, and start the warm up. I’ve even forgotten it was in there a couple of times and heated up the oven and it was still okay. It must be the difference in ovens or something.
Wow, it seems like the Pampered Chef stones have been a mixed bag. What a shame.
I have both the large and small Pampered Chef pizza stones and a rectangular one I have used regularly for 15 years, and they are still going strong. I cracked a round PC stone dish once when I let a damp hot pad touch it. Split right in half. My PC 9×13 is nearly black I’ve used it so much. I don’t preheat the stones. It’s the contact of hot stone to wet food that causes the cracking. Nevertheless, I still get a GREAT crust!
I have two round pampered chef stones – the oldest I’ve had for at least 10 years – and have never had a problem. I use them for everything from bread and homemade pizza to frozen pizza and refrigerated dough products (crescent rolls, etc.) and always get good results. I wash it with very hot water but never soap. I hope commenting hasn’t jinxed my stones… 😉
I’ve had a Pampered Chef Stone for about 10 yrs now & it’s the only one I’ve used for everything from pizza to bread to cookies. We’ve even used it on the gas grill and it’s still in one piece. I scrape it when I’m done and use hot water on it…never soap. It’s well seasoned after all these years.
I’ve used the same six unglazed terra cotta tiles for 10-12 years. I bought two extra, fearing breakage, but it’s never happened. They lie in a 2×3 grid on a foil oven liner, which keeps the oven clean, on the bottom rack. The sides of the liner may need recrimping so the tiles stay close. The oven liner lasts well over a year. The setup never leaves the the oven, except for cleaning. The tiles and liner get scrubbed in the sink with hot water and nylon scourer maybe quarterly, or if I reheat a very cheesy pizza directly on the tiles.
I’ve always used regular, run-of-the mill types one can buy at BB&B, for example. My first one lasted over ten years, and I almost cried when it just broke in half one day. Yet, it had served me well.
Now its replacement is broken in (and there is a backup) that is just as dear to me. I use it for so many things (pizzas, your breads) that the $10-$15 it costs is well worth it.
I use a 13″x5/8″ round stone from Pfaltzgraff which I bought about 20 years ago for $20. I’d rarely used it until I learned of the Artisan Bread in Five method; it gets used a lot more now.
I would be very interested to know the thicknesses of the mineral stones you tested and the pre-heat times which you have found necessary to bring them up to full oven temperature. I suspect that every additional 1/8″ adds another 10-minutes. I feel my 5/8″ thick stone takes a full 45-minutes to reach equilibrium with the oven.
Hi Rick,
I tend to let my thick stone (5/8″) preheat for about 40 minutes, but sometimes longer, especially for pizzas that will only be baking for a few minutes.
So glad you are getting to use that stone more now! Zoë
My Pampered Chef stones do great with B5M recipes. I have not had any trouble at all with this product.
Thanks for the reviews, Zoe.
I have a nice Willimas and Sonoma stone and a round PC stone. I make most of my breads and pizzas on the W&S stone, but when I need to make something that has oil or cheese in it, I reach for the PC stone. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t smoke like when I made olive oil loaves on my nice W&S stone. I preheat both of them for 25 min and never have any problems–1 lb loaves are done in 25 min, pizza in 6.
And can I just say, I LOVE your books. As an Easter European, raised on great bread, I don’t have to dream of great bread anymore, I make it.
Thank you all for telling me about your experience with Pampered Chef baking stones. Sounds like many of you have had excellent experiences with them!
Enjoy, Zoë
I am so glad to see your stones look messy! I never attempted anything other than water to clean my WS stone, but I have always felt badly about its appearance. Now I know it’s normal! Big sigh of relief! 😉
the baking stones from Big Green Egg are thick and will not crack. i’ve had fantastic results using them for bread and pizza over a hardwood, lump charcoal fire. pampered chef stones always break.
I have had two “Pampered Chef” stones, both used according to directions accompanying them, and both now languishing on some landfill site as they likely lasted longer in shipping/storage prior to sale than they did once in my oven. (As an aside, my sister in law sold the first one to me, got a replacement for me when number 1 cracked, but I also was told by the company through her that I had not used it correctly, thus the break in the first one. Strange, I didn’t notice anyone looking through my windows when I read the directions or used it!)
I went to terracotta tiles in an aluminum tray about 15 years ago, and they lasted right up until this year when I purchased one of the 14 x 16 x 9/16 heavy-duty stones. This mega stone got dirty fast, but I’m not sweating it as it does the job as well as anyone says it does.
I’ve had a pampered chef stone for over 10 years and love it. I put it in the dishwasher to clean it and it comes out clean and doesn’t taste of soap. I use it for pizza and bread. Fantastic.
My first pizza stone was a round one from Oneida. It cracked on me a few months ago. I didn’t have it that long. I wound up buying another one from Oneida although this one is square. So far, so good.
As for cleaning, I found a trick I’d heard about somewhere: first, I wet down the stone with water, then I sprinkle it with coarse ground salt and rub it gently across the stone until the worst of the baked on food comes off. I recommend wearing gloves or the salt will tear up your hands.
This seems like a pretty basic question, so I apologize if it has already been answered and I missed it.
Is the rest period after shaping the loaf necessary with fresh (not yet refrigerated) dough?
Thank you.
Hi Selene,
Once you handle the dough it does need to rest again, but with the fresh dough the resting time is a fraction of the time. All the recipes have a stated time for both refrigerated dough and fresh.
Thanks, Zoë
I use 3/8 inch porous tiles on the bottom shelf of my countertop convection oven in the winter. I haven’t been able to find a small enough baking stone to use. It works good in there. I use my thick baking stone one the grill and if it’s not a blizzard, that’s where I bake all my bread all year long! Great all the time!
I received a Pampered Chef stone as a wedding present and it split the second time I used it. Not impressed.
Interesting. I have a Pampered Chef stone that I use constantly. I have had it for over 10 years. I love it. I had one that cracked, but they are guaranteed so they replaced it. That is the one I still use. I want to try the Lodge, but have never seen one. Anyone know where to find one? It would work for a campfire. The Emile, looks nice too. May give that a try.
Thanks for a closer look at all the options. I am thinking I might check out the terra cotta tiles, that sounds like a much cheaper alternative. Thanks to the person who suggested the foil liner underneath as well 🙂
Any baking stone less than 1/2″ thick is likely to crack when used over a live fire. Thinner stones may be fine in an electric oven.
Hi Rick,
This is what I have been thinking for the past 3 years as I put my inexpensive, very thin stone on the grill and it just refuses to crack. I think it is just a matter of time, but so far I have beat the odds.
Thanks, Zoë
I am trying to make a good sandwich bread. I have used the challah in HB and really enjoy the texture and flavor, but the slices fall apart and therefore are not useful for sandwiches. Do you have any ideas why my bread falls apart when sliced? Once more the texture is good – not dry or gooey or tough.
Thanks,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
What brand of flour are you using? It may be lower in protein and need an extra boost of Vital Wheat gluten. This will put more stretch in the bread and hopefully solve your slicing issue. Start by adding 2 additional tablespoons and as much more water to the dough and see if that is enough to do the trick.
Thanks! Zoë
I use the square pizza stone from Williams-Sonoma in my oven and love it. The Emile Henry Flame Top Pizza Stone sounds very interesting and pretty too 🙂 The Lodge sounds interesting also. Where to buy?? I previously used a thinner stone that cracked right down the middle after a few months of use. I kept it anyway and use it on the BBQ crack and all. It works fine 🙂
Hi Georgeann,
You may find the lodge pan locally, some of our cooking stores here in Minneapolis carry them. There is also a link in the post to one on Amazon.
Thanks! Zoë
was wondering if anyone had/hadused/tested the ALL CLAD pizza stone (I have all the all clad pots/pans of this type and love them … but don’t want to waste money on something unnecessarily. nice that it as the serverhandles/cutter with it though:
https://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=101491&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results
I have 2 pampered chef pizza stones and several other stoneware pieces. Once broke several years ago but because it wat sitting in the oven when it was preheating the broiler.
Both of the stones are black with patina and are only washed with water and scraped with a plastic scraper that comes with the stone. I love my PC stones!
The information given for the Lodge pizza pan on amazon.com says it can be heated to 400 degrees. Do you heat yours at a higher temperature before using it for baking?
Hi C Burke,
Oh yes, up to 550 degrees in my home oven and who knows how hot on my grill, but I suspect even hotter than the oven.
Thanks, Zoë
I’m worried now, I have a large PC stone I’ve been using to bake bread — I don’t preheat it, I let the dough rest on it and then toss the whole thing in the oven (impossible to slide dough at ankle level of double oven) — is it going to crack on me now that I’ve read all of the above? Does anyone else not preheat their stones?
Kristen: I’m guessing it’s a quality-control problem with PC– not everyone has trouble with them (I did). I always preheat my stones and the oldest one I’ve owned lasted 11 yrs before cracking.
All stones crack– eventually. Except for the cast iron “stones.” Jeff
Thanks, Zoe! I’m going to try baking with the Lodge pan at 6,400 feet in Colorado.
Zoe-I just went on your site for the first time to ask if you’d heard of anyone’s baking stones breaking from grill use. I took your class in Salem, NY (and had a great time!!) and have been baking out of both of your books for about a year now. I just tried baking on the grill for the first time and my Pampered Chef stone broke in half. They’re making good on it but I have to mail in a piece etc etc. Do you have flames on directly under a tone when you use it on the grill or do you just use the flames on the other side of the grill to heat it? I thought it was my fault though these postings have me wondering. Thanks, Linda
Linda: The PC stone products have gotten a very mixed review from our readers. Some people have had no problem, but many have had cracking problems with them before many uses. I had one break after a single use, in the oven at 550F.
On the grill, I use my half-inch thick stone right over the flames and have had no problem. Half-inch thick stones last much better than quarter-inch thick ones.
Note that no manufacturer currently warrants the stones against cracking…
Jeff
I’ve sold Pampered Chef for over 10 years now, and the stone specifically state they are NOT to be used on an open flame… My two flat rectangular stones, placed side by side to exactly fit the width of my oven have been in my over for almost 10 years also. I crank my oven up to 550 every day to make my breads and pizzas, and those stones have never cracked… by some of my customers stones have…
The really nice thing about the PC stones is the vitrified clay, 100% free of any leads, so they are safe for micrwaves too.
I also own several cast iron pieces and will surely try them out…
I just started teaching International Cuisine at my son’s high school last week, and the 20 students made ABin%breads all week… AND LOVED the process…
Can you imagine? 17 years olds now wanting to buy your book and make their own bread…
Soooooo exciting!
Thank you for the most awesome book!!!!
Can’t wait for the next one!
Sandra: As always, do exactly what the manufacturer recommends– but note that my experience with PC stones was that it broke after a single use in the oven– not over an open flame, and many readers are relaying this same sort of experience to us. Jeff
My first PC stone cracked after several months of frequent use (was baking my 3rd loaf of the morning, cracked after 30 min) – but I do have to applaud the PC staff I talked to – they quickly sent a replacement, and so far, it’s working fine. I always do preheat oven with stone in, try to slide loaves on carefully.
My pampered chef stone broke when it was fairly new– just a drop of pizza sauce dripped on it, and that was it. I just got the new book and I’m going to try my cast-iron flat skillet to see how I like it. I might go with the cast iron pizza pan if it works out!
I use the big square baking stone you prefer. I’ve had it for years and it works well. I keep it on the bottom shelf of the oven almost all the time even when I’m just baking or roasting . It’s quite heavy and a bother to lift out when not being used to bake on.
Also, is there any problem with rust when using cast iron and steam?
I’ve heard about the refrigerator rise/cold baking method, but can’t seem to find it on the site… could I get a link?
Thanks!
Hi Christina,
The steam is only present in the oven for the first 10 minutes and then burns off so the iron is in no danger of getting rusty from that.
The refrigerator rise is simple, just form the loaf, set it to rest on a piece of parchment, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 8-10 hours. While you are preheating the oven put the loaf on the counter and then slip it into the oven once the oven is preheated.
Enjoy, Zoë
I use coarse salt to clean cast iron & stones … however, unlike a previous commenter, I use it dry.
I’ve found that coarse sea salt seems to work the best, the granules are hard with sharp edges/points. Kosher salt is flaky & softer, it doesn’t work as well.
I use the round pizza stone from Target; less than $20 and the first one lasted years (but mostly used it for baking frozen or mix pizzas). It only cracked when it hit the floor when we remodeled the kitchen. I would recommend it to someone who wants to get started on the ABin5 but doesn’t have a lot of cash to spend.
I LOVE AB in 5 – will have to check out Healthy Bread in 5. I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and therefore have a lot of their stuff. I have used the stone loaf pan, the circular pizza stone and the large rectangular bar pan — they are all working very well and no cracks. I used them fairly regularly before discovering bread baking, but now that I bake bread every day, they are getting a real workout.
Also, if I remember correctly, Pampered Chef states that it is temperature changes that will tend to cause their stones to crack and recommend not preheating them. I have been following the AB in 5 instructions – but maybe with PC stones, it would be better not to preheat the stone.
Thank you for the advice Janet,
I can’t figure out how the stone works properly without preheating it. I think I have to get a PC stone and give it a try.
Thanks! Zoë
Great post. I enjoyed seeing the different kinds of stones. I have a round Pampered Chef stone that I love. Works great, make a very consistent crust. I like them thin and and a little crispy and it delivers every time.
I didn’t know, however, that I wasn’t supposed to wash it…and I never will again. 🙂
I saw in the newspaper this morning that Healthy Bread in Five won the Midwest Booksellers Choice 2010 Honors Award in Nonfiction. Congratulations! Very well-deserved. https://www.midwestbooksellers.org/midwest-booksellers-choice-awards/2010-midwest-booksellers-choice-awards/
Linda: Thnx for noticing, we’re very excited…
Do I have to use a bread pan for 100% Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread or can I just shape a 1 pound piece and bake it on my stone?
Linda: absolutely!
I had the Pampered Chef stone. I had used it for years (10+) with no problems but didn’t use it all that often. When I started making AB5 I was using it every other day. Within a few weeks it fell apart in the oven. I’ll be looking at some of these others for a replacement – but never the PC again.
Thank you for the great review. I had the pampered chef stone awhile back and it cracked on me the 1st year. I now have a really nice thick square one…can’t remember where I got it but I do love it.