"Wendy" wrote:

I have a stone from Pampered Chef. I don't preheat. I make whatever it
is,usually pizza, put on stone,

Hah! See, now that's where the difference is. If you put the stone
in the oven to preheat, you've got to get the pizza onto the stone
somehow. That's what the cornmeal/semolina/parchment paper is for.

jenn
--
Jenn Ridley :

This is an interesting discussion & it never ceases to amaze me, after
a long time away from news groups, how passionate people can get about
a simple question to which there is no one right answer.

I'm a fan of the parchment paper approach, simply because I find it
easier than struggling with a pizza that has adsorbed to my cheap
wooden peel (no matter how much cornmeal is applied) after someone has
distracted me during the construction process. Certainly the moisture
content of your dough is a factor here, as is the peel material, as is
the amount of time the dough sits on the peel, cornmeal etc. A
nonporous (metal) peel would contribute to letting the dough slide onto
the stone. You would probably still need some kind of granular skid
(the cornmeal) & the faster you move the more likely you will succeed
in getting the pizza to slide cleanly onto the stone. My kids
complain bitterly about cornmeal on their crusts, so the parchment
paper is another plus there.

I do agree that if you can avoid the parchment paper you will likely
have a crisper crust as you will get more water removed from the crust
during the baking process.

I have never used (or heard of) a pizza screen.

My conclusion would be that it is a matter of personal choice as well
as what works best under your own kitchen conditions, with your
equipment etc.

PS I would agree that 400 is not hot enough. I preheat to 450 and bake
for 10 minutes & the result makes my family happy. Plus it gives me
time to make the salad and wash the bread machine pan.

Wendy wrote:

I have a stone from Pampered Chef. I don't preheat. I make whatever it
is,usually pizza, put on stone, putin preheated oven, cook for 10-15
minutes, then usually broil for 2-3 mins. Remove from oven and cut, serve.

That works, but the stone provides no benefit. You may as
well use a regular sheet pan.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

wrote:
This is an interesting discussion & it never ceases to amaze me, after
a long time away from news groups, how passionate people can get about
a simple question to which there is no one right answer.

I'm a fan of the parchment paper approach, simply because I find it
easier than struggling with a pizza that has adsorbed to my cheap
wooden peel (no matter how much cornmeal is applied) after someone has
distracted me during the construction process. Certainly the moisture
content of your dough is a factor here, as is the peel material, as is
the amount of time the dough sits on the peel, cornmeal etc. A
nonporous (metal) peel would contribute to letting the dough slide onto
the stone. You would probably still need some kind of granular skid
(the cornmeal) & the faster you move the more likely you will succeed
in getting the pizza to slide cleanly onto the stone.

One word: Superpeel

"Wendy" wrote in message
news:mailman.4.1135125190.43463.rec.food.baking@ma il.otherwhen.com...
I have a stone from Pampered Chef. I don't preheat. I make whatever it
is,usually pizza, put on stone, putin preheated oven, cook for 10-15
minutes, then usually broil for 2-3 mins. Remove from oven and cut,
serve.

Right. But this has been discussed here many times. No one has ever been
able to explain the advantage of putting a pizza on a cold stone and placing
it in the oven. It seems contrary to common sense. Why not just put the
pizza on a cold baking sheet?

"Reg" wrote in message
news
Wendy wrote:

I have a stone from Pampered Chef. I don't preheat. I make whatever it
is,usually pizza, put on stone, putin preheated oven, cook for 10-15
minutes, then usually broil for 2-3 mins. Remove from oven and cut,
serve.

That works, but the stone provides no benefit. You may as
well use a regular sheet pan.


If you used an ordinary baking sheet rather than the Pampered Chef stone,
you wouldn't get the opportunity to spend $XXXX and several hours in
someone's home nor would you get 38 cents worth of food samples or a
demonstration of the latest can opener.

well, difference in the substance one is putting the pizza on comes to mind.
wendy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vox Humana"
Newsgroups: rec.food.baking
To:
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 8:55 AM
Subject: Pizza Screen vs. Stone



"Wendy" wrote in message
news:mailman.4.1135125190.43463.rec.food.baking@ma il.otherwhen.com...
I have a stone from Pampered Chef. I don't preheat. I make whatever it
is,usually pizza, put on stone, putin preheated oven, cook for 10-15
minutes, then usually broil for 2-3 mins. Remove from oven and cut,
serve.

Right. But this has been discussed here many times. No one has ever been
able to explain the advantage of putting a pizza on a cold stone and
placing
it in the oven. It seems contrary to common sense. Why not just put the
pizza on a cold baking sheet?


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okay so maybe I'm easily conned. However, I know that the texture of the
pizza crust is different ont he pizza stone than on a cookie sheet. BUt,
when my customers ask me, if they have neither, I just tell them to put it
on the oven rack. Wendy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vox Humana"
Newsgroups: rec.food.baking
To:
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 9:02 AM
Subject: Pizza Screen vs. Stone



"Reg" wrote in message
news
Wendy wrote:

I have a stone from Pampered Chef. I don't preheat. I make whatever
it
is,usually pizza, put on stone, putin preheated oven, cook for 10-15
minutes, then usually broil for 2-3 mins. Remove from oven and cut,
serve.

That works, but the stone provides no benefit. You may as
well use a regular sheet pan.


If you used an ordinary baking sheet rather than the Pampered Chef stone,
you wouldn't get the opportunity to spend $XXXX and several hours in
someone's home nor would you get 38 cents worth of food samples or a
demonstration of the latest can opener.


_______________________________________________
Rec.food.baking mailing list

http://www.otherwhen.com/mailman/lis...ec.food.baking

To unsubscribe send a mail to and
then reply to the confirmation request.


--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.14.1/207 - Release Date: 12/19/2005