A baking stone is a usually thick, large piece of stoneware that is often used for bread and pizza baking. When specially designed for cooking pizzas, it is often referred to as a pizza stone. The stones are simple to use and make baking quite enjoyable. They are an invaluable piece of equipment for cooking bread, pizza and even cookies. Using a pizza stone has a number of benefits.
Crispy Crust
The biggest benefit and best reason for using a pizza stone is the crispy crust it gives your pizza. They usually make for an evenly cooked pizza and a crispy crust. It even makes the moisture get drawn out of the dough rather than steaming it. A properly seasoned stone will give your pizza a bit of the charred flavor as well. Basically, baking a pizza on a stone in your home oven has the same effect as when pizza parlors bake their pizzas in classic brick ovens.
A Fantastic Presentation
Pizza stones will without a doubt help you give an impressive presentation. This is especially true if you have the tendency of having guests in the kitchen while cooking. Your spectators will be impressed by the opportunity of getting to watch the process of preparing and baking pizza on a stone.
Thinner Healthier Pizza
A pizza stone will not only give you a crispy crust but also a thinner and healthier pizza. One that you can slide onto the stone without any incident. These thinner pizzas put an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. With a thinner crust and fewer toppings, a homemade pizza baked on a stone will give you just the perfect taste. Baking stones can also be used for cooking foods other than pizza. Foods such as bread, cookies and even vegetables can all be cooked using a baking stone.
Baking bread on a stone will help give your bread a crispy crust and large volume. The same applies for cookies and vegetables. When making your cookies, one is advised to buy and use a specialty cookie sheet for baking stones that comes with lips so that the cookie dough doesn’t drip off the stone.
They are Affordable
It's important to point out that overall pizza stones are not very expensive pieces of equipment for the home kitchen. Depending on the size, model and shape, most of them range from as low as $18 to as high as $60. You can choose to buy online or shop for one in your nearest retail center. However, before purchasing one, it is important to know the best brands available in the market. You don’t want to buy a stone that is going to get ruined as soon as your first baking experience with it is over.
Brands such as Hearthkit or one from King Arthur are highly recommended. They are usually affordable, easy to use and long-lasting. Hearing peoples' first hand experiences with various stones will also help you choose one.
Source : http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1914454&ca=Cooking#sthash.6wAQFY5u.dpuf Published at: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1914454&ca=Cooking
image from smokeyjacks
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