Pizza Stones

[NulloModo]

Hiya,

I have been experimenting more lately trying to find the perfect LC pizza dough recipe. I think I came really close this morning due to recieving a shipment of CarbQuick bake mix, but I still had a problem that has been popping up again and again: the dough is done around the outside edges, but not in the middle under the toppings.

I assume I could pre-bake the crust a bit, but that doesn't seem like it should be neccessary as they don't do that in pizza joint. I am not make super thick deep dish crusts, but not super-thing crispy ones either, just regular old basic dominoes thickness crusts.

I have been baking so far just on top of a piece of parchment paper in my oven. Today I did it at 500 degrees for around ten minutes. Would a pizza stone be what I need to solve this not done in the middle problem, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

And, is it correct that if I decide on a pizza stone, what I should do is go to Home Depot as ask for a large unglazed quarry tile?

[Richard Kilgore]

A stone or tiles in the oven is a good idea regardles of whether or not lack of one is the problem. Ask for the unglazed tiles. I don't think they will have a large one, but just get enough small ones to line the bottom rack of youir oven. I leave mine in the oven all the time to help even out and maintain heat levels.

[skyflyer3]

A stone or tiles in the oven is a good idea regardles of whether or not lack of one is the problem. Ask for the unglazed tiles. I don't think they will have a large one, but just get enough small ones to line the bottom rack of youir oven. I leave mine in the oven all the time to help even out and maintain heat levels.

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Ditto this. I have ones lining the bottom of my oven, and a pizze stone on the highest rack, and I only bake in the middle. Regulates my oven really well. I used to have them lining the sides, until one fell into a newly-set pecan pie. Ouch.

[NulloModo]

Interesting. SO, if I use lots of little tiles, does this cause an issue with the dough slipping in between them? Should I bond them together in some way, or just push them together?

[bakerboy]

My experience with low carb doughs(admittedly limited) is that they are really dense if they get wet. If your putting sauce directly on the dough, maybe try putting the cheese down first and then light sauce on top...or maybe just tomatos and basil. i have a pizza stone in my oven and i use it. it does a nice job for me.

[scott123]

As big of a fan I am of cheap workarounds, I just can't get behind the unglazed quarry tile idea. Pizza/bread making involves quite a bit of thermal shock and they aren't built to take it. If a piece of these cracks off and get's in your bread, it will wreak havoc on your teeth. Sure, there's an okay chance the tiles will never have a problem, but even a small chance of a tile cracking and a shard ending up in your bread is just not worth it. Fire tiles are made to handle extreme changes in heat and they only cost a couple dollars more. Better to spend those couple dollars rather than risk hundreds of dollars in dental work.

Besides, unglazed quarry tiles are usually no thicker than 3/4" (most I've seen are 1/2") - for recreating Vulcan Oven style pizzeria pizza, you'll want thicker than that.

Nullo, the secret to good pizza crust is intense sustained bottom (hearth) heat. Are you using a cookie sheet with good conductivity? Are you placing it on the bottom rack? Is the bottom element bright red when you put the pizza in the oven? A pizza stone/fire tiles will give you the most authentic results, but if all you're looking for is a properly cooked crust, then these steps should give you success.

Edited December 25, 2004 by scott123 (log)

[bleachboy]

Contact Vermont Soapstone and have them cut a piece of soapstone to fit your oven. Keep it in there all the time, as even if you're not making pizza it will make the heat much more even.

Soapstone, AFAIK, is what they use in the wood-fired pizza ovens in Italy.