To call it a pizza stone would be limiting. Yes, it makes an awesome pizza, but my oven stone does more than just pizza pies. It deftly handles cookies, bread loaves and rolls, and is an all-around awesome tool for the oven.
So how does it work?
Basically you can think of it as a hard, very hot sponge. An oven stone absorbs moisture from anything placed on top of it and applies gentle, even heat to the bottom of your dough, allowing for consistent cooking in the most temperamental of ovens. And while this moisture-sucking device may be bad for fruits, meat, and veg, it is very, very good for any kind of dough.
The first thing to remember when using your oven stone is to always place a cold stone in a cold oven. Though I've not experienced it, I can imagine that a shattered stone caused by thermal shock of a hot oven on cool ceramic would not be a fun thing to clean up. So set your stone on the appropriate rack and then turn your oven on. Let the stone pre-heat according to it's instructions (25-45 minutes, though sometimes I'll admittedly only give it 10-15 minutes and I'm no worse for the wear). And while you're reading up about the pre-heating time in the booklet that comes with the stone, check to see whether there's a maximum suggested temperature. My stone tops out at 400 degrees F, which isn't a problem, I just wind up cooking my pizza a little longer (the recipe calls for 12 minutes at 425).
When you're ready to place your dough - let's just pretend we're making chocolate chip cookies - open up the oven and drop your cookie dough in place just like you would on a cookie sheet. No need to use parchment, non-stick spray, or anything else. The stone is naturally stick-free thanks to its moisture wicking properties.
You will need to watch your first batch of cookies carefully, since the cooking time will be slightly different. I've actually found that my cookies bake about 20% faster thanks to my oven stone. Remove the cookies from the stone carefully with your spatula and place them on a cooling rack as per usual.
Following previous logic, if a cold stone goes into a cold oven, so must a cold stone come out of a cold oven. So when you're done with your last batch of cookies, simply turn off the oven and walk away. That's it. Don't even think about that stone for another two hours. Come back to it later (it's always the next morning for me) and pick it up, dust it off with your hand or a dry cloth, and put it away.
Notice there is no washing here - remember, this ceramic is porous, so washing it with any sort of soap or detergent, will lock in that flavor for life (soap cookies, anyone?). Don't believe me? Read the instructions that come with the stone. If you must, a quick rinse of water will do the trick.
The best part about an oven stone is that it's relatively affordable - $20 or so will get you a perfectly good one, so you don't have to wait until payday to get your hands on one. Enjoy!
