The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Once again, Baking Stones...

bobdrob's picture
bobdrob

Once again, Baking Stones...

Greetings to all in this pre-Holiday time! Before the Seasonal baking orgy gets into full swing, I need opinions on the following:  Soapstone &/or Granite as an oven stone? 

 The details: As I finish my home Kitchen renovation, I will have sizable remnants of Soapstone ( 1.25" new, countertop, deluxe!)   and polished granite (.75", old, polished countertop.) I understand that the soapstone is the preferable ovenstone which will go into the primary oven, but can I use the smaller, older polished granite counter pieces as baking stones as well in the other oven?

I suspect that the granite was of the cheap Chinese variety; any reasons why I shouldn't use it as a baking stone?

Plan B:  the granite will go to my local vocational high school's culinary program to use for chocolate & pastry work.

Thoughts & opinions greatly appreciated,  regards,  bobdrob

 

 

 

 

Paddlers2's picture
Paddlers2

I had never thought of that, but I looked around and found:  http://bakerybits.co.uk/Granite-Baking-Stone-30cm-by-30cm-and-3cm-thick-P388374.aspx as a good example that granite is used for that purpose....   Who'd'o' thunkit?

Cool idea!

lumos's picture
lumos

I'd been using granite chopping board which you can get from many supermarkets as a baking stone (after removing non-slip pads) for a while quite happily before I got Corderite one from a kiln manufacturer. You use it upside down, placing dough on  the unpolished side. (It doubled as my  pastry board, too, with the polished side up.)  I know many people in an UK-based baking forum use granite chopping boards for that purpose and, if I remember correctly, Richard Bertinet recommends granite as a good material for a baking stone, too.  

Nickisafoodie's picture
Nickisafoodie

I have used soapstone, very dense and heavy and commonly used as a hearthstone in fireplaces for its thermal properties.  Lots on the web and this site covering this.

It tends to take a long time to heat up - at least 90 minutes to reach about 550 degrees. This compares to an hour for my Fibrament stone.   The flip side is that hours later the stone retaines a huge amount of heat, at least 350 degrees F after two hours.   So very slow to heat and a long time to cool.  My piece is from a countertop and is 1 1/4" thick.  Can't comment on granite other than have read it is unsuitable for oven floors, so perhaps not the best choice

Use the search box and enter "soapstone" - plenty of posts on this and granite too...

Good luck!

pmccool's picture
pmccool

The soapstone is an excellent material for this application.  At that thickness, it does take a long time to reach temperature.  I wish I had glommed onto the cutout section from the sink when my countertops were installed.

Paul