June 16, 2008 - 6:26pm
Size of Baking Stone?
I just measured one of the shelves in our oven, and it is 24x18 inches.
I assume that the largest size baking stone I should get is smaller than that, rather than that size? 23x17 or 22x16?
My current one is about 15x14, and is too small for some of things I want to do.
Colin
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If you have an inch or two free on all sides of the stone (measeured from the oven wall, not the rack) you will be fine. You just want to have enough space for the heat to circulate evanly.
I have one that measures 16x20 and it takes up my whole rack almost! I have always been afraid to use it thinking it would take too long for my oven to heat up. Guess I should use it. Can you leave it in the oven permanently and do all of your baking on it? Thanks,
I leave my baking stone in the oven all the time, about halfway up from the bottom. Sometimes, like when I am roasting a turkey, I move the stone down to the bottom rack, but I keep it in the oven. I move it by lifting and moving the rack it sits on, rather than trying to grab the stone itself. Baking bread with a baking stone is an enormous plus. The heat from the stone is in direct contact with the bottom of the loaves, and makes the bottom of the bread a beautiful color, like the top crust.
The baking stone doesn't take that long to preheat. I like to heat it about 15 minutes longer than it takes to get the oven up to temperature. Since the stone absorbs the oven's heat, it means that when I open the door to put the loaves in, I don't lose all the heat built up in the oven. Once the loaves are in, the oven comes back up to temp much faster than without a baking stone.
I got my baking stone from a restaurant/baker's supply house. It's about 3/4" thick. Thick is good. It's a heavy rectangle, though as indicated above not too heavy to move around. Did I mention that I love my baking stone? :-)
Good luck!
Soundman (David)
the oven most of the time. But sometimes my wife wants it out when she has something in the oven.
Where did you get get your 16x20? The only one I can find close to that size is a Fibrament 15x20.
Colin