The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

what stones make good baking stones?

harum's picture
harum

what stones make good baking stones?

I've been buying salvaged lumber from the nearby second-hand yard for a while and recently noticed that that have quite a selection of large tiles and countertop cut-offs.  

What material would make a good and safe baking stone, marble or granite? And what thickness?  

Would sanding/polishing take care of sealant/varnish they treat tiles and countertops with?

 

Thanks and best wishes, h.

 

kendalm's picture
kendalm

Imagine how much this would cost if you could even find something from a retailer of this size - got 2 from a stone yard 16 dollars each - originally 12x24x0.5 these are fantastic stones just had to trim 2 inches off the length ! 

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

I have two off-cuts of counter-top granite. I use them rough side up and have been using them for a couple of years (and I bake for customers, so I bake an awful lot!). I love them! When I bought them I had the guy do a quick grind over the bottom (unfinished) side of the stones just to make sure there was no sealant or adhesive residue on them.

kendalm's picture
kendalm

Wow - they are awesome monsters- imagine they take a bit longer to heat up due to the thickness but once hot there must be a ton of energy in those slabs. Although I am bit jealous, one nice thing about a thinner stone is that it can easily be brough to the stove top which I enjoy as it makes for an easy peel (especially if baking sideways)

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

Yes, they are plenty heavy, all right! It takes around 45 minutes to get the oven up to 475F with them in there, but you're right, they stay hot for a good long time. On baking day (Saturday) I usually turn the oven off by 11:00 AM, and the stones will still be at least warm the next morning.

I do have a thinner, round pizza stone that I use in the smaller oven, but I like the big slabs for most bread baking.