Pizza Stone

So I wanted to make a wood burning oven.. but Kyle left me and I sure as hell ain't making it alone. So the next best thing... I'll make a pizza stone for the regular oven to cook breads and pizza on!!!

And here's how you can do it for under $3!

How to Make a Baking Stone

Instructions

1. 1

   Purchase a piece of unglazed quarry tile such as Saltillo tile from Mexico. (I got mine at Low's for $1.24 a tile, you will only need 2 stacked on top of each other so that they are about 1inch+ thick.) Make sure you get the unglazed version, as sometimes the glazes contain lead, which could leach into your food. Other tiles can work but make sure they are clay and unglazed. My tiles are 12x12 but if you can find bigger that are cheap and fit in your oven go for it!!! My oven is pretty big and it wont fit 24x24.. maybe 22x18 max.

2. Step2

   Wash the tile with simple water and a rag to remove any dust. Set it aside to dry as it will have absorbed some of the water. It is a porous stone. Do not wash it with soap or you will taste that later in your food.

3. Step3

   Once it is dry rub a thin layer of peanut oil or any other oil like safflowers etc that has a high smoke point into the surface of the baking tile. This will season your tile so that food does not stick to it. Work it in by rubbing it in a circular motion until there is no shine remaining. If you leave extra oil on it, it will smoke when you heat it later.

4. Step4

   Place the tile in a cold oven, then heat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake it for about four hours. This will keep it from cracking later when you need higher heat, such as for baking pizza. Let the stone cool to room temperature. Store it in the oven until you need to use it.

5. Step5

   To use your baking tile, leave it in the oven and let it come to the recommended temperature for whatever recipe you are using. Don't worry about measuring the heat of the tile, just the temperature of your oven. After the oven has been hot for about 5 minutes, the stone will be plenty hot. Lay your food on the hot tile carefully and let it bake for the recommended time. The bottom of the food will crisp because the stone will absorb the steam generated during baking.