Can I repair a Pizza Stone?
August 23, 2013 8:44 AM Subscribe
Williams/Sonoma , made of "cordierite ceramic", broken in 1/2. Is there anything to join them together that is ok in the oven, and ok with food?
I'd definitely call (or stop by a retail store) too--just to see what they suggest... maybe the suggestion is a replacement, gratis?
posted by FergieBelle at 9:14 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by FergieBelle at 9:14 AM on August 23, 2013
Response by poster: they say no after 90 days; and I doubt if anything could stand up to the heat, and not be toxic.
I will have to make smaller pizzas.
posted by ebesan at 9:16 AM on August 23, 2013
I will have to make smaller pizzas.
posted by ebesan at 9:16 AM on August 23, 2013
You might search the web on "food safe oven safe epoxy". There are food-safe epoxies used in food service applications, but I don't know how well they handle heat, particularly the very high heat used for making pizza on a pizza stone. If it was me, I'd just get another stone.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:17 AM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:17 AM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Our stone (not Williams-Sonoma) broke in half years ago and still works fine with the halves just pushed together. We leave it in the oven all the time since it helps stabilize the temperature for baking in general.
posted by usonian at 9:26 AM on August 23, 2013 [13 favorites]
posted by usonian at 9:26 AM on August 23, 2013 [13 favorites]
Sarcastic answer: You now have two pizza stones!
Slightly kinder answer: My uneducated guess is that a pizza stone works by being a large heat reservoir for the bottom of the pizza. So, you might get ok results by just putting the two halves together in the oven and then laying some aluminum foil over the stone to keep things from dripping into the crack. The aluminum will transmit the heat from the stone to the pizza pretty efficiently.
posted by BearClaw6 at 9:30 AM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Slightly kinder answer: My uneducated guess is that a pizza stone works by being a large heat reservoir for the bottom of the pizza. So, you might get ok results by just putting the two halves together in the oven and then laying some aluminum foil over the stone to keep things from dripping into the crack. The aluminum will transmit the heat from the stone to the pizza pretty efficiently.
posted by BearClaw6 at 9:30 AM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Good idea, BearClaw6, but you'd lose the porous quality of the stone that allows it to absorb moisture and get a crispy crust.
posted by transient at 9:36 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by transient at 9:36 AM on August 23, 2013
Or, building on BearClaw6's idea, make the pizza in a pizza pan and then just put the pan on the stone. Though you'd still lose the porous quality.
posted by lharmon at 9:39 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by lharmon at 9:39 AM on August 23, 2013
Just push the two pieces together--that's what I've been doing for about 15 years. Or else go to Home Depot and buy a big unglazed tile or two or three--same thing, lots cheaper.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:43 AM on August 23, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Ideefixe at 9:43 AM on August 23, 2013 [4 favorites]
I'd place the pieces together on a baking sheet and use parchment on top when loading pizzas and breads.
posted by advicepig at 9:43 AM on August 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by advicepig at 9:43 AM on August 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
As has been mentioned, you can just push the two pieces together and you will be fine. If you do replace it, take the broken stone and put it on the top rank of your oven when making pizza. It will take a little longer to heat, but you will have a hot stone radiating heat to the top of the pizza, which will help to give you a browned cheese crust on top.
posted by markblasco at 10:12 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by markblasco at 10:12 AM on August 23, 2013
Response by poster: Good point!
Well, while we are at this, anyone w/ pizza/home-oven tips?
posted by ebesan at 10:16 AM on August 23, 2013
Well, while we are at this, anyone w/ pizza/home-oven tips?
posted by ebesan at 10:16 AM on August 23, 2013
I always preheat the oven as high as it will go; it still falls short of a real pizza oven. I have great success with par-baking my crusts on a pan just long enough for the dough to set, maybe 2-3 minutes. Then I put them on the peel, top them as usual and slide them directly onto the stone. It makes it much easier to get the assembled pizza off of the peel without dough sticking, stretching and causing general catastrophe. Others always say that that parbaking makes the crust too dry, but it's never been a problem in any ovens I've used.
posted by usonian at 10:34 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by usonian at 10:34 AM on August 23, 2013
Came in to say I had the same thing happen to me (not a W-S stone, just a cheapo from a kitchen supply store) but I've been beaten to the punch! Nthing just push the two halves together. Mine still works great! I leave it on the floor of my oven at all times to help regulate the temp in my old crazy renter's oven.
Tip that I haven't tried: a friend makes his pizzas by preheating an upside down cast iron skillet under the broiler, then baking the pizzas under the broiler on the top (that is usually the bottom) of the skillet. Excellent crust, but you've got to watch it carefully. I think he got it from America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated?
posted by hungrybruno at 10:36 AM on August 23, 2013
Tip that I haven't tried: a friend makes his pizzas by preheating an upside down cast iron skillet under the broiler, then baking the pizzas under the broiler on the top (that is usually the bottom) of the skillet. Excellent crust, but you've got to watch it carefully. I think he got it from America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated?
posted by hungrybruno at 10:36 AM on August 23, 2013
Water glass AKA sodium silicate can be used as a sort of cement to bond these disparate pie stones into a unified whole but the bond will not stand long periods of immersion in water.
posted by hortense at 10:58 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by hortense at 10:58 AM on August 23, 2013
DIY pizza peel works best with an oversized stone in the oven.
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:49 AM on August 23, 2013
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:49 AM on August 23, 2013
Nthing pushing the halves together. All pizza stones have a limited life. I avoid pricey ones for this reason.
For a general tip, I started my pizza making with cornmeal under the crusts and using a cutting board as a peel. This is the authentic way to do it. Of course, the authentic places also use a push broom to get all the blackened cornmeal out of the oven and onto the floor, where they clean it up later. This was not so awesome to me. The answer is parchment paper. You might get the edges black and flaky where there isn't pizza touching it, but you still get the same crust with the porous paper. And it is so much easier to plop on your stone, getting a thin crust, etc.
You'd also have the advantage of knowing you're not serving embedded slivers of stone stuck to the bottom of a pizza.
You're aging your crust in the fridge right? Making your own sauce? Those are the next avenues to upward pizza nirvana. And real buffalo mozzarella... Mmmm....
posted by fontophilic at 2:13 PM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
For a general tip, I started my pizza making with cornmeal under the crusts and using a cutting board as a peel. This is the authentic way to do it. Of course, the authentic places also use a push broom to get all the blackened cornmeal out of the oven and onto the floor, where they clean it up later. This was not so awesome to me. The answer is parchment paper. You might get the edges black and flaky where there isn't pizza touching it, but you still get the same crust with the porous paper. And it is so much easier to plop on your stone, getting a thin crust, etc.
You'd also have the advantage of knowing you're not serving embedded slivers of stone stuck to the bottom of a pizza.
You're aging your crust in the fridge right? Making your own sauce? Those are the next avenues to upward pizza nirvana. And real buffalo mozzarella... Mmmm....
posted by fontophilic at 2:13 PM on August 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd push the pieces together and use a pizza peel or parchment paper to manage the pizza handling to minimize disturbing the stones.
When you've had enough of dealing with the 2 stones, keep them for extra radiant heat and consider getting the acclaimed Baking Steel.
posted by quince at 2:36 PM on August 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
When you've had enough of dealing with the 2 stones, keep them for extra radiant heat and consider getting the acclaimed Baking Steel.
posted by quince at 2:36 PM on August 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: No, not really. The idea behind a pizza stone is a source of even high heating.
Joining the two together would involve pins and that will introduce temperature variations because they're metal alloys and they kinda have to be metal alloys for their strength. And you'll need to do precision dremel/drill work and source the screws.
Pizza stones are awesome. They aren't terribly expensive. Buy another one.
OTOH, if you can put the pizza stone back together again, do it on top of a thin sheet of copper. Cold/warm hammer the edges to hold the broken pizza stone back together. The extra bit of copper would increase thermal stability a little bit and it would look super. bad. ass.
Maybe weld on handles or something, too.
posted by porpoise at 9:39 PM on August 23, 2013
Joining the two together would involve pins and that will introduce temperature variations because they're metal alloys and they kinda have to be metal alloys for their strength. And you'll need to do precision dremel/drill work and source the screws.
Pizza stones are awesome. They aren't terribly expensive. Buy another one.
OTOH, if you can put the pizza stone back together again, do it on top of a thin sheet of copper. Cold/warm hammer the edges to hold the broken pizza stone back together. The extra bit of copper would increase thermal stability a little bit and it would look super. bad. ass.
Maybe weld on handles or something, too.
posted by porpoise at 9:39 PM on August 23, 2013
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