I need to do a quick report on my pizza stone, mostly because I want to brag. Since I last wrote about it, I have greatly improved my skills with the pizza peel. I’ve successfully slid TWO pizzas into the oven without folding the crust under and making a big mess. I know, I know…two pizzas isn’t exactly a track record, but it still feels like a victory. Just look at that perfectly un-ruined crust! (Quick note: I tried making pizza without putting cornmeal on the stone and it worked just fine. I still put lots of cornmeal on the pizza peel, but no need for it on the stone.)
In case you’re wondering what kind of pizza this is, I like to call it Garlic Bread Pizza (original, eh?). Brush some olive oil on the crust, push two garlic cloves through a garlic press and spread the garlic around, top with mozzarella and fresh basil. I’ve been making small pizzas like this as a side dish to pasta lately. Yum.
Back to the pizza stone. I finally ordered Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It arrives on Thursday. I can’t WAIT. A friend of mine has been bugging me to make this bread for some time, and now that I have the baking stone I really need to. Then I met one of the authors Zoe Francois (who I love, by the way) at BlogHer Food and felt especially inspired to get my butt into bread baking gear. I’ll definitely report back on this bread, so stay tuned!
Hi! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and count on you to share yours! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
I need to order that book too. I love baking bread when it’s so cool out and it’s getting to be that time! Wasn’t Zoe just adorable?
Zoe lives in walking distance from me. She is awesome and so is her bread!
the people who live on your street sure are lucky…you AND zoe? I think I might move to MN. 🙂
That book is number one on my Amazon wish list. I can’t wait to hear your review.
My daughter gave me a pizza stone for my birthday and I will be trying it out as soon as I get to the store for yeast and pizza ingredients. She swears by hers.
I’m still trying to master the pizza peel but cornmeal definitely helps (I don’t put it on the stone either now since I made such a mess of it the first time and like you, found it wasn’t necessary on the stone itself).
I have 2 goals in my pizza making: 1. master the peel. 2. learn to toss the dough (haha. that one may take a long time, so far I just can’t find the nerve to try).
oh, tossing the dough is SO not mastered…my sister-in-law used to work at a pizzeria, maybe I’ll have her give me some lessons or share some tips!
Gorgeous pizza! I imagine it tasted as great as it looks!
The books is great, you’ll love it! I have a baking stone but not a peel and I’ve never been able to get a pizza on the stone. Your pizza looks great!
Please do let us know. I’m a big chicken when it comes to baking anything other than cupcakes. Would love to learn though. That pizza looks yum.
First of all, I love love love the artisan bread book. I have the basic recipe memorized! I actually use it for pizza dough too.
We have been making pizza for a year now and it is so easy. I couldn’t quite get rolling it out (I’ve since changed rolling pins) so I just pushed it with my hands. I put it on a piece of parchment paper and then use a flat edged cookie tray to slide it onto the stone.
Word to the wise: never put something cold/frozen on top of a warm stone – it will break!
Happy baking!
susan, thank you for that tip! I definitely don’t want to crack the stone, and that was NOT in the instruction booklet. THANK YOU! 🙂
You will have to post a review on this book. I’ve heard so much about and am very interested in it!
Oh, your pizza is fabulous! You are well on your way to a pizza stone addiction. I can’t wait to hear about all the bread you bake on it.
Did I hear it is your Birthday? Hope you have a very Happy Happy day indeed! We’ll have to celebrate when I come to SF in November! 🙂
Cheers, Zoë
I learned a great tip in some random book I was reading in a bookstore. I stretch my dough, and then place it on parchment. I put the toppings on, and then slide the whole thing onto a preheates stone with my peel. After about 5 minutes, just slide the parchment out so the crust can finish cooking properly. I haven’t had a topping fly off my pizza since! No cornmeal needed (and, happily, no layer of cornmeal all over my floor and oven!)
wow! that is a really intriguing tip…I will definitely give that a try! thanks for sharing…and for snooping through books at the bookstore 😉
Good job with the pizza sliding. Seriously, awesome! I love artsan bread in 5 min. But I’ve played with their suggestions a bit. Like, I let the dough rise longer then they say and I use all the dough within a few days because I like the flavor better. My mother-in-law makes fabulous dinner rolls with their recipe. Delicious.
Oh, that looks simple, but so very good and tempting.
I just put the finished pizza on a piece of parchment paper, cut away the excess paper, and slide it onto the stone, paper and all. No need for cornmeal and the crust cooks perfectly.