I am off to a kitchen specialty store tomorrow to pick up another item. If I see the stone there, then I will grab that too. I wasn't sure because I have read that the cheaper ones will crack.
I've got a "Super Stone" by Sassafras Enterprises, Inc of Evanston, Ill. that I have had for many many years and it never has cracked.
We have round and rectangular pampered chef stones that have been great. We also have a stone muffin pan that I mainly use for mini meatloafs. That said, a friend brought her pampered chef stone over, with a gluten-free crust already on it, for a pizza night, and it cracked when we put it in the oven after topping it. I'd like to try a soapstone slab someday.
I checked mine and there is no name on it. I probably got it at a box kitchen store and never had issues with it. I believe they are not meant to be washed. I scraped off the burnt cheese and sauce when cooled and put it in the drawer under the oven with the cooling racks. These stone are susecptible to thermal shock from not pre-heating them or putting frozen pizzas on a hot stone. I think with proper use, it should not be an issue. Cornmeal is your friend to prevent sticking. I can't wait to see some pics.
Walmart is where I got mine 10-11 bucks and I have used the heck out of it. The pizza peel is where I would spend more money on get a good thin metal one.
I've used a Porcelain tile before without issue. I had a guy doing some work on the floor at the bakery and got to talking to him about baking on stone and he mentioned this. He had a bunch of left over tile discontinued so I took some heavy ones. Porcelain can heat quite well and they work as well as my pizza stone at home. Just a thought if your on a budget. Remember though, Porcelain, not Ceramic. What is a "Breakfast Pizza", sounds good.
I used Fire Brick Splits and lined the bottom rack in my oven. For Bread/Pizza: Heat the stone on 550* for at least an hour. Use it as normal for everything else. They live there now and never come out. I think I have 12 splits in there.
I have had mine for at least 20 years. Says The Pizza Gourmet on it and cannot find that online anymore? But its 16 x 16 x 1, I never wash it, just brush with a paper towel or scrape heavy stuff with a plastic spatula and I rarely even use cornmeal anymore as it is seasoned so much. It usually stays in the oven. I am going to cry if this thing cracks.
These are the best when fully seasoned, like a cast iron pan. They become heirlooms and irreplaceable.
Devilsbrew, Did you buy that stone yet? andybaker, There are many different types of breakfast pizza. Basically your favorite Pizza crust with a thin layer of eggs and spices to your liking and then your favorite cheese, meats, veggies. Some I have had make you think you are in heaven. Others, not so much. But there is not to many pizza's I don't like.
The store had a couple that didn't seem very authentic so I am going to order the stone from online. You should have seen the clerk's face when I asked the location of their pizza stone. I had to explain to her what it was. I live way out and it is really tough to find certain items, even though they may be common in the rest of the world. BUT...I did get fire brick and this last weekend I picked up sand and large 12" paver stones. I am building a mini Texas BBQ pit! It will take a week or two because I have a bunch of personal events going on in the evenings and on the weekends. There will be pizza! Ha ha!
We make breakfast pizza a lot. We use a pizza pan with the holes in it (because it holds the eggs better than directly on the stone)...fresh dough....whip up about 6-8 eggs in the stand mixer, sautee some spinach, garlic, peppers and onions, add whatever meat you want (pre-cooked of course), then dump the eggs on the dough...add your meat and veggies, and top with cheddar jack. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until the eggs set. Serve with hot sauce.
