# pizza stone versus pizza pan



## verde (Feb 11, 2007)

I have a pizza stone and I like the pizza although the crust is always hard on the bottom. My brother suggested a pizza pan. Has anyone used a pizza pan?


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## lotus.blossom (Mar 1, 2005)

What temp and how long are you cooking the pizza? I don't like the crust from a regular pizza pan. Its usually kind of soggy and uncooked in the middle.

I heat my stone at 500 (or more) and cook the pizza for 8 minutes. Gives it a perfectly chewy yet soft crust with bubbles (the best part!) I always sautee my veggies beforehand so that it is all cooked in the 8 minutes.


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## selena_ski (Jun 16, 2006)

I have a pizza stone and don't like it. I much perfer a metal pan.


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## verde (Feb 11, 2007)

lotus blossom, are you making the crust from scratch?

selena sky, how long do you bake your pizza in the pan?


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## lotus.blossom (Mar 1, 2005)

Yup! I use this recipe for brick oven style pizzas.

It really just depends on what you like though. If you prefer pizza hut style pizza then you'll not like the crisp thin brick oven style that you get with the stone. I sometimes use my cast iron pan and a lot of oil if I want a deep dish pizza.


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## nonconformnmom (May 24, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *verde* 
I have a pizza stone and I like the pizza although the crust is always hard on the bottom. My brother suggested a pizza pan. Has anyone used a pizza pan?

Do you preheat the oven with the stone inside? I think the stone needs to be blazing hot when you put the pizza on it in order for it to cook the crust right.

I have a stone and some very good quality pizza pans with holes in them. I prefer the crust when I cook it on the stone, at around 500 degrees, preheated. I use a homemade yeast dough for our pizza crust.


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## mistymama (Oct 12, 2004)

I think so much of this is personal preference. I have a pizza stone and love it, but the crust is pretty crispy.

Dh much prefers crust made on our metal pizza pans, the kind with the holes all in it. The crust still comes out nice and brown on the bottom, but not so crispy.


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## verde (Feb 11, 2007)

Quote:

Do you preheat the oven with the stone inside? I think the stone needs to be blazing hot when you put the pizza on it in order for it to cook the crust right.
Yes, I preheat it at 450 and it is hot.

Quote:

I think so much of this is personal preference.
Yes, I prefer a deep dish pizza. I wonder if you can use a pizza pan on top of the stone?


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## Liquesce (Nov 4, 2006)

I just use a big, hefty skillet with some cornmeal (or flour, in a pinch) dusted in the bottom. I like a fairly soft, thick crust, so it works out perfect for me ... though I've never had it result in sogginess. I've only ever really had that happen from trying to heap way too many toppings onto a single pie.


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## verde (Feb 11, 2007)

Liquesce, Thanks for the idea! I have a big cast iron pan that might work. Do you preheat the pan?


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I have a cast iron pizza pan from Lodge tha I love. I'd like another one, really.. but for now i live with one and my 12" skillet







Depending on how long I cook it, I can get pizza with either a soft or a crunchy crust.

I don't preheat them, but I do grease them very well - I've forgotten and THEN you have a mess!!







My pizza crust recipe is about the most basic, simple thing ever:

3 cups flour
1 TBSP yeast
1 cup water (HOT from tap)

Mix everything together, and round into a ball. Let it rise in 200* oven for 20 minutes. shape into desired shapes/press into skillet, top and bake at 425* for 15+ minutes.


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

This is so odd to me, because I find that I am more likely to end up with a soggy crust with a pizza stone than a metal pan. We end up cooking our pizza on the pizza stone when my daughter wants a "floppy crust" and I find that when I bake cookies on it, the cookies are much less brown on the bottom than when I use a metal cookie sheet. I preheat the stone in the oven, except when I'm making cookies. Or if I'm making pizza dough from scratch, I'll roll it out directly on the stone without preheating it, precook the crust a bit, bring it out, top it, bake it longer, and it still might end up kind of floppy. Maybe it's my stone or my oven's heating elements.


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## Liquesce (Nov 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *verde* 
Liquesce, Thanks for the idea! I have a big cast iron pan that might work. Do you preheat the pan?

Yes and no.







I don't, but I typically make two, and put the second straight into the hot pan vacated by the first ... the difference between how they turn out has never been enough to make feel the need to preheat for the first.

If it does stick, you can grease and flour the same like for baking a cake ... that way the bottom of the crust doesn't get all greasy.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *verde* 
Yes, I preheat it at 450 and it is hot.

Yes, I prefer a deep dish pizza. I wonder if you can use a pizza pan on top of the stone?

Yes you can, and it actually helps. I make the best pan pizza in a regular cake pan. The trick is to let the dough rise in the oiled pan for about 20 or 30 minutes untill it's puffy, then top and bake it. the oil fries the crust and you have a nice soft fluffy pizza.

We all like the pan style. When ever I make the flatter type on a stone and cover it with anything they refuse to call it pizza, they call it crunchy bread sticks


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Viola* 
This is so odd to me, because I find that I am more likely to end up with a soggy crust with a pizza stone than a metal pan. We end up cooking our pizza on the pizza stone when my daughter wants a "floppy crust" and I find that when I bake cookies on it, the cookies are much less brown on the bottom than when I use a metal cookie sheet. I preheat the stone in the oven, except when I'm making cookies. Or if I'm making pizza dough from scratch, I'll roll it out directly on the stone without preheating it, precook the crust a bit, bring it out, top it, bake it longer, and it still might end up kind of floppy. Maybe it's my stone or my oven's heating elements.

I used to wonder about this too. I had one stone that did this and I never understood the baking stone thing because mine never turned out the way I heard. I don't even remember the brand or where I got it but it cracked! So i bought another one and it's a world of difference....they still like the pan kind though


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *verde* 
I have a pizza stone and I like the pizza although the crust is always hard on the bottom. My brother suggested a pizza pan. Has anyone used a pizza pan?

pizza is supposed to have crispy crust.


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