Baking while storing pizza stone in oven?

[BAPyessir6]

I might do a few tests to see the rammifications, but I was wondering if anyone else does this.

I have a pizza stone, and it's incredibly convenient for me to store it in the bottom rack inside my oven.

I have an electric oven with bottom and top coils/heat elements.

Will things bake unevenly/poorly if I use the oven while the pizza stone sits on the bottom rack? While I've used the oven with stone inside for braising/roasting with little issue, I'm wondering if cookies/sensitive baked goods would turn out poorly if I just preheated the oven as normal then put the baked good in the oven with the stone chilling in there.

I know a stone is a heat sink. Should I just take it out whenever baking cookies/cakes/popovers, etc?

(I also preheat my oven and forget it's in there, so I don't wanna really take it out that hot since I hear pizza stones can crack from thermal shock.)

 

[caseydog]

I have a friend who did that test. The main thing he noticed is that it takes a lot longer for the oven to heat up, because of the extra thermal mass. But, on the plus side, the oven holds a steadier temperature for the same reason.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

I have a gas oven. I have kept a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for many years. The only time I take it out is after running the self cleaning cycle to wipe off any ash. AlI my baked goods turn out the way I expect.

 

[blissful]

i used to keep mine in the oven on the bottom rack. i wouldn't put pans on it for baking, so half my oven didn't get used often. now i bake usually on both racks. i don't see putting it in the oven as a problem.

 

[Badjak]

Exactly like @caseydog says...

 

[dragnlaw]

I have a gas oven. I have kept a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for many years. The only time I take it out is after running the self cleaning cycle to wipe off any ash. AlI my baked goods turn out the way I expect.

Ditto!

 

[CharlieD]

Yes, having stone in the oven stabilizes the temperature in the oven. It's a good thing to do.

 

[alfrescouk]

I totally get where you're coming from. I also have a pizza stone and love the convenience of leaving it in the oven. From my experience and what I've read, the stone can indeed act as a heat sink, which might affect how evenly your oven heats up.

For things like braising and roasting, it doesn't seem to make a big difference, but for more sensitive baked goods like cookies, cakes, and popovers, the stone could potentially cause uneven baking. The bottom rack placement might cause the bottom of these baked goods to cook faster than the top, resulting in uneven texture and doneness.

If you’re concerned about this, you might want to remove the stone when baking more sensitive items. I know it can be a hassle, especially when it’s hot. One trick is to plan ahead and let the stone cool down before taking it out, or if you often forget it's in there, maybe set a reminder or leave a note on the oven.

Another option is to experiment with and without the stone and see if you notice a significant difference in your baked goods. Every oven is a bit different, so a little trial and error might help you find the best approach. Good luck with your baking!

 

[alfrescouk]

It sounds like you’ve got a good setup, and your concerns are valid. Using a pizza stone in the bottom rack can definitely affect how your baked goods turn out, especially for sensitive items like cookies or cakes. The stone retains and radiates heat, which can lead to uneven baking, especially if it’s close to the heat source. For cookies, cakes, and other delicate bakes, it might be best to remove the stone to avoid potential issues with uneven cooking or browning.

However, if you forget it’s in there, one option could be to place it on a higher rack or even try testing how your bakes turn out with the stone in place to see if there’s a noticeable difference. You could also leave it in the oven while it cools down after baking pizzas, so it’s easier to remove without risking thermal shock.

 

[Andy M.]

I totally get where you're coming from. I also have a pizza stone and love the convenience of leaving it in the oven. From my experience and what I've read, the stone can indeed act as a heat sink, which might affect how evenly your oven heats up.

For things like braising and roasting, it doesn't seem to make a big difference, but for more sensitive baked goods like cookies, cakes, and popovers, the stone could potentially cause uneven baking. The bottom rack placement might cause the bottom of these baked goods to cook faster than the top, resulting in uneven texture and doneness.

If you’re concerned about this, you might want to remove the stone when baking more sensitive items. I know it can be a hassle, especially when it’s hot. One trick is to plan ahead and let the stone cool down before taking it out, or if you often forget it's in there, maybe set a reminder or leave a note on the oven.

Another option is to experiment with and without the stone and see if you notice a significant difference in your baked goods. Every oven is a bit different, so a little trial and error might help you find the best approach. Good luck with your baking!

I don't agree that the stone could cause uneven or faster baking on parts of the baked goods.

The stone is never hotter than the rest of the oven. If the prescribed temperature for baking an item is 350ºF and the oven os 350ºF, the stone won't be more than that. The stone is slow to respond to heat changes (similar to cast iron pans) so once it's heated to temp would serve to promote more even oven temperatures. it would reduce temperature swings caused by the oven's on/off cycling to maintain a more even temp.

 

[taxlady]

I don't agree that the stone could cause uneven or faster baking on parts of the baked goods.

The stone is never hotter than the rest of the oven. If the prescribed temperature for baking an item is 350ºF and the oven os 350ºF, the stone won't be more than that. The stone is slow to respond to heat changes (similar to cast iron pans) so once it's heated to temp would serve to promote more even oven temperatures. it would reduce temperature swings caused by the oven's on/off cycling to maintain a more even temp.

That certainly sounds logical. It certainly seems most likely to me that the pizza stones would make the oven temperature more uniform, not less.

 

[dragnlaw]

Andy, that's how I always believed it works and once I got my stone I kept it in the oven never to leave until I moved.

Same as boiling water. It boils at 212f or 100c. It doesn't get any hotter than that no matter how high the heat under it is.
Once water is boiling turn the heat down! As long as it is still bubbling it is at the boiling temp!

 

[caseydog]

That certainly sounds logical. It certainly seems most likely to me that the pizza stones would make the oven temperature more uniform, not less.

As I mentioned before, the stone does stabilize the temperature, as my friend determined when he tested baking both with and without the stone. The only difference he found was the time needed for the oven to reach the set temperature... it took longer with the stone.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

As I mentioned before, the stone does stabilize the temperature, as my friend determined when he tested baking both with and without the stone. The only difference he found was the time needed for the oven to reach the set temperature... it took longer with the stone.

CD

I recall an episode of ATK about cooking pizza. They recommended preheating the oven to its maximum temperature then continuing to preheat for an hour to ensure the stone had reached the set temp. Its density and conductive properties make is slow to heat like cast iron.

 

[dragnlaw]

Wow, anybody who is willing to run the oven for over an hour at maximum - just to cook a pizza for 10 minutes, should seriously think about getting one of those freestanding pizza ovens.