Getting Dark All Over: Seasoning Your Stones

[babywings76]

Okay, I have a question...it's probably stupid, but please don't throw anything at me!

What is the seasoning process like for you? How do your stones get dark all over? My bar pans and rectangle stones and baker are staying light where the food is, but changing color around the edges and where there wasn't anything. Is this normal? They perform well and are doing well with becoming nonstick, but the color change isn't where the food is, so I'm confused.

 

[chefann]

That's normal. The sides of my bar pan are super dark brown, but the cooking surface is still fairly light (relatively, anyway).

 

[NooraK]

Don't worry It's perfectly normal. If you change up the types of foods you make on your stone (stuff that doesn't completely cover it), you can even out the color.

 

[pampered.chris]

And in time, you will have an ugly stone!! Gotta love an ugly looking stone!

 

[pampermejolene]

Too funny! I was just talking to my mom about this today. I wondered if was normal too.

 

[chefmeg]

the first stone I ever purchased from PC was 11 years ago and still resides in my cabinet! It is UGLY! I used to take it to shows to let people know what a "well-loved" stone looked like, but DH made me stop! he said I was going to scare someone with it!

 

[babywings76]

It's funny how a few years ago I bought 2 round stones, thinking I was going to be making pizza a lot, then thought I'd get 2 rectangle stones for all the cookies I make, now those I hardly use because I use the bar pan so much instead. (pillsbury dough instead of my homemade because of convenience & it fits better in a rectangle shape than round) I still tend to favor my sheet pans for cookies though. I haven't been won over on doing cookies on a stone. Hey, does anyone have any tips about making cookies on the stoneware? Mine always seem to take forever to cook and I can't get a new batch going as quickly because it takes so long to get them to cool enough to remove from the stone. (did I just hijack my own thread?! )

 

[ChefBeckyD]

It's funny how a few years ago I bought 2 round stones, thinking I was going to be making pizza a lot, then thought I'd get 2 rectangle stones for all the cookies I make, now those I hardly use because I use the bar pan so much instead. (pillsbury dough instead of my homemade because of convenience & it fits better in a rectangle shape than round) I still tend to favor my sheet pans for cookies though. I haven't been won over on doing cookies on a stone. Hey, does anyone have any tips about making cookies on the stoneware? Mine always seem to take forever to cook and I can't get a new batch going as quickly because it takes so long to get them to cool enough to remove from the stone. (did I just hijack my own thread?! )

Two words: Parchment Paper!

I love this for cookies! Yes, the first batch takes a few minutes longer - but then, after the first batch, they actually don't take as long as normal.

I bake them on the PP, and then, when they come out of the oven, I slid the sheet of PP onto a cooling rack, and slide a new sheet on the stone, and pop it right back in the oven. It is so quick! The PP can be reused, so 2-3 sheets of parchment paper are all you need to do several dozen cookies!

 

[PurpleAngel]

make bunches of biscuits and baccon on your bar pan. That is the fastest way I have found to season a stone.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Two words: Parchment Paper!

I love this for cookies! Yes, the first batch takes a few minutes longer - but then, after the first batch, they actually don't take as long as normal.

I bake them on the PP, and then, when they come out of the oven, I slid the sheet of PP onto a cooling rack, and slide a new sheet on the stone, and pop it right back in the oven. It is so quick! The PP can be reused, so 2-3 sheets of parchment paper are all you need to do several dozen cookies!

I have a different two words: Sheet Pans!

Up until we started selling the sheet pans this season, I was a closet cookie maker on my 1/2 sheet pans from the food service store! I have never liked the way my cookies come out on a stone (even on parchment...even though that makes it at least POSSIBLE to bake them on stones). Guess it's to each his own! I :love:love, :love:love, :love:love my stones for everything else, just not cookies!!

 

[Chefstover2]

My team was just laughing at my Large Round stone at our meeting b/c it's seasoned around the edges but is still very light in the middle. I guess each stone seasons differently!

 

[babywings76]

I have a different two words: Sheet Pans!

Up until we started selling the sheet pans this season, I was a closet cookie maker on my 1/2 sheet pans from the food service store! I have never liked the way my cookies come out on a stone (even on parchment...even though that makes it at least POSSIBLE to bake them on stones). Guess it's to each his own! I :love:love, :love:love, :love:love my stones for everything else, just not cookies!!

I do love our sheet pans, I just wish they were bigger. I am so used to using my non-PC sheet pans that are restaurant quality and have rolled edges, aluminum, etc. They're my favorite! I just hate admitting that. I wish the PC ones were bigger cause then I'd use them more. I will try parchment paper on the stoneware and see how that works. I was wondering about that. Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[Ann F]

That's so funny, because I always tell my customers my stones were seasoned with my daughter's choc chip cookie baking! It's probably been 10 years since I baked cookies on metal...

 

[ChefBeckyD]

That's so funny, because I always tell my customers my stones were seasoned with my daughter's choc chip cookie baking! It's probably been 10 years since I baked cookies on metal...

I'm with you Ann! I tried baking cookies on the new sheet pan, and I burned 2 batches. I'm back to my stones now. LOVE them!

 

[chefann]

When the new sheet pans came out, I made a batch of cookies and baked 1 sheet full on a metal sheet, and the rest on the stoneware. The cookies baked on the metal pan were flat and icky. The only thing I use a metal pan for is under trays of convenience foods (the pre-assembled dinners from Costco).

 

[stacywhitlow]

My large round stone (came in my kit 5 1/2 years ago) looks like a bullseye. It is seasoned in a few different rings. And I don't make very many "rings" so not sure why it took that form. Weird!