More Pizza Stones

The last pizza stone I made recently broke in half. Oh NO! I thought mine were better than those production stones found at Bed Bath and Beyond... those broke in half too.

I made 2 more pizza stones this week. And decided to use paper clay this time. Paper clay is special because it is easier to sculpt with. The paper helps hold the shape of the clay and it also burns out during firing, which results in a lighter weight for the final product. Ryan, my husband, requested 2 stones this time, so he can make more pizzas at a time.

So I started the same way as last time, weighing out about 13 pounds of clay. I wedge it into a circle, and start throwing it into a slab. There is a bit of technique to learn in throwing slabs. I don't own a slab roller so this is my only option. Luckily, I learned the technique from an old college professor so it's no big deal to do.

I throw the slab as large as I can and then use the rolling pin to finish up. I made the slab as large as my kiln interior, about 17". Then made a compass with a couple of pencils and a string, and cut out the shape. It's not perfect. At first this bothered me, but I have to remind myself that I am human, and handmade things are never perfect. They shouldn't be. It can be a little uneven, or not perfectly round. It's just a pizza stone. It's not being sold at Bed Bath and Beyond. Just being used in my kitchen for Friday night pizzas. It's fine. It's important to move the stone as little as possible during dry time. So I carefully place it onto a wall board and place another weighted board on top. And leave it alone! No feet this time. Just a plain slab. The feet from the last stone weren't attached well and busted off. Ryan says there is no need for the feet if the stone is just sitting on the oven rack. So we'll see how this one goes. Hopefully better than the last.