Pizza stone
I'm so confused. How can I make a pizza with home-made dough using a pizza stone? Most of the how-to videos and instructions I've checked say you must never put the stone in a hot oven because it will crack. They say to put the stone in a cold oven, then heat to 450, by which time the pizza stone will be "like a fire brick" and too hot to handle even with oven mitts ... and that's when I'm supposed to put the uncooked pizza on the stone. How am I gonna get the "firebrick" stone out of the oven, or shape/stretch/pat down the dough on the stone while still in the oven and then add all the toppings ... ? The videos show people doing this with a large wooden paddle but I've never seen those paddles in stores, where pizza stones are common.
A few instructions simply say pre-heat the oven, make your pizza on the stone and then put the stone in the hot oven ... but that contradicts what most people say, which is don't put the cold stone in a hot oven.
The set I bought actually has a metal rack that the stone fits into. The cashier at the store said I should put the whole thing, rack and all, into the oven and use the metal rack to handle it when the stone is too hot. But it seems obvious to me that the metal rack is not intended to go in the oven, and the instruction booklet also says the rack is for serving.
In conclusion, I'm so confused! I know pizza stones are in common use, so what do you all do?
ETA: Thanks everyone! Obviously I need to shop at higher-end cooking stores. I've never seen a peel or paddle at a standard housewares store (maybe it's different here in Canada) but I see that specialty places have them. Maybe I can find one. I did think of a cookie sheet but all mine have edges ... maybe I can try one upside down. Anyway I have a few ideas now so thanks.
A few instructions simply say pre-heat the oven, make your pizza on the stone and then put the stone in the hot oven ... but that contradicts what most people say, which is don't put the cold stone in a hot oven.
The set I bought actually has a metal rack that the stone fits into. The cashier at the store said I should put the whole thing, rack and all, into the oven and use the metal rack to handle it when the stone is too hot. But it seems obvious to me that the metal rack is not intended to go in the oven, and the instruction booklet also says the rack is for serving.
In conclusion, I'm so confused! I know pizza stones are in common use, so what do you all do?
ETA: Thanks everyone! Obviously I need to shop at higher-end cooking stores. I've never seen a peel or paddle at a standard housewares store (maybe it's different here in Canada) but I see that specialty places have them. Maybe I can find one. I did think of a cookie sheet but all mine have edges ... maybe I can try one upside down. Anyway I have a few ideas now so thanks.