Thursday, 22 October 2009

Rahat's Stone Oven

I watched this on the cooking program of Chef Rahat, and thought to try it out because it just looked too easy to be true. But, hats off to the woman - the result is amazing. Here my experiment with it:

I used leftover dough from my pizza dough. Formed small balls, and placed in a small greased form. For teh stone oven, I used a simple small pot with lid and some plain garden stones. Washed them, put them in the pot, covered it and let it gather steam. Once it was really hot, I placed the form inside, covered with lid and put heavy thing on it, to hold it. It took me around 30 minutes to bake.. but the end result is really worth it. DO give it a try..




... YES! they really DID get that golden crisp top in that oven!
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83 comments:

  1. Very interesting indeed i came across to see her show in the net and thougth hmm i have hot plates how can i make this stone oven,1.i have no such big pot, 2.the hot plate takes a LOT of energy and 3.wil it ever turn out good and 4. but not least have to buy stones here in a pack of 10 kilos or 20 so what di i do with them ..:) any idea?? stone oven on hotplate stove???? Yes the buns looks gorgeous!!!!!

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  2. hay salams wow great buns but how much time u preheat the stones ond on which falme plz tell me i want to clearify one thing how much time i preheat stones n on which flame i preheat stones

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  3. Sorry Saira, I missed your comment somehow! Sorry for the late repy. Well I put the pot on high flame for about 5 minutes. Since I used a small pot, it was hot fairly quickly. To test, remove lid and spray some water - it should evaporate with a loud shshshs.. :) Once the buns are in, lower the heat to medium low.. it should not be high, otherwise they will burn. Hope this helps and sorry for the delay!

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  6. why cant we use regular oven?lol

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  8. hey ruhina , did you try making any other things in this stone oven...i was wondering if i can try makin a pizza in this. :-)

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  9. hey anonymous :) Yep, I've made cakes, muffins, scones and pizza looooaaddsss of times! Especially the pizza is great cos it has all the fluffiness of the pizza and the cheese melts and gets golden but doenst turn rubbery like it sometimes does in the normal oven. I am a great fan of this stone oven, it really beates the electric one.

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  10. hey can we try biscuits or cookies in this?????????????????????

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  11. can we bake biscuits in this???????????????

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  12. yes - I made scones in it.. turned out great and muffins too. Cake was very soft and fluffy. Try it.. :)

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  13. Ruhina

    How did you know that the temprature was OK?

    Aurangzeb

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  14. Aurangzeb, 2 things should tell u that the stones are really hot - for one, they could start to sizzle.. and if not, then a splash of water would evaporate as soon as it touches base with them. That would generally take u 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the pot, the size of the stones and the strength of the flame.. hope that helps :)

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  15. Ruhina
    thanks for sharing geat idea. I baked pizza twice in the stone oven the results were good.Please post recipe and temperature for cake and muffins,if possible with pictures.I will love to try these in stone oven.Thanks again.

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  16. Thanks for the feedback. And yes InshaAllah, I'll get round to it as soon as possible. Just back from a short leave and need to get my bearings :)

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  17. Dear Ruhina..I also bake stuff in stone oven..but my cakes (not pizzaz) get burnt from lower sides wen they are not fully baked from the middle i.e the knife doesnt cum out clean so haf to wait till the cake is fully baked and in doing so..it get burnt from the lower sides..HELP!!!!

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  18. Dear Anonymous .. a few points>
    1- are the stones all same size? cake batter is more sensitive than pizza dough.
    2- is the flame too high? that it heats the pot from outside too?
    3- is your cake tin not right for baking? whether stone or normal oven, its important to have a good baking tray, to ensure even baking
    4- is the pot evenly hot from all sides? If its hotter around the sides, then u need to reduce heat once u've put the cake tin in

    Generally, one or another of these things should solve the problem. Its always a good idea to watch the heat, dont let it get too hot. That is usually the main masla in the cake being uncooked.

    Hope this helps. Do let me know :)

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  19. Assalamualaykum, Thanks for all the valuable info. I was wondering if I can use concrete stones in this oven...coz we have a lot of them at home. Plz do reply.

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  20. Walaikum ass'salaam
    Youre most welcome and thank you for the comments. As to concrete stones, no, I would not advise that at all. They would certainly contain harmful substances which you dont want to come into contact with ur food. Secondly, they would have air pockets, which could burst on heating. Best bet would be to have a look at a local gardening shop. I got my stones from the road-side garden stand.. those are the best stones to be used for this oven.
    Hope this helps you.

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  21. hey my oven expired.. i dont know how this stone oven works.. can u plz how it works. pre heatin time and temp..
    once i have placed pizza how much time it would take and flame should be high or medium or low..plzz re...

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  22. Its very easy my dear. Just fill a pot with clean garden stones and leave it on medium flame. It will take some time to heat up. If your pot is big, then keep flame high. When it gives off steam, u can put ur pizza in. Keep flame medium high once the pizza is in.Just be careful that it is VERY hot before u put the pizza in. Check after 10 minutes. Depending on the size, it will either be almost done, or already done.. U'll just have to experiment with the baking times since each oven is different.
    Best of luck.

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  23. Wow this is really cool! So you don't put the pot in the oven, you keep it on the stove? I must try this, will let you know how it turns out when I make it.

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  24. :) Yup, it goes on the stove.. and DO tell me. Will wait for your post :)

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  25. hey ruhina,how r u?
    i dont have oven but i want to make pizzas and cakes cause my children like these things a lot.i have heard abt stone oven.now i want to make things in stone oven so can u plz tell me briefly abt stone oven plz.....
    bundle of thanx in advance

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  26. Hullo Maimuna - thanks for asking, Alhamdolillah. Hope ure well too. Yes, this stone oven is a great thing to have.. its basically very simple - just put garden stones in a large pot. Heat the pot for as long as it takes to steam and get really hot. Then u can put your cake or pizza inside carefully. According to what ure baking, times will vary. So u'll have to check in between. Practice will make ur baking perfect, inshaAllah. U can also read through the comments above, maybe they help as well. Just ask if I can help you any more.

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  27. hi ruhina,how r u?i hav tried pizza,cake and buns in stone oven,pizza goes pefect but there is prob with cake and buns.the sides of cakes and upper and lowr sides of bun get hard,can u plz tell me what the reason that y it hapens.plz ans me soon wat shud i do for these probs plzzzzz

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  29. Hullo Anonymous
    the reason would be that your stone oven gets too hot.. or that the forms are too large for the pot and touch the sides of the pot form inside. The sides are always very hot - hotter than the middle. So try using smaller forms and control the heat a bit. InshaAllah it will be ok.

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  30. Zara dear - what can I help you with?

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  31. Thanks a huuuuuuuugeeee <3 i wil try dis way inshALLAh :D :D luv u ,

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  32. :))) Youre most welcome my dear :) Do make and tell :) Love back :)

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  33. can the pizza be made using this baking method?



    ahmad.

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  34. Assalamualaikum Ruhina,

    first off - ur doin an AWESOME job wd all the 'foodilicious' recipes!

    A great effort!

    Now to the main thng - I LOVE baking! But ever since my microwave oven broke down, I had put aside my baking dreams.

    This is such a simple and effective concept that it makes me wanna kick myself for not thnkng of it sooner!

    My question - Should the pot or vessel used be of Aluminium or any particular metal?

    Can regular Tefal Pots be used?

    Thanks a ton.

    Happy cooking :)

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  35. Sure - I've made it often, its a lot softer and more moist than oven baked pizzas.

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  36. Walaikum ass'salaam dear Shazi :)

    Thank you so very much for such lovely comments :)Yes, this stone oven is indeed a great concept.
    As to pots,I wouldnt use Tefal. The stones get very hot and cause some discoloration of the material, besides scratching the base. So just go for a regular 'cheap' pot.. nothing fancy.
    I hope this helps u in deciding. Anything else, please do ask :)
    Thanks a ton back :)
    Ruhina

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  37. aoa ruhina
    i want to make brownies in stone oven plzz helpp

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  38. W'salaam.. just make sure the stone oven is hot enough. Though not too hot for brownies. The normal time in an oven would be 12 to 15 minutes. Check here after 8 to 10. Do the same test as with a cake - insert a toothpick and check. If the toothpick has some wet looking crumbs stuck to it, its done. InshaAllah it will be alright. Do let me know how it went.

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  39. wow, thats a fantastic idea.

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  42. i always loved baking but dont know how to use an oven.this method seems quite easy...could u plz tell me some details and persecutions about using the stone oven...thanks alot.:)
    raima

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  43. i also wanna know that can i make a cake in a steel pan as i dont have the baking dish or tray.plz help me with my problem...thanks raima

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  45. Thank U So Much for a wonderful Info.

    Naveed

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  46. My pleasure, Naveed :) Thanks for writing :)

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  47. I need to ask few points:

    1) which tray shd used for pizza. is it mandatory to use aluminium or SILVER traditional tray can be used?

    2)uncooked dough of pizza with al ingredients shd b kep in stone oven as we do in Electric or gas oven OR the dough shd b cooked 1st and then in 2nd round al ingredients shd b sprinkled?

    Regards,

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  48. Hullo Saima

    1) I used this because I didnt have the normal silver tray available in stores in Pakistan. Now I've bought it and use that and its perfectly ok.

    2)Yes, as you'd keep it in the gas oven.

    Good luck :)

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  49. gr8...bt one doubt..iz that iz bartan main stone ke saath thoda paani bhi rakhna hai kya??means ke water itna hoke ke pathar is main doob jayen??& phir garam hone ke liye rakhdena hai 15 min in garam anch main phir dheemi anch main...but kya hum khol kar dekh sakte hai?? kab tak??

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  50. Nahin Huda, pani nahi rakhna. Sirf pani ka cheenta de kar chck kar saktay hain, ke kitna garam hai. Lekin pani daal ke nahi chorna.
    Aur check kar saktay hain, lekin thora sa aur bohat zyada dafa nahi.

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  51. wowwww.....dis is just too amazing :D cudnt imagine k aise b itniii fit baking ho skti hai :) Ruhina u r awesome! :)

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  52. Loved the idea!! hats off to u Ruhina :)

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  53. hey rubina ...
    i need to ask u something..do we have to put something under these stones n once the stones are hot will put the baking tray will the stones effect the baking tray or no :) thanksss n keep up the good work :)

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  54. Thank you for such lovely comments Sidra :) Do try and tell :) And Anonymous, thank you to you too and no, nothing under the stones. The baking tray will be damaged - so make sure u buy an extra set for ur regular baking or serving.

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  55. hey this is so cool! I once tried making a cake the same way but it was disastrous =( though i took a much larger pot.

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  56. hey Ruhina ... Can we bake taftaanz,sheermal,bread n bunz in stone oven? how can we get upper brown layer in these things? coz stone oven doesn't have grill system.. i have that at home but really confuse abt this thing

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  57. hey i ask some thing to u bbut where has my commment gone?

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  58. hey ruhina... I tried baking a cake in this and it turned out really bad =(
    i guess it had something to do with using the wrong stones. What kind of stones did you use? i can't find the ones like those in your picture anywhere =(

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  59. So, since I have no idea who Anonymous is, I'll just answer in one post.
    I have made buns in this oven. They turn out perfect. The grilling effect comes from the heat build-up by steam.
    Except if a comment is rude, I always allow comments to be published. And I havent deleted any comments lately so it might be some issue with the site.
    What happened with the cake? The stones are the ones found in gardens... available in all nurseries.. see if that helps...

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  60. the cake did not rise. it was flat and rock hard =(

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  61. Well I'm sorry to read that. But since I have made cakes in the stone oven and they turn out great, I think there could be 2 reasons: one, it was not hot enough. Two, the recipe needed some adjusting.. Another reasons that comes to mind is that maybe u left it out too long before baking. So do let me know what exactly happened. Best of luck next time. . do try again, it DOES work :)

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  62. hi ruhina,
    this looks really amazing. want to know what pot did u use.
    i have a aluminium pot but the base is little thin. will that do.

    thanks

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  63. hi ruhina,

    i want to make stone oven at home. looks amazing. what utensil r u using. i have a aluminium one but the base is thin. will that do or i have to use with a thick base.
    thanks

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  64. i love this idea of stone oven ruhina. cud u tell me what kind of vessel is needed for this. i have a aluminium vessel wich a thin base is that ok or do we need with a thick base

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  65. what utensil to be used for stone oven. a thin base would do or do u need with a thick base

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  66. hey ive asked that can we bake sheermaal in that?

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  67. I'm sorry for missing all the comments above - I'll answer them in one go - I wouldnt use aluminium since it leaves an after taste. The baked goods will taste a bit odd if u do. U should go for something with a thicker base. Not too thin at least. As to sheermal, I havent tried that in it. You could experiment and see what happens and let me know too :)

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  68. hey thanks alot for all the info abt stone :)
    can you plz tell me what sort of baking dishes can i use in this oven..e.g normal glass made oven proof dishes can be used for baking in this stone oven???
    waiting for ur reply :)

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  69. I would not use glass dishes. Since the oven is heat from a distance and here ur dish will sit on the stones. so best go for silverware.. or any other 'metal' dish, but it should not be too thin otherwise your baking will burn. My pleasure :) Good luck :)

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  70. okkkk... plethora of thanx :) :)

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  71. Ruhina ur really adorable :) ofcourse trying new things is experiment and everyone learns from mistakes, ur practice had made u so perfect in baking anything but new learners wil take time if they dont loose hope soon :)
    But i really appreciate ur efforts on answering all with possible solutions :) came thru ur blog via foodilicious Insha Allah wil go thru the site and look forward for more recipes :)

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  72. Thank you Aara dear for such nice words :)
    Yes I'm a great believer in trying and trying again and experimenting. I believe its the best way to learn.
    Do add urself to the mailing list, that'll keep u updated on any new posts.
    Thanks for writing - and keep it coming :)

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  73. hi,,can u tell that how many layers of stones placed in the pot?and can v use normal baking tin or tray like springform for cake?also can v bake chicken ?

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  74. Hi I'm so sorry this answer is so late - Its just one layer.. thats enough.. I wouldnt use the tefal or expensive trays.. Better to buy a cheaper variety or then cast iron - both are ok. Since the stones get very hot, they can spoil the trays and forms..
    I've baked pizzas in it.. and cookies and cakes.. so yes, chicken should be possible too. Just take care the pieces are not too large. . since that might take too long.

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  76. salam ruhina,,can i use small pebbles instaed of bigger or medium sized stones???like "BAJRI"

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    1. W'salaam. No dear, not bajri. It must be same or similar sized stones.. they need to be large enough to absorb heat na..

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  78. u r realy a gret chef i hv learnt alot from u about stone oven

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  79. Asalam o alikum ruhina!!!muje ap se kuch puchna tha maine ghr pe stone oven bnya buns bnane ko wo neachay se to paak jate hain magar uper se wo white hi rehte hain kya ap muje bta skti hain aisa kyun hai is ki kya waja hai plz tell me

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  80. Walaikum ass'salaam my dear. Sorry for such a late answer. Iss ka hal ye hai ke aap stone oven to pehlay achi tarha preheat karain. Achi tarha garam ho jaey tau phir buns andar rakhain. So andar heat itni hogi ke ooper aur sides se rang ajaey ga. Lekin oven ki tarha ka phir bhi nahi hoga, halka hoga.

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