Broiler with stones?

[jtwg]

I was looking at my broiler today, and realized if I pull out the rack I'm left with basically a metal box with direct heat above. Has anyone tried putting baking stones under the broiler for pizzas?

It seems like it should work, but I'd love to know if anyone's tried this.

[Michael130207]

Good idea but I've tried it in my gas oven with infrared broiler. The stone just doesn't get hot enough before the broiler cycles off. Even with multiple cycles it just doesn't happen. As a compromise I use two stones, one sitting on the floor of my gas oven and one just under the broiler as you suggest. I turn the oven on 550 and the bottom stone will reach that temp in about 45min. I then bake the pizza for about 3-4 minutes on bottom stone and turn the broiler on at about the 2 min mark. I then move the pizza to the stone just under the broiler at the 4 min mark which is essentially the same as doming it. The pizza pictured below was done that way. If the oven is too hot to get the broiler to come on, try keeping the door open a few seconds when you are ready to make the switch. If you have too you can hold the pizza under the broiler with a peel like some people do in a wfo so the bottom doesn't over cook. It is less cumbersome than it sounds. Also when using the oven like this I have found a thinner stone with less mass works better on the oven floor.

[jtwg]

Interesting.

I tried it tonight on two pies. The stone was reading 640, so I figured I was good to go, but I had the exact problem you describe. The top cooked perfectly, but the bottom was underdone.

I was considering getting a FibraMent stone to put under the broiler instead - it has really good thermal conductivity, and I was thinking it might give me a good result.

[Tatoosh]

I have friends doing this, but they are using metal, 1/4 inch or thicker.  Steel or Aluminum plate is heated to the maximum the oven/broiler will do, then add the pizza, top is done by the broiler, bottom by the metal.  The steel has better characteristics for what you are doing than the stones according to one science oriented guy doing this.  I have a link to his blog in my original post.   

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,18820.msg183741.html#msg183741

[jtwg]

Sorry, I missed the URL. Just found it and am reading the blog post.

Thanks!

[jtwg]

Interesting, I read back through her posts and see that she tried what I wound up doing tonight.

I put the HearthKit stone on the bottom of the oven, and first cooked the pizza there, then moved it to under the broiler to finish. That worked pretty well, so I may stick with it for a few more tries before trying the sheet steel.