Can a thick cast iron pan be used instead of a baking stone?

Again I ask for advice from the collective mind.
I got an oven, now it's up to the stone for baking bread / pizza. The question is - does it make sense to use a thick cast iron pan in this capacity? I laid eyes on a heavy square grill pan 28x28 cm.
The pros that I see:
1) a frying pan, unlike a stone, is stronger, and will not burst at one fine moment from careless handling (they write that this is a common story with stones),
2) cast iron is much cheaper than stone,
3) can be poured with boiling water for vaporization,
4) during idle time it will be possible to fry meat steaks on it (I love 3 in the 1st!).
The last + is questionable, since for cooking on cast iron you need to build up a fatty film, and when calcined, as a stone, it will burn out. Or will "pure" cast iron roll for steaks? And if instead of boiling water to throw ice on the heated cast iron, the pan will certainly "grunt" or are there options?

The pros that I see:

Cast iron cracks well from temperature extremes.
And hot, it can burst if it is sharply put on something solid.
So it was with my two, only, pancake pans back in 1980 = one burst from a cold one, I dropped the second on the floor = both were hot.
But maybe the current cast iron is not so brittle, mmm.

Galya, buy a silumin frying pan, it is also heavy and keeps warm well.
But it does not require an oil film, it does not rust, it can endure any shocks and temperature changes. And it is perfectly washed off the burn - with a metal washcloth and hot water and soap. Cheaper.
Silumin is eternal.

It is difficult to tell about cast iron. I use an upside-down heavy-walled aluminum baking sheet.

[Crown]

Crown, GalinaMany people here advise using pallets for flowers that are not glazed.

[Crown]

Galya, buy a silumin frying pan, it is also heavy and keeps warm well.

I have one, only a pancake, with low sides, D 23 cm, although the handle fell apart long ago, but, by a lucky coincidence, it was perfectly replaced by a "grip" from the baking sheet from the kit to the oven. I have already tried it on, yes, it also fits, but the cast-iron grill is larger, heavier and more "heat". So I think, I need it or I will survive (the discount on the cast iron does not give rest).
And yet, I have a mini oven, so high containers will not work, because they will eat a lot of precious space.

Crown, GalinaMany people here advise using pallets for flowers that are not glazed.

Yes, I know, I myself have been looking at them for a long time, but I'm only afraid to accidentally swing it.

[Crown]

Crown, Galina, I successfully used the following system for the oven for baking bread - in a black tray, which is native to the oven, I tightly packed large pebbles, which are used for landscape design. Warm up like a stone, the steam is chic!

Anzhi advised me this system at one time ang-kay, for which many thanks to her

I have a flower pallet for more than 6 years, I remember exactly what I bought until 2014, either in Ikea or in Auchan. Safe and sound What to bang him then?

[Svetlenki]

Svetlenki, Sveta,
Everything would be fine, but ignorance of the composition of this pebble is a little annoying ... Not all minerals are equally useful ...

Warm up like a stone, the steam is chic!

Oh, an interesting way, I'll take note. It is a pity to borrow a native protishk, it is only one, but there is another piece of iron that can be adapted for this business.

Not all minerals are created equal ...

Cut the red bricks into thick slices with a grinder and place in a mold with sides. Cheap and cheerful (s), that is, environmentally friendly. Not?

[Igrig]

but the lack of knowledge of the composition of this pebble is a little annoying ... Not all minerals are equally useful ...

Igrig, Igor, your truth, but without good steam it is difficult to bake beautiful bread ... Or you have to play with caps, pans, baking tins ... Here, yes, everyone chooses for himself.

Oh, an interesting way, I'll take note.

Galina, carefully consider how you will pour water on the stones so as not to burn yourself with the steam. There is no sickly soars right away.



I forgot to say that over a baking sheet with stones on a level higher there was still a stone on the grate, and I had already put forms with bread on it.

I am using an old aluminum skillet to create steam. And a thick-walled cast aluminum baking sheet instead of a stone for baking (it is turned upside down for me, because the depth is about 3 cm. I transfer dough pieces from the cutting board to the baking sheet from the chopping board (like I put it off a shovel). And pour water into the pan. Both the baking sheet and the pan are warmed up minutes 30. I also preheat the water so that the temperature does not drop.

I had a stone on the grate above a baking sheet with stones a level higher, and I had already put forms with bread on it.

I am using an old aluminum skillet to create steam. And a thick-walled cast aluminum baking sheet instead of a baking stone

That is, you need to have two adaptations, one existing frying pan is not enough.

Both the baking sheet and the pan are heated for about 30 minutes.

Do you have a large oven?
I have a tabletop, 38 liters, average power (1800), which means a frying pan for water (1 kg) and cast iron a la stone (2.6 kg) will warm up even longer, if not even a whole hour, but this is a fat minus.
But I have free cheap gas, so that both pieces of iron, or just the heaviest, can be easily and quickly heated on gas (with a stone this will not work), and this is already a plus!

[Galina]

Galina, Yes. But the oven itself heats up in about 10 minutes. But the baking sheet and pan need to be heated longer. That is, for baking a biscuit, I heat the oven for 15 minutes at most (I have an accelerated heating function). And for bread on normal convection, I turn it on 30 minutes before baking.

[Cast iron quickly heats up to its maximum temperature, while distributing heat evenly.]

An article about a comparison of the characteristics of cast iron and ceramics. It turns out that the cast-iron "stone" outperforms the ceramic one, because it heats up faster and keeps the temperature longer.

Ceramics vs cast iron: what to bake in?
When baking a large piece of meat, poultry or stew in the oven, it is important that everything is baked evenly. Therefore, thin aluminum or steel molds are not suitable here: in them, the dish will quickly burn from the bottom. What is the best bake then?
Cast iron
Pros:
Cast iron quickly heats up to its maximum temperature, while distributing heat evenly. The dishes do not burn in it, they are well baked inside and out. Over time, a layer of fat and oil forms on a cast iron skillet or roasting pan - a natural non-stick coating. Cast iron cookware retains heat for a long time, so ready meals will stay warm.
Cast iron - durable: pans and pots from it survive 2-3 generations. You can cook in it at maximum temperature and even over an open fire. Cast iron molds are suitable for induction hobs - if you want to first fry or stew a dish, and only then bake. If the cast iron is enameled, then its non-stick properties are even better, food does not stick to the surface and the mold is easy to clean. Such dishes will not rust or stain.
Minuses:
Cast iron is very heavy. If the mold or brazier is large, it is difficult to hold in your hands and easy to drop. However, if you use cast iron cookware long enough, it may break or crack if dropped. Uncoated cast iron cookware rusts over time, leaving dark marks on surfaces - especially on white enamel.
It is better not to cook in cast iron on a glass-ceramic stove: it can leave scratches and even cracks.

Ceramics
Pros:
Fired ceramics can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees: you can even cook over an open fire. Ceramics is the most environmentally friendly material: it does not contain toxins and heavy metals, does not affect the taste of the dish. It advises to cook meals for babies and allergy sufferers.
It can be cooked in a ceramic dish without oil: the dishes will be juicy and healthy. This is especially true for enamelled ceramics, which do not absorb moisture and grease and can be easily washed. Ceramics are ideal for long simmering: stews or pilaf are perfect in it, even if you cook for 2-3 hours. With this method, more valuable substances remain in the food.
Minuses:
Ceramic cookware takes longer to heat up than cast iron. You cannot quickly heat up yesterday's stew or soup in it. Compared to cast iron, ceramics are very fragile. It is easy to break it or leave a crack, after which it is no longer possible to cook in such a dish. Therefore, ceramic dishes serve much less than cast iron ones. Do not heat frozen meat or vegetables in ceramic molds: cracks also appear on the dishes from the temperature drop.
In ceramics, you can only cook on gas or electric stoves: it is not suitable for induction. Ceramics are not easy to care for: they cannot be washed in a dishwasher, use hard sponges and abrasives, strong alkaline agents.
Summarize:
Ceramic dishes are best for stews and other dishes that need to be simmered for a long time. In it, food turns out to be juicy and healthy, you can cook without oil. Cast iron is suitable for all stoves. Lasts longer, is easier to clean, heats up faster and keeps food warm longer. In it you can fry and then bake - for example, large pieces of meat or poultry.

Cut the red bricks into thick slices with a grinder and place them in a mold with sides. Cheap and cheerful (s), that is, environmentally friendly. Not?

Not. Since the brick is now with different additives. Not useful and cold



I baked bread in a cast-iron frying pan - the diameter of the frying pan was minus.
Since only a small round bread was placed on it.
and so nothing. The bottom was baked
Now I bought a stone and ceramics Biovin. 33 cm. Any shape fits. But I would like the bottom to be more baked

Uncoated cast iron cookware will rust over time

Voooot, that's why I don't like cast iron .. It's very troublesome with it. I cleaned it and calcined it with oil, but over time the oil layer burns out and then there is rust ... I also tried to fit a large cast-iron frying pan into the oven, even my mother's, so in the oven this protective layer burned out very quickly. I realized that no, cast iron is not mine.

I use an upside-down heavy-walled aluminum baking sheet.

That's much better. IMHO.

I used to bake bread in a cast-iron pan (...)
The bottom was baked
Now I bought a stone and ceramics Biovin. (...)
But I would like the bottom to be more baked

Opachki, one more plus sign in the piggy bank.
I'm already tired of dancing around the pale roof of Khlebopechkin's bread, now I don't want to toil with the bottom either.

Safe and sound What to bang him then?

I took the stove with a minimum T of 30 *, I will use it, between baked goods, as a dryer, proofing cabinet, yogurt maker, etc., so I will have to regularly drag this stone here and there in a small cramped kitchen. I will definitely bang!
But this is still half the battle, another factor greatly outweighs - I bake sourdough bread, but it is not entirely predictable, which means that the long-playing stone will need to be warmed up in advance, and if by that time the dough does not have time to come up, then you have to keep the stove on for a long time and burn electricity , but, and this is the most important thing - to overheat the kitchen.
As a result of yesterday's conversations, it dawned on me that the ability to quickly warm up the "stone" on the gas hurts my hands.After all, you can literally turn on the oven for heating literally 15 minutes before the end of the proofing of the dough, boil the kettle in 5 minutes, heat both pans on the gas stove and, at the right time, throw all this into the stove and pour boiling water.
Thanks to everyone who took part in the discussion, you helped me decide.

This is what this thing is, weight 2.5 kg, total height about 2 cm, bottom thickness 5.9 mm, now in "Yes!" it costs 500 rubles.
🔗
The handle was easily removed, the grip from the baking sheet also came up to it, so that without any problems it will be possible to throw this "fool" from the stove into the oven. Now I poured 1.5 cups of water into it and put it on a high fire, the water boiled in 5 minutes, and many people on the Internet do not lie that the cast iron quickly heats up.

Oh, I was on the right track!
Traditional Oven Baking Tool - Fourneau Bread Oven
Now it's up to the cast-iron cauldron as a dome (if the existing cast luminous one fails).

it is difficult to bake beautiful bread without good steam ... Or you have to play with caps, pans, bakeware ...

So yes, we have several topics with details:
Steam baked goods in the oven
At the same time, such a problem is excluded -

Galina, think carefully about how you will pour water on the stones so as not to burn yourself with the steam. There is no sickly soars right away.

Svetik, thanks for the warning.

Another plus in karma pig-iron piggy bank!
Bread stone (plate) # 1286