There are many options for simulating a hearth oven. My preferred material
is refractory bricks in 1 inch thickness. The bricks are cheap and widely
available in many sizes which allows one to fully cover the oven rack.
Furthermore, the individual bricks are easy to remove and store (without
worrying about cracking) when it's time to roast that holiday bird. Get
tired of having them around? Use 'em to line your woodstove or jack up the
car.
As with any stone baking surface, be sure to wash them thoroughly and
slowly heat them up to 500-plus F and let them fully cool to "season" them
before baking.
A stone hearth can do wonders for breads and pizzas. So can a new oven
door gasket.
Greg Carpenter
Petoskey, MI