Dear Sun Spots: My husband and I enjoy making pizza at home but we have never been able to get the crust crispy enough. I have seen in several cookbooks the suggestion to use plain, untreated, square terra cotta tile in your oven and place the pizza on it. Here is what one of the cookbooks said, “If you like pizza with thin, crispy crust, we recommend you line the bottom rack of your oven with unglazed quarry tiles made of terra cotta. These porous tiles absorb better than metal baking sheets and thus transfer more heat to whatever food is cooked on them. The tiles come in 6-inch squares and can be cut at a tile store to fit your oven rack perfectly. Look for half-inch thick tiles.”

Our problem is we can’t seem to find a place locally to purchase them. I’d be willing to travel to Portland or order them online if I could fine a place that sells them. Thanks for your help. – Denise Kaiser, Auburn.

Answer: Sun Spots has a lot of success putting the oven up as high as it will go, right before the broil setting and letting it heat for a good 15-20 minutes, sometimes longer. Then, use a metal circular pan with holes in it and put the dough on the pan just before placing in the oven. The crust is always crispy, especially if you’re placing the pizza in an extremely hot oven.

Sun Spots also contacted:

Mills & Company, 778 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, (207) 893-1115. Owner Bob Mills says they carry these tiles. They have a 14- and 3/4-inch-in-diameter tile which comes with a stainless steel rack and retails for $19.99. They are open 10-6 p.m. Monday to Thursday and open until 7 p.m. Fridays. They are also open 10-4 Sunday.

For The Chef, 10 Trails End Road, Windham, (207) 892-8661, carries a 15 inch pizza stone for $17.50, 14-by-15 for $23.50 and a pizza set with 14-inch stone for $23.50. They are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

LeRoux Kitchen, 161 Commercial Street, Portland, (207) 553-7665 also carries pizza stones, possibly made of terra cotta, in 13-inch at $17.99, 16-inch at $29.99 and a 14-by-16 $29.99. They are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Dear Sun Spots: Regarding the inquiry on Paints by Numbers: A friend who lives in Houston, Texas, tells me these go for premium prices at the flea markets there. These are older ones from the 1950s, 1960s. Perhaps the person from your column inquiry could check with e-Bay or local dealers? – No Name, No Town.

Dear Sun Spots: If the person inquiring for information on Larry Tidswill and his work with Mt. Hope Rebekah Lodge of Norway would contact me, I will try to find it for her. I am the secretary of the lodge. This lady’s name was Blanchard. I carelessly threw out my paper. I can be reached at Mt. Hope Rebekah Lodge #58, 90 Bolsters Mills Road, Harrison, ME 04040. – Arlene Merrill, Harrison.

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