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Pizza 911

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CYarb
CYarb Posts: 6
edited February 2012 in EggHead Forum
Pizza on the BGE is phenomenal.  I just had a pizza party for a bunch of kids where they build their own and we cook them.  The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. are great; but I cannot get the first one done (pizza toppings melted and melded) without burning the crust.  I have tried wiping the pizza stone with water before the 1st and have relegated myself to doing a "blank" to condition the stone for the next several pies.  XL BGE, 550 deg F, pizza stone on plate setter, 3-4 minutes per pizza.  Any other ideas that work?
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  • JerkChicken
    JerkChicken Posts: 551
    edited February 2012
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    I would try to use the stone in a manner that it is not directly sitting on the platesetter. It sounds like your stone is getting too hot initially from the added heat of the platesetter touching it and cooling after the first pie. It may help to separate them.

    You can achieve this by putting the platesetter legs up, grate on top of that, and then the pizza stone directly on the grate. Or you could put some spacers (I use the feet that came with the egg) between the pizza stone and the platesetter when you do the pizzas.


    LBGE, Weber OTG w/ Rotisserie, Weber Genesis S-330, Chargriller Duo, AR-15, AK-47
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  • Gato
    Gato Posts: 766
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    See jerckchicken on setup. I do mine with platesetter legs up with stone on grate now. Supposed to be better on the gasket too. Did you make your own crusts? How big were they? I've been wanting to do a make your own pizza cook myself.
    Geaux Tigers!!!
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Super easy Gato

    22oz bread flour
    1 1/2 T sugar
    1 t active dry yeast
    2 t salt
    14 oz cool water
    3 T extra virgin olive oil

    Combine yeast, sugar, water in mixing bowl. Allow yeast to dissolve and bubble. Add flour and mix completely to combine. Continue mixing and add salt and oil. Mix until dough comes together into a ball adding more water or flour as needed to make a soft, elastic dough. Knead by hand a few times and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until puffy. Punch down the dough and let rise again until doubled. Divide and shape into a loose round, let rest 15 min. Shape and garnish...cook and enjoy. Makes two pies.

    I usually make the night before and let sit in fridge...take out a couple hours before needed...allow to come up to room temp then divide and shape.
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  • Gato
    Gato Posts: 766
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    Thanks MQ, you have guided me on this before. I was just wondering about the op. Now if I did this and wanted to cook it the same day, still use cool water? Last time I made my own I used warm water and cooked same day. It was very good. I do want to do the overnight thing and see if I can tell any difference.
    Geaux Tigers!!!
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    As long as its not ice cold, I don't think the water temp will have that much of an effect.
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  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
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    Got my Egg TOO HOT and burned the bottoms of the first three yesterday. Targeted the Egg for 600F and she was stable there while we made up the pies but had creeped up to 750F by the time we were ready to put the first one on.

    I think she creeped because of the fuel, I was using 'bottom of the bag' so there were a lot of very small pieces, even some dust.

    Anyway, we tried backing the Egg back down to 600F and cooking but the stone wouldn't back down so fast, had to take it out and let it cool. Then we reset the Egg for 450F, put the stone back in, and the pizzas were perfect.

    So now we're going to target no more than 500F.

    Oh, and also, we were using a 13 inch Pampered Chef stone and have ordered a 16 inch x 1/2 inch glazed Primo stone because part of the problem was the 13 incher is TFS.
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  • CYarb
    CYarb Posts: 6
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    Never even considered the necessity of the space between the plate setter and stone.  Great idea and thanks
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  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
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    We did our first pizza on Thursday with the egg at 550. The stone was preheated and directly on the plate setter. The crust was good, but a bit doughy. We had friends over on Friday and tried again. This time the setup was the same but the temp was at 600. We made 3 perfect pizzas. We cooked them for 8 minutes each.
    Mark Annville, PA
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  • sawtooth
    sawtooth Posts: 6
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    Don't bother making your own dough go to Winco or your favorite market and buy your fresh dough in a plastic bag. Making your own dough waste beer drinking time.
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  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273
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    I wadded up some little foil balls, pressed the flat.   Used that between my platesetter and the pizza stone.   Got the idea on here from someone, not sure who.
    Cookin in Texas
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Wow sawtooth great insight...

    Many people, myself being one of them, find homemade dough so easy to make and SO much better than anything store bought. if you're really worried about wasting beer drinking time, you should give it a try sometime...you could have a batch made up way faster than the time it would take you to go to the store and buy one, which unless you're drinking to and from the store, would be much less wasted beer drinking time.
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  • JohnB
    JohnB Posts: 183
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    The best set up, in my opinion:

    plate setter legs down
    BGE feet
    pizza stone
    650

    never had any problems with burning.
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  • raydefan
    raydefan Posts: 8
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    I used to have the same problem - burnt crust before the top is done. What I did was buy some of those metal pizza pans. You can build your pizza on the pan, place the pan in the egg (on the pizza stone), and then for the last couple of minutes take pizza off the pan and place directly on the pizza stone until the crust crisps up. I saw this trick on diners drive-ins and dives.
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  • BakerMan
    BakerMan Posts: 159
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    I use platesetter legs down.  I place grate on top of platesetter and then place stone on top of that.  You can also use canning lid rings as cheap spacers beteen platesetter and stone (or drip pans).  Pizza takes 8-10 minutes to cook including thraw sausage on top.

    I make my own dough an dlet it proof in the fridge overnight.  Making dough the day before makes a big difference in quality of the crust.  I build pie on a wooden peel with cornmeal on it and slide pizza onto hot stone.  Bottom crust is always brown and crispy and top crust is brown and chewy.

    BakerMan - Purcellville, VA "When its smokin' its cookin', when its black its done"
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  • joe@bge
    joe@bge Posts: 394
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    I wadded up some little foil balls, pressed the flat.   Used that between my platesetter and the pizza stone.   Got the idea on here from someone, not sure who.

    I have also heard someone suggest that you put the pizza stone and the 3 ceramic feet that they give you.  I burnt my first pizza a week or so ago...I am using the feet next time.
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    When you make your pizza is the dough easy to roll out or is it like an elastic band that keeps snapping back?
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    When you make your pizza is the dough easy to roll out or is it like an elastic band that keeps snapping back?


    Easy...when you divide the dough the last time (assuming you made a recipe for at least 2 pies), loosely round the pieces and let sit to rest 15 minutes. This rest relaxes the gluten so it can be shaped easier.
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Too much gluten can be a bad thing in pizza dough. The real key lies in the kneading, which develops gluten. When doing pizza dough, just mix the ingredients well to combine and then hand knead just a few times to bring everything together until smooth....no need to get crazy kneading for several minutes with a kitchenaid...save that for rustic loaves...
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Never made it...you have a quick recipe or should I google? I have a decent amount of baking experience and can't imagine a no knead bread being in the same league as what I know. I'm not saying it isn't fantastic, I'm just not familiar with it.
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    I would like to find a good recipe that doesn't snap back. I'll keep the dough away from the KA.

    Has anyone ever used semolina flour in their dough?
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Looks very impressive...the baking geek in me also googled the science of it...pretty cool.

    http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/06/the-food-lab-the-science-of-no-knead-dough.html

    Basically the longish fermentation does all the work. I often do several day fermentations with a sourdough starter, but always knead. I'm very old school about my bread....I guess that's what happens when you apprentice in France! I had every intention of being a Boulanger while studying there (Paris) but got really burned out from the whole experience...I'm just an extra avid home baker now when I have time.
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Granny...I use it almost every time for pizza dough...love the way it makes the crust both crispy and chewy at the same time if that makes sense. Whatever recipe you're using, substitute semolina flour for half the bread or AP flour.
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Well that was a lot of information. I got the flours and yeast so I'm almost there. Thanks
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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