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Banned from making pizza on the egg

Eggbertsdad
Eggbertsdad Posts: 804
edited March 2012 in EggHead Forum
The wife and I were going to make pizzas on the Egg last night and what a disaster!

I took the advice and got it up to 600 degrees and let the stone sit on it for about 30 minutes. Prior to lighting I filled it up with fresh lump just above the fire box. At 600 degrees there were flames coming up around the the place setter. When I finally got my 1st (and last) pizza on there it sizzled and I thought we were in good shape. I checked on it about 2 minutes later and the crust (fresh from the store) was burnt and STUCK to the stone. 

In trying to get the stuck pizza off and not burn my arm off I wound up sending the scalding pie onto the patio and in the process I slid the stone just a hair and it cracked into 3 pieces. 

I think I'll stick to ribs, butts, steaks, chicken, etc. and leave the pizza to Pasquali's just down the road. 
Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
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Comments

  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    edited March 2012
    Other than that, how was the pizza ?   :D

    Seriously, don't give up. I don't know why flames were coming up around your plate setter.  Next time, try 500. Also, was your stone off the plate setter a little bit, or was it sitting right on it.  It should be raised a tad.  Also, what was between your pizza dough and the stone.  Corn meal?  I have always used parchment paper, and left it on for the entire cook.  Slides on easy, slides off easy.

    Also, on your next cook, check on it sooner, and be sure to burp it before raising the dome.

    We all have disasters from time to time.  It's a learning experience.  Next time, you won't have that disaster.


    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    There has got to be a way we spin this into it being your wife's fault.  Think my man.
  • Cowdogs
    Cowdogs Posts: 491

    I really don't see how a pizza can stick to a properly pre-heated pizza stone.  I use a pretty wet dough, and it does not happen.  Now if the dough tears and lets cheese and sauce onto the stone, that's another story.

    Cheap pizza stones will crack.  Was it a good stone?

    This "failure" aside, it's worth trying again.

     

     

  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    Don't give up. I have the plate setter with legs up, then the grill, then I use the 3 feet that came with my large egg, and I support the pizza stone on those 3 feet, so there is air flowing underneath the pizza stone. I cook around 500-500. Use parchment paper with just a light dusting of corn meal. You can leave the parchment on the whole time or after about 4-5 min. you can lift up the za and take out the paper. 
    Honestly don't give up yet,we all have had cooks that didn't turn out properly. Just try again and you won't believe the taste once you get the process nailed down.
    ;)
    Large, small, and a mini
  • troutgeek
    troutgeek Posts: 458
    Hopefully, you didn't use a Pampered Chef stone. Use more corn meal on the stone and on the peel.
    XL BGE - Large BGE - Small BGE - Traeger Lil' Tex Elite - Weber Smokey Joe
  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273

    Dont feel bad.   Before I got the BGE - I had been banned from wasting money on a brisket ( with my old side smokers ).   Got past it - your next pizza's will be great.

     

    Cookin in Texas
  • hogsfan
    hogsfan Posts: 128

    No lie, it probably took me 10 pizza's before I got the hang of it. I swear I've done every wrong possible. 

    If I had to guess, I would say you did not use an indirect piece under your stone? My pizza were always burned on bottom until I realized that the stone needs to be heated indirectly...not just the pizza.
  • tnbarbq
    tnbarbq Posts: 248
    Last pizza I did, I used the directions on the pizza.  Cook it at about 450 for 15 minutes or so.  Came out fine.  It was a Walmart deli pizza.
    Scooter 
    Mid TN. Hangin' in the 'Boro. MIM Judge
  • C3H8Hater
    C3H8Hater Posts: 13
    I don't warm my pizza stone like others on here. I dust it with cornmeal and when the pizza is done it comes right off. Like others said don't give up, it took me several times to get it right.
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    The wife and I were going to make pizzas on the Egg last night and what a disaster!


    I took the advice and got it up to 600 degrees and let the stone sit on it for about 30 minutes. Prior to lighting I filled it up with fresh lump just above the fire box. At 600 degrees there were flames coming up around the the place setter. When I finally got my 1st (and last) pizza on there it sizzled and I thought we were in good shape. I checked on it about 2 minutes later and the crust (fresh from the store) was burnt and STUCK to the stone. 


    In trying to get the stuck pizza off and not burn my arm off I wound up sending the scalding pie onto the patio and in the process I slid the stone just a hair and it cracked into 3 pieces. 



    I think I'll stick to ribs, butts, steaks, chicken, etc. and leave the pizza to Pasquali's just down the road. 
    I saw the post where you got that advice. I do pizza hot but it takes a little practice to get there. I would get one of those airbake pans and hone your skillls with that at lower temps. You will still get great pies

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Eggbertsdad
    Eggbertsdad Posts: 804
    Thanks guys, and I will find a way to blame the wife! What red-blooded American man wouldn't?

    I used the place setter with the feet down and put the stone on it. It wasn't an expensive stone. I like the idea of using the 3 feet that came with the Egg to raise it up a little and cooking around 500 or so. 

    I'm doing beef back ribs and a duck this weekend. I'll  ease back into the pizza.

    Thanks again for the advice!
    Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
  • mandyyy
    mandyyy Posts: 5

    Plate setter with legs down

    grate in place,I use a cast iron grate.

    Stone on grate,Preheat for 10 minutes at 550

    sprinkle stone with cornmeal ,add pizza

    12 to 15 minutes later,check for bottom of pie to be browning

    Enjoy best Brick Oven Pie you ever cooked !

     

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817

    Plate setter with legs down

    grate in place,I use a cast iron grate.

    Stone on grate,Preheat for 10 minutes at 550

    sprinkle stone with cornmeal ,add pizza

    12 to 15 minutes later,check for bottom of pie to be browning

    Enjoy best Brick Oven Pie you ever cooked !

     

    How do you deal with the radiant heat from the burning lump? The fact that the OP didn't have a space between the platesetter and the stone caused the problem.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • mandyyy
    mandyyy Posts: 5


    Plate setter with legs down

    grate in place,I use a cast iron grate.

    Stone on grate,Preheat for 10 minutes at 550

    sprinkle stone with cornmeal ,add pizza

    12 to 15 minutes later,check for bottom of pie to be browning

    Enjoy best Brick Oven Pie you ever cooked !

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Sorry, misread there

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • mandyyy
    mandyyy Posts: 5
    Got any advice on briskets? Can't seem to get it right?
  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    Got any advice on briskets? Can't seem to get it right?
    Start another thread.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273

    What I do...

    Plate setter legs down.

    3 little balls of alunimum foil wadded up

    Pizza Stone

    Lay the dough out on Parchment paper inside when making pizza.   Paper slides on the Pizza Stone, after 3 to 5 minutes, hold the edge of the pizza with something - slide the paper right out.   I used to use corn meal, try not to let the pizza dough sit on whatever I was making it up on - so it wouldnt stick.  Parchment paper does so much better.

    Cookin in Texas
  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    Yes, do as VI stated initially and we wil happily help you
  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    I am going pizza tonight, you now have me gun shy.
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    I did one tonight. I didn't raise the stone off of the plate setter and it turned out fine. Did you use a pizza peel? Also watch the videos on Freds Music & BBQ site. He has tons of great videos on cooking on the egg. I turned my pizza every 2 minutes. That kept it from burning.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    My pizza pic
    Mark Annville, PA
  • Bakeman
    Bakeman Posts: 113
    Looks great, where did you get the stone.
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    I did one tonight. I didn't raise the stone off of the plate setter and it turned out fine. Did you use a pizza peel? Also watch the videos on Freds Music & BBQ site. He has tons of great videos on cooking on the egg. I turned my pizza every 2 minutes. That kept it from
    Unless you have an IR or oven thermo you don't know the temp of the stone. If you use a heat shield against the radiant heat, then some space and then the stone you know the stone is at the temp of the egg and no hotter.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • lwrehm
    lwrehm Posts: 381

    I'm in the minority on the corn meal vs parchement issue, I have tried both and like the corn meal. This may be based on my previous experience back in college I worked at a pizza joint and before getting the egg have been making pizza with corn meal on a stone in the oven for years.  The biggest thing to remember is you can't let the assebled pizza sit long before getting it onto the hot stone.  Another key, is toppings, this is one place where less is more.  Use really good quality toppings but not a ton of them...you will NEVER get "extra cheese" at Bill's BGE Pizzaria.

     

  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    edited March 2012
    @Bakeman, the stone in the picture is a Pampered Chef stone, but it was not cooked on that stone. The stone that I cooked on was the XL Big Green Egg stone. I usually bring my pies in the house on the pizza peel and slide them on to the PC stone to cut the pizza.

    @Little Steven, I'm still new to the egg. Only a month in. I plan on trying to raise the stone the next time. I have an XL Egg, so I didn't get feet for my egg. I'm going to try the foil balls under the stone to raise it up. Hopefully that will keep my crust on second and third pizzas from burning.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    edited March 2012
    Hey just trying to help man. I use 3/4 " plumbing tees for the spacers

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    I appreciate the help. I like the plumbing tee idea. Might have to make a trip to Lowes tomorrow.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    OK, so crushed it tonight.  My own dough and sauce, weef happy.