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pizza fail...

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onesaxplayer
onesaxplayer Posts: 79
in EggHead Forum
OK, I understand failing a few times to learn, but geez.  Pizza is kicking my butt!  I've read Naked Whiz's pizza tips.  I keep getting the top done before the crust.  What the heck am I doing wrong?  Should I bake the crust for a while then throw on the toppings?
When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • Spaightlabs
    Spaightlabs Posts: 2,349
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    Are your toppings burning? You can let it ride for quite a while after they start to brown just a bit. I cooked pretty thinly rolled crusts at 550 for 15 minutes and the crusts were done Witt the toppings and cheese browning nicely. But not burning.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    What is your egg setup? What temp? What kind of dough? What toppings? 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • onesaxplayer
    onesaxplayer Posts: 79
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    My crusts aren't super thin, but they're not Chicago thick either.  I have the stone on some bricks to raise it in the dome.  Cheese burnt to a crisp hit crust still doughy...
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Do you have a platesetter or some other indirect arrangement? You need air space betreen the platesetter and the pizza stone. 500° is good. Here's mine...

    image

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Spaightlabs
    Spaightlabs Posts: 2,349
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    What temp are you cooking at?
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  • onesaxplayer
    onesaxplayer Posts: 79
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    I have plate setter, legs down, bricks, stone.  Yeastless dough.  400* for 20 minutes.
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    I know I'm in the minority here but I just do a raised grate with the stone on the grate. Get it up to 550 for 25 min and I'm good. Pizza cooks in 10 min. I went thru the same problems you did and I got frustrated and had to try something else.
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    onesaxplayer said:
    I have plate setter, legs down, bricks, stone.  Yeastless dough.  400* for 20 minutes.
    I don't know anything about yeastless dough. Never tried it. I go 500° for 8-10 minutes, using the setup pictured above and I get this. Every time.

    image

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757
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    @CarolinaQ, that is a sweet setup

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Aviator, thanks. Works for me. :)

    Onesax, here's a VERY bad pic of the bottom of that NY pie...

    image

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    @Carolina Q okay I'm convinced. I'll try your way again. No promises though
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
    edited June 2013
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    I'll play, yesterday's lunch pie using C q method. Didn't pass 500 deg

    imageimage
    Seattle, WA
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  • onesaxplayer
    onesaxplayer Posts: 79
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    OK... I have come up with some thoughts from today's failure and subsequent forum thread.  Preheating seems to be a key. I was just letting the egg get to temp and throwing the pie on.  Secondly, airflow under the stone is important
      I had too many bricks in the egg because I thought I just needed to jack the stone up, I wasn't aware of the airflow need.  Thanks so much to everyone for the suggestions and picture examples.  

    One more thing, CarolinaQ, where did you get those little brick pieces or pieces of Terra cotta to put your stone on?
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    onesaxplayer said:
    OK... I have come up with some thoughts from today's failure and subsequent forum thread.  Preheating seems to be a key. I was just letting the egg get to temp and throwing the pie on.  Secondly, airflow under the stone is important
      I had too many bricks in the egg because I thought I just needed to jack the stone up, I wasn't aware of the airflow need.  Thanks so much to everyone for the suggestions and picture examples.  

    One more thing, CarolinaQ, where did you get those little brick pieces or pieces of Terra cotta to put your stone on?
    Yes, preheating is a given. Get the egg to 500-ish and leave it there for 30 mins or so. If you have an IR thermometer, check the stone temp with that. If not, just let it go for a while before you put the pie on the stone. 

    I use the mini woo on top of those terracotta flower pot feet (any garden center - I think mine came from Lowe's). You can also use the 3 green feet that used to come with eggs. I know others who set the pizza stone on top of two bricks turned on edge. My spacing is about 4".

    Good luck!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • onesaxplayer
    onesaxplayer Posts: 79
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    I decided to give it a go.  If it turns out well there will be pics.  Thanks to all who answered my cry for help and knowledge yesterday!
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Without the egg "REALLY" being stabilized at 500 or 550 degrees makes cooking anything correctly that cooks fast like pizza.  Without being stabilized the actual egg temperature is probably much lower than 500 degrees for ten to twenty minutes after you close the dome after loading the pizza on the stone??  When stabilized, the entire mass of the egg is working to hold or RETURN that 500 or 550 degree interior egg heat.  
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  • onesaxplayer
    onesaxplayer Posts: 79
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    Room for improvement, but tons of improvement made too.  Thanks, everyone who gave tips and suggestions!
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    You listen to Q. He immigrated from Naples seven months ago

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Little Steven said:
    You listen to Q. He immigrated from Naples seven months ago
    I don't think they know who Q is. He's pretty new here.  :D I have it on good authority that he's never been to Naples.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • onesaxplayer
    onesaxplayer Posts: 79
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    Q definitely got me on the right track.  Thought I detected an Italian accent in his typing. Could change his handle to Italiana Q.
    When you get to a fork in the road, pick it up, spear something with it and throw it on the grill!!!
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    setup is much better. You are off and running now.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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