I'm done with my pizza stone!

bweekes · August 2016

Been doing pizzas for years now and always had good results using my BGE pizza stone on the top level of my XL adjustable rig. Last night, I had a bunch of hungry and impatient folks and waiting 30 min for the stone to warm up wasn't an option. So I scrapped the stone and decided to put the pizza directly on the grate. I was amazed by the results. By far the best crust and pizza I have ever made on the egg. I had my indirect stone low in the box resting on top of my spider, and the egg humming at around 550. I will only do it this way from now on. The consensus favourite was the fig, apple and brie pizza.

bgebrent · August 2016

It is an option. Looks good brother!

SkinnyV · August 2016

That's pretty darn solid well done.

Sea2Ski · August 2016

wowweee... Looks great. I will take one of each please!!!

Legume · August 2016

Nice pies!

EggNorth · August 2016

Looks like a great solution and the results sure back that up. I'v been cooking mine in a pizza pan, then just a minute or two on the stone (which is hot by then) for a nice finish. I think my dough is too wet to put directly on the grill.

bgebrent · August 2016

So you leave us to assume your pies on the stone were less impressive? I've done both. Please differentiate.

bweekes · August 2016

EggNorth said:

Looks like a great solution and the results sure back that up. I'v been cooking mine in a pizza pan, then just a minute or two on the stone (which is hot by then) for a nice finish. I think my dough is too wet to put directly on the grill.

Thanks everyone. @EggNorth I thought my dough would be too wet as well, but was surprised to see how fast it firmed up once it hit the hot grate.

yljkt · August 2016

But they aren't perfectly round...how could they be good?

hondabbq · August 2016

I've been making pizzas like that for a while. Turns out great. Here us a thread I started.
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1169228/who-needs-a-stinkin-pizza-stone#latest

blasting · August 2016

Nice looking pies

bhedges1987 · August 2016

Ugh I need to try a pizza sometime

Carolina Q · August 2016

I haven't used my stone ever since my first try with the steel. In my oven, not the egg. I much prefer the steel. And the oven, LOL.

Years ago, pre-egg, I tried a few pizzas on my weber grid (no stone)... coals all around the perimeter, naked dough directly on the grid until it set up a bit and got some grill marks. Then, take it off with one peel, flip it over (raw side down) onto another peel and put the sauce and toppings on the grilled side. Then back on the grid raw side down to finish.

Been a LONG time (1996 I think) and I don't really remember how well it worked. Must not have been too awesome because 20 years later, I still have the same weber and the same two wooden peels I bought just for that purpose... and yet I don't think I've done a pizza that way since then. I really should try again - I'm better at pizza now and it might be fun to see how it works out 20 years later.

JMCXL · August 2016

Pizza is a favorite at my house. Will try this next time and see what the family says. Your results look wonderful

Skiddymarker · August 2016

Great looking pies. The stone I use is a $10 half inch thick cheapie from Kitchen Collection, it works like a pizza pan/screen as it heats very quickly. I tried the thicker stones, but could not get it right. Never tried "going commando" - looks interesting.

milesvdustin · August 2016

I have done several pizza cooks over direct coals, i posted the threads a few times here with technique. Makes a great pizza!

ryantt · August 2016

Looks really good. Did you find that the crust was a little more crisp than off the stone? What was so different as Brent mentioned.

kbr718 · August 2016

Looks great!

Stormbringer · August 2016

Interesting, I haven't tried this yet. How thick was the dough before it was cooked? Did you make it yourself, if so what as the hydration level?

My gut instinct is that for a wet dough in a thin crust pizza this wouldn't work so well as the dough would sag a little with the weight of the ingredients, however happy to be countered on this assumption.

DieselkW · August 2016

Those are great looking pizzas, and I agree, a pizza stone only works well if you use it at very high temperatures and location in the dome becomes much more important so the crust and the top are done at the same time.

Most of the time, I just use one of those cheap aluminum round pans with the holes in it. Bring it out of the kitchen and put it on top of the air gap on top of the plate setter, legs down, 500º.

Home made pizza at my house will have a much thicker crust than the take and bake from the store. Aluminum does a great job of dispersing heat and browning the crust.

I use iron, same set up for deep dish, same air gap on the plate setter legs down.

My air gap is two clay pot watering dishes. The little dishes you put under the flower pot to hold a few ounces of water. 75¢ each and they bring the pizza a couple inches above the gasket.

Canugghead · August 2016

Those pies look killer! FWIW I gave up using pizza stone for naan long time ago, just stock grid direct after finishing my tandoori chicken. Don't even need stone down at spider level since topping-less naan can be flipped.

bweekes · August 2016

ryantt said:

Looks really good. Did you find that the crust was a little more crisp than off the stone? What was so different as Brent mentioned.

@ryantt - the crust definitely crisped up faster. In the past, I found that my ingredients would be ready before my crust. Without the stone, both seemed to finish at the same time, more or less.

bweekes · August 2016

Stormbringer said:

Interesting, I haven't tried this yet. How thick was the dough before it was cooked? Did you make it yourself, if so what as the hydration level?

My gut instinct is that for a wet dough in a thin crust pizza this wouldn't work so well as the dough would sag a little with the weight of the ingredients, however happy to be countered on this assumption.

Store bought dough (haven't graduated to making my own dough yet), so I have no clue on hydration level. But, I'm sure it was drier than if I made it myself, which is why this method worked particularly well for me. Who knows, maybe next time will be a flop (literally), but right now, I'm riding high on a surprisingly good cook. also, i keep my pizza pretty simple, with fewer toppings - so weight wasn't really an issue.

Hi54putty · August 2016

Did you cook the dough a little before putting on sauce and toppings or all at one time? I'm definitely going to try this.

bweekes · August 2016

Hi54putty said:

Did you cook the dough a little before putting on sauce and toppings or all at one time? I'm definitely going to try this.

Did not cook the dough at all before sliding it on the egg (believe it or not). As I say, I was really surprised that it didn't sag - it firmed up almost immediately and the air pockets in the crust were better than I've ever had.

Ozzie_Isaac · August 2016

Waiting for Caveman next

bweekes · August 2016

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Waiting for Caveman next

Ha! I'm sure @hapster has been doing his pizzas that way for years!

NPHuskerFL · August 2016

Firstly those Zas look darn good. & now I'll play Devils advocate...why use a stone in the first place? Is it to heat/cook the pie from the transfer of heat thru the stone? A "good" stone serves several purposes that make it ideal when baking especially baking things like Zas, yeast rolls, sourdough bread, etc. It draws moisture leaving that crisp crust. Also for us eggheads getting it as high in the dome as possible helps us achieve the awe-inspiring leopard spots. Can this be done on steel? Steel is not porous like a stone so a different result will occur. Ultimately do what ever works for you. For me the stone is it.

bweekes · August 2016

NPHuskerFL said:

Firstly those Zas look darn good. & now I'll play Devils advocate...why use a stone in the first place? Is it to heat/cook the pie from the transfer of heat thru the stone? A "good" stone serves several purposes that make it ideal when baking especially baking things like Zas, yeast rolls, sourdough bread, etc. It draws moisture leaving that crisp crust. Also for us eggheads getting it as high in the dome as possible helps us achieve the awe-inspiring leopard spots. Can this be done on steel? Steel is not porous like a stone so a different result will occur. Ultimately do what ever works for you. For me the stone is it.

Gothca. I'm not advocating for anything (stone or no stone), just saying that I tried something and it worked well for me. I'm no pizza expert, so my previous cooks while using the stone were likely flawed in other respects (i.e., temp, quality of dough, placement in the dome, etc, etc).

NPHuskerFL · August 2016

@bweekes I can tell ya that long before I made my own dough and Zas. Long before the BGE I had cooked frozen pizza in the gasser or oven and it was always directly on the grid with indirect heat. Sometimes I would have it on a screen but, still on the grid. Many ways to skin a cat. Wasn't trying to knock it by any means. Like I said they look good. More importantly you said it was your best crust. I can't say I blame you for sticking with what works for you.

JMCXL · September 2016

Gave the no stone thing a try tonight. I did have a stone in my Woo but not the AR. My wife, son and I all agree this method makes a better pizza (crust) - in our opinion. Will say - you need to watch it, seems to cook fast. The crust was great. I also used my AR and had the pizza high in the dome (first time cooking high in the dome).

I love cooking pizza, tried Goat cheese on mine since I can't have dairy. Not bad.

I'm done with my pizza stone!

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