2nd Attempt @ Pizza turned out perfect. . .

Hog Euker · January 2001

My first attempt at pizza didn't burn but I came close to burnig the crust. My second attempt last night turned out perfect. Here's how I did my pizza. I brought my dome temp to 400 then I put on my grill or bottom rack. Next I put on my extension rack then my pizza stone lightly dusted with corn meal . On top of my pizza stone I put my pizza on in a pizza pan and closed the lid with no daisy wheel and bottom damper wide open. The dome temp dropped to 300 and I used that as my target temp maintaing by adjusting bottom damper. I first checked pizza in 15 minutes and the doe was still white. I closed lid for another 5 minutes. I checked it again paying particular attention to the bottom of the crust and noticed the bottom was beginning to brown just a bit. I tasted a top corner piece of the doe and it still tasted doey (sp) I closed the lid, then put on my daisy wheel and closed it down along with the bottom damper completely shutting my egg down. I let pizza cook in this dwell type mode for 5 more minutes and It turned out absolutely perfect. I know some use two stones, I thought maybe you might like to hear a success story using only one pizza stone. I sprayed my 14" pan with Olive Oil Pam. The doe I used was Pilsbury in a can pizza doe and I left a couple of inches on either side but went almost to edge from top to bottom forming a square shaped Pizza w/ a semi thin crust. I used the tomatoe sauce recipe found in the three step pizza under recipes. I then put a combination of shredded parmesan and shredded whole milk mozzarella again using the portions found in three step pizza recipe,. Next I placed one pack of Hormel brand pepperonis, then more parmesan and mozzarella. I topped with some bacon that I fried to just under crisp. What my family didn't finish I took to church and and had people telling me I needed to open a Pizzeria. Thanks to everyone for the advise and help.

Char-Woody · January 2001

Hog Euker, success comes in many variations of the cook. Yours is one of em.
You can use a sliding time vs temperature scale with pizza to some degree. Your best pizza in the future will be done in a shorter time, at a higher temperature. Most are done around 500F in the commercial ovens. Pans on the stone are fine. Directly on the stone is IMHO better. There is a interaction between the stone and the dough that is beneficial. Keep trying and it only gets better.
Each cook take notes..and refer to them the next cook make your changes and again take notes. [p]C~W[p]

BBbrew · January 2001

Char-Woody,[p]I knew somebody would bring up commercial pizza ovens that cook at high temps (~500 degrees). That's what I have always heard and a have a couple of pizza cook books that state this. After burning a few pizzas on my Egg, observing a commercial pizza oven in action, and giving it a little more thought, I have come up with a few points that may help:[p]Commercial Pizza ovens do cook at high temps, but they are heated from the back with hot air, not from beneath the stone hearth.[p]If you go to one of them fancy Italian chain joints that are so popular in the suburbs these days, you will typically see "wood-fired" pizza on the menu. And of course, they locate the wood-fired pizza oven in plain view of the dinning area for high visual impact. A wood fire is located at the back of the oven and the pizzas are cooked on the brick floor in front of the fire (you can watch the pizza cooks rotating the pizzas so they dont burn on one side). [p]Anyway, it seems to me that high air temperatures are needed, but not necessarily a super hot pre-heated stone. Since the fire in a BGE is always beneath the stone, it is easy to get carried away when pre-heating and end up with burnt crust.[p]The problem is made worse by the instructions that come with pizza stones that you buy that stress that you must pre-heat the stone when cooking on it in an oven (that is what I had in mind when I burnt my pizzas on my egg). This may be a good idea in a conventional home oven, but not with the extreme temperatures that you can get in a BGE.[p]

Unknown · January 2001

BBbrew, I have been meaning to ask you, are you enjoying your BGE?
Is it what you expected or no?
Roger...

BBbrew · January 2001

Roger (MOP?),[p]I sure have been enjoying it. Last saturday the weather was nice so I cooked 7.5 pound whole brisket. It was done completely in only 8 hours (190 degrees throughout). I couldnt beleive it. I cooked it at 250 degrees and went through way less than a quarter of a bag of lump. When I put it on at 8 in the morning I told my kids that we wouldnt be eating it that night because they would be in bed (at least I hoped so) when I would be pulling it off at around 9 or 10 that night. Anyway, we were scarfing it down at 5 p.m. It must be like cooking in a dutch oven or something like that. It was probably one of the best briskets that I hsve ever cooked (and I have cooked, conservatively, well over 100 briskets). The process must be accelerated because it holds heat so well? (that's what i told my wife anyway).[p]Yesterday, I cooked a whole marinated chicken that I had cut up and a couple of dozen jerked wings. All came out really well.[p]I have re-thinking pizza lately. My first attempt burned, so I need to re-try it. I will probably cook some one night this week since it doesnt take that much time once the dough is ready.[p]How is your Egg treating you?

Unknown · January 2001

BBbrew, Well, I`m glad to see your enjoying your egg.....
Yes, I am as well......I have to get used to not "playing" with the BBQ like I did before cause this egg does all the work by itself....
I still haven`t built up the courage to try the "BRITU" on the egg yet........It for me is my best meal I have ever prepared on my SNP and will be discouraged if the EGG falls short......
Everything I have tryed has come out good with the exception of a couple of Good Steaks but that was my fault.....
My next two big attemps are going to be JERKY and then a Brisket.......
After reading your post about your brisket just kicks me a little harder to tackle it......
Anyhooo......Take care......
Roger..aka"mop"

Spin · January 2001

BBbrew,[p]You make some very good points. My cousin is a fire insurance adjustor and arson investigator for the southern half of New Jersey (20+ years). He informs me that pizzas are universally done using temps from 525-575°F oven temp.[p]Duplicating the single purpose design advantages inherent to a pizza oven is a challenge on the Egg. Pizza ovens cook using thick, well heated brick walls that hold and quickly restore the heat on a door opening. The heat is very even on all sides at all times. Impingement cookers even have the ability to alter the amount radiant heat (top and/or bottom) as the cook progresses. All can cook pizzas one after the other with very predictable results.[p]My goal has always been to duplicate this environment as close as possible using the Egg, including the ability to do multiple cooks with no adjustments to timing, etc. The Egg can achieve this goal with justice.[p]First, proper access the the pie must be provided for. Insertion and removal of the pie must be convienent for easy access. You don't want to drop the pie onto the stone, nor do you want to dig in the Egg attempting to retrieve your prize. The top of the pizza stone must be raised to just above the opening lid level of the Egg. Whatever method used to accomplish this is achieves the goal.[p]The dome area needs to be hot and stay hot to do the toppings cook properly. This necessitates a 550°F dome temp and a very well preheated Egg. Regulating the cooking temp using only the top vent (bottom wide open) allows the hot air to best collect in the dome area. A dome opening (much larger than a pizza oven - venting the air in the dome) requires the top vent to be completely open to quickly regain the lost cooking temp after the dome is closed. The shorter the time the dome is open, and narrower the opening, the better for quickly regaining the dome heat.[p]The dome area requirements dictate a hot fire, and thus we need to address insulating the dough from the direct heat of the fire needed to to achieve the dome requirements. Since adding anything cool to the Egg environment will place a burden on the fire and will need to heat up (dropping the dome temp for this heatup time), everything must be heated with the Egg. Although my recipe and instructions posted on the BGE recipe page use a single pizza stone, I now use two stacked pizza stones for cooking pizza. The lower stone heats above cooking temp as it sees the direct heat of the fire. The second pizza stone setting on the lower one doesn't see the heat of the fire. It heats from the dome area. Thus, a pizza oven environment is created.[p]A thick stone will not create this condition as it will gradually pass the heat of the fire to its top surface as it heats up. With stacked pizza stones, the heat passed through the bottom stone can only radiate to the top stone as they are not in intimate contact (air space is an insulator).[p]The main adjustment that needs to made to the cook is simply the timing of the cook. Overcooking is very common with the main worries about the dough. Pizza is a thin meal that only needs the dough cooked along with the toppings being finished. The higher the heat, the faster the cook. The toppings need the cook, and the dough can survive the shorter cook.[p]I made 13 pizzas in a row at Eggtoberfest'99 (I believe KennyG did number 14), and about the same amount at EggFest2000, and all were timed for a six minute cook. The diameter of the pie makes no difference to the cooking time.[p]I have no problem at all, and intend no offense, to those that have come to establish their own personal method to create their pizza. I say good for you. I only attempt to describe the comparison of our Eggs to a pizza oven and my adjustments to create the environment.[p]Sorry for the long post,
Spin[p]

Char-Woody · January 2001

BBbrew,
As per Spin, you make good points...! Spins definitions are much more elaborate than mine, but here goes.
Your correct, commercial ovens offer a whole different atmosphere, and unlike a true brick oven. MaryB who used to post here finds, and I agree, that the BGE is close to the brick oven, but will never really duplicate it. MaryB was/is an artist in bread making. Dr. Chicken is no slouch here either!
I think there is a character in both in the cook as a brick oven will never exactly duplicate the ceramic cooker and visa versa.
So what to do....learn to use the cooker that you have for the top results. [p]I found that to make my pizza, and to get a uniform cook on both the crust and the ingredients was a balance in heat control to the pizza stone, as well as the correct amount of heat in the dome area of the BGE. For me, 400 to 500F maximum was the key area. The time for the cook would be different of course in the temperature variations, thus my sliding temperature scale suggestion.[p]I use only 2 or three firebricks on edge to make a raised platform to support either a grill/stone combination. This puts the stone at easy entry level as Spin suggests, and also puts the ingredient into the higher plane of cook.[p]I preheat my 3/4" BGE ceramic stone. And I have tried a cold stone with the pizza already on it. And I agree, the heat to the stone is directly underneath from the hot coals.[p]By controlling those red hot coals to avoid high fire flame up is IMO important in my style of cooking pizza. I use the solid top cap to control the temperatures. Once the guage goes over 500, I cap it off leaving the bottom vent wide open. The temperature will fall to around 400F..I remove it, and allow it to return to 500. [p]Alternating back and forth and in the interim, I watch my pizza from the top thru the dome vent. Very carefully of course or you will get a burned nose. Or worse.[p]For me, using a peel and hot stone is the better arrangement, albiet, more difficult in the manuvering pizza/peel to stone. It takes some practice. A learning curve not accomplished overnight.[p]Keeping your sauce and ingredients to a acceptable amount is also important in getting a crispy crunch crust and tasty cooked toppings. Again a learning curve. I tend to think more is better but on pizza, I find not really the case unless your doing a pan pizza. I use a ceramic dish for the deep dish pizza. Use it right on the stone. And you can use it independently just on the grill at the dome edge level.
The only multiple pizza cooks I have done is with my experimental red clay plant pot dish's..They worked great, just left a heck'of'a bad aftertaste to the dough.[p]Here your pizza dough is also important...Spin has a very good one. His sauce is excellent, (I've been the beneficiary of a sample, thanks Spin and Sue)[p]I hope this post isn't considered an contrarian post to any of the others..not meant to be...just my small adobe hacienda opinion. I'm no Guru...:-)
Cheers..C~W[p][p][p]

Unknown · January 2001

Char-Woody,[p]Thanks. A very small light bulb is beginning to slowly illuminate the inside of my head. Everything that you (and Spin) are saying makes sense to me now. I really wasnt thinking when I cooked (burned) my first couple of pies. [p]Anyway,it's about 2 p.m. and a have a fresh batch of dough on it's second rise. Looks like pizza tonite! [p]I will let you how it turns out.[p]Thanks again[p]BBbrew

Char-Woody · January 2001

BBrew, Spin is one of the greatest. I just run around in his shadow..:-)
You will find that right combo, but it might take a few lost pizzas to do it. Hang in there as the end result demands more and more. I think I will make some dough tonight and follow suit tomorrow..Chowser!!
BTW...I neglected to mention..Pizza cooks in any shape..so if you have a square firebrick combo put together, heck, make a square pizza..! I might try that for grins and grunts tomorrow..let ya know.
C~W[p]

2nd Attempt @ Pizza turned out perfect. . .

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