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Pizza Crust Question

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Unknown
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edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
When using a pizza stone on top of a plate setter I can't seem to get my store-bought pizza crust browned and crusty. The toppings will cook in 15 or so minutes, but the crust is still soft. How long (and at what temp) does it take for all that ceramic (the plate setter and stone) to get hot enough to brown a crust? I'm beginning to believe I'll have to let the egg heat for an hour to get the plate setter and stone hot enough. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
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  • Wahooegger
    Wahooegger Posts: 95
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    Chuck/Tx,
    I'm sure folks who are more expert than me will chime in on this but I had been having the same issue until recently. What you suggest, preheating for an hour, is what solved it for me. I laid a couple of bricks flat on top of the plate setter, and then put the pizza stone on top of the bricks. I wanted to get the pizza a little higher in the dome. I then let the Egg preheat for almost an hour. I actually lost control of it temporarily while I was assembling the pizzas and came out to find the termomemeter had maxed out, probably somewhere over 650. I closed things down for about ten minutes, which brought the temp. down to between 500 and 550, wiped the stone down with a damp rag and started cooking pizzas. They each took around 12 minutes and turned out better than any I've ever done. The crust browned beautifully and was crispy - using the raw pizza dough that my local supermarket sells. Sorry for the longwinded response.
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    pizzabaked-med.jpg
    <p />Chuck/Tx,
    I use unbaked pies from a local pizza joint that makes good pizza. I use the pizza stone on top of the plate setter, and I preheat the whole thing for 30 minutes at 550 degrees. The pies cook in 7 minutes and the crust is
    beautiful. If you add more mass like firebricks, then it would probably take longer to heat up, but I have been very pleased with this arrangement.[p]TNW
    [ul][li]Pizza Hints and Tips[/ul]
    The Naked Whiz
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  • Chef Arnoldi
    Chef Arnoldi Posts: 974
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    the pizza stone / platesetter should be at oven temp before baking on it, otherwise the air temp will bake the outside & the portion in contact with the stone is only warm and also sweat moisture between the dough & stone - making the dough soft & unbaked.

    i bake my pizzas at 450F for 30 min, but only after the BGE temp has stabilized
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  • Essex County
    Essex County Posts: 991
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    Wahooegger,
    I tended to have the opposite problem. My crusts would burn on the bottom before the toppings were done. I had a pizza stone directly on the plate setter. Stike suggested that my problem was that this was almost like cooking direct for a pizza. He suggested I build an airspace between the platesetter and the stone. I did this and my results were much improved. But now I want to try this "higher in the dome" setup. Sounds great.[p]Paul (Hokieegger)

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  • Wahooegger
    Wahooegger Posts: 95
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    Essex county,
    November 25th is the big day. Haven't figured out the menu yet. I'd say turkey but it's so soon after Thanksgiving I'm not sure that would fly. Go Hoos!
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  • J Straus
    J Straus Posts: 54
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    Not sure how your setup is, but I use a platesetter with the feet up, the grid on the feet, and the stone on the grid (stone a bit small to fit on inverted setter). Need the air circulation to get up to temp. Before I had a plate setter, I just but the stone on the grid at the grid level, and that works fine too, but it's a little harder to work the pizzas at the lower height. I normally drip some water on the stone to see if it vaporizes pretty quick and then you know you are up to temp. I usually go wide open top and bottom until up to temp and then leave top off and control with the bottom. The pizza stone and setter regulate airflow pretty well on their own.

    Justin
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Chuck/Tx,[p]If you are not already, I would suggest you allow the pizzas to thaw prior to putting on your stone. Makes sense that a frozen or very cold pizza will cool the stone and ultimately take longer to brown on the bottom. At room temp, 5-7 minutes at 550 should about do it.[p]Gas
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    This is a follow-up to everyone above. I am using pre-cooked hurb-seasoned crusts from a local grocery store that are pretty good -- if I could get them browned/crunchy on bottom. They are at room temperature when I put them in the egg, not frozen at that point. Maybe I haven't let the cooker heat for long enough -- that's a good possibility. Next time, I may try using the pizza stone only, on top of a raised grid and leave the plate setter out. Sooner or later I guess I'll finally get good results, but I hope I won't have to let the egg heat for an hour before I can start cooking. Thanks for the suggestions.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    The Naked Whiz, are the plate setter legs up or down?

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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    Chuck/Tx,
    Down in my setup.[p]TNW
    The Naked Whiz
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  • EdF
    EdF Posts: 121
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    Anyone been bold enough to try really high temp pizza cooking, Naples style? Like 825 or so? Experiences?
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  • EdF
    EdF Posts: 121
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    Sorry, double post.
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  • An Egg Downunder
    An Egg Downunder Posts: 152
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    pizza1.jpg
    <p />Essex county,[p]A raised stone with an air space under works well for me.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    An Egg Downunder, looks mighty good. I could turn my plate setter legs up, put the grid on it, and place the stone on the grid -- would achieve about the same set-up. I'll try it, thank you my downunder friend.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Try cooking it directly on the grate at low temp. I've done frozen pizzas 300-350 for 30-35 mins or until cheese starts to brown around edge. Crust will be crispy and brown.
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