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Which way for best Pizza Crust?

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I plan to cook a pizza today using a fairly thick pizza crust from the grocery store. My problem has been getting the crust brown and crisp. Therefore, I won't use a stone AND a plate setter, i.e. too much ceramic to get hot. Am wondering if it would work best to cook on the plate setter, or the stone on top of the grid. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that might be able to advise me.

Comments

  • GHEgger
    GHEgger Posts: 37
    I just did some pizza on Friday night with both the platesetter and the pizza stone. I was cooking at about 550-575 temp. At that level, I could sometimes see whisps of flame coming up around the platesetter/stone, so I had to watch the edges of the crust closely. Without the platesetter I think the crust edges would have burned. The crust came out brown and crispy.

    I think you should be OK with just the pizza stone, but watch out for any edges sticking out around the stone. I haven't tried it without the platesetter, but your logic seems fine.

    Let us know how it works!
  • Chuck/Tx,
    I use a stone on top of the plate setter with perfect results. First, I don't know what type of crust you have bought, but you should just make your own. Brushing olive oil around the edge will help it brown. Also, I cook at 500-600F for 10 minutes using a fairly thin crust roll-out. These are always crisp on the edges.

  • uncbbq
    uncbbq Posts: 165
    Chuck/Tx,
    I would look at it the other way re. the plate setter. If you heat up more ceramic mass, the crust will not cool down your stone as fast, and should get hotter quicker. I think you just have to give plate setter and stone a little while (probably 30 minutes) to come up to 550 or so. The dome thermometer bears little relationship to the temp of the stone at first.

  • uncbbq, what you say is convincing. I'll use the plate setter and the baking stone and give it a full 30 minutes or more to get hot. My problem may be that I haven't been giving it long enough to get hot.

  • uncbbq
    uncbbq Posts: 165
    Chuck/Tx,
    Cool. Let me know how it turns out. I have read on this forum where folks have cooked many (10 or 12) pizzas in a row with identical results after getting it totally heated up. I am constantly amazed at the heat capacity of ceramic.

  • Frozen Chosen, ok, you guys have convinced me to use both (plate setter and pizza stone). I've brushed olive oil on the edge of the crust and am waiting for about 45 minutes to be sure all that ceramic is hot. Wish me good luck. LOL

  • Darnoc
    Darnoc Posts: 2,661
    Chuck/Tx,
    The stone is what draws the moisture out of the dough to make a crisp crust.Try to pre heat your stone for at least 1/2 hour before cooking.

  • darnoc, I did and preheat it for 40 minutes and the crust was much better. Thanks.

  • uncbbq, it wasn't perfect, but it was better this time -- had a nice crunch on the bottom like I wanted. As I mentioned, I was using a crust I bought at the grocery store bakery, one that's too thick IMHO. I'll check with a pizza place before I cook another pizza to see if I can buy dough from them. Making improvement, but still have a way to go.