First attempt at simple pizza

Unknown · June 2001

I just tried my first pizza last night and it worked out pretty well. I thought this might help someone who doesn't want to make their own pizza dough/sauce/etc.[p]I bought 3 DiGiorno small cheese pizzas and added my own toppings. I let them sit out for about an hour before I cooked. I put two metal loaf pans on the grill, and the pizza stone on top of the loaf pans, brought the BGE up to 500 degrees. I also took Spin's recommendation and opened the bottom vent all the way, regulating the temperature with the top vent. [p]The first pizza went 10 minutes and was great, but the dough was not quite done in the center and the toppings weren't quite hot enough.[p]The second pizza went 12 minutes and was great, but the bottom of the crust was just about on the upper limits of crispyness. The dough was cooked and the toppings fine.[p]The third pizza is still in the fridge because we got full.[p]I suspect as the stone heats up more and more, it will get too hot. I have a plate setter on order and will experiment with that. (I've read the comments about more ceramic underneath the stone keeping the stone from getting too hot.) Ultimately, I'd like to have a pizza party and just keeping making pizza after pizza, made to order, so I need to find out what temperature/setup will finally stabilize at the right stone temperature for the crust and cooking temperature for the toppings.[p]I suspect that 450 degrees and a longer cook time would be better, so I'll make the sacrifice for you guys and keep experimenting. [p]Whiz

Tim M · June 2001

<p />Whiz,[p]I agree with your analysis. My experience with the setter and BGE stone combo is that it all keeps getting hotter as time goes on. The ceramic barrier will eventually equalize at something near the dome temp, if allowed to go long enough. The trick is to do a few pies before the comb gets too hot and the crust will cook too quickly. You are going to get into a condition where the stone is too hot - you could have two stones and by removing the hot one and allowing it to cool may allow you to use 2 stones and get a lot of pies. [p]You will see that adding the stone to the setter and allowing a 5-10 min preheat will give you 3 pies easily before it gets too hot. I never tried a 4th (mine are 10-12").[p]Tim

Trout Bum · June 2001

Whiz,
Did a variation of Spin's pizza about a week ago. Used Spin's sauce and egging directions exactly. Bought a fresh ball of pizza dough from local store and rolled & formed it myself, a little less work than making to dough. Cooked it pizza stone on to of plate sitter, put stone in egg about 10 mins. before cook. It was great!
B D

Palisin · June 2001

Tim M,
Just ordered a plate setter. How long do you cook the pies?

Brant · June 2001

Tim M,[p]I also agree. In fact, once after about an hour running around 500 - 550, I stupidly tried to pick up my pizza stone with only an oven mitt. Luckily, the immediate smell of melting/burning synthetic fibers made me pull my hand away before the three-inch diameter hole finished forming in the mitt and bare flesh touch the stone. Scratch one oven mitt.[p]Brant

Palisin · June 2001

Brant,
I suggest a leather set of grillin gloves. I grab my iron skilet with em @ 700 degrees!

Spin · June 2001

Whiz,[p]Most people miss the idea of how to create a hearth oven environment for baking as they tend to cook only one or two pies and never learn the benefits of truly allowing the Egg (and stones) to completely heat to temperature.[p]Use two pizza stones set directly on top of each other with someting to space the surface of the top pizza stone to just above the opening lip of your Egg. The plate setter/pizza stone combination works well. Heat to 550°F and wait until you have trouble holding the temperature down to 550°F. Insert the first pie and wait 6 minutes. Remove and insert the next pie. Wait six minutes, etc. You can do this for as long as you have lump left or pies to cook.[p]I have cooked 12 pies in a row at Eggtoberfest, 14 pies in a row at Eggfest, and as many as 17 in a row at home using this method. Pie diameter has no effect on cooking time.[p]The secret is to preheat everything to cooking temp first.[p]Spin

Unknown · June 2001

Spin,[p]Perhaps your pizza crust is thinner. In general, you can't cook bread faster by raising the heat. You burn the outside and the inside is raw. I was using DiGiorno which is a relatively thick crust. Raising the temperature to 550 and letting the stone get to this temperature would burn the crust before it cooked all the way through. [p]I'll report my results on a lower temperature with the DiGiorno crust when my wife lets me make more pizza... [p]Whiz

Spin · June 2001

Whiz,[p]I cook both thick and thin crust pizza using the same temperatures. All of the pizza joints in my area use 550+°F for both thick and thin crust pies. My results using lower cooking temperatures tended to result in cracker like crust from drying while waiting for the toppings to cook.[p]I have tried cooking multiple pies over one pizza stone and have found that the stone does slowly overheat. I have not seen this using two stacked pizza stones.[p]I will admit I have no experience with cooking a frozen pie. Dough temperature on insertion will make a big difference on cooking time and the end result. Best of luck with your experimentation and I look forward to reading of the adventure.[p]Spin[p]

Zip · June 2001

Spin,[p]Actually 550º is what we consider to be a starting point in the restaurant. If we are using frozen toppings the top temperature could be as high as 590º - 600º in a conveyor impingement oven. I agree that using two pizza stones stacked will provide consistent results for multiple pizzas and letting them equalize is very important. [p]One thing to keep in mind is not to get carried away with cheese because it acts as a insulator. This is why extra cheese and extra toppings are such a challenge at times for a pizza joint. It also helps to make the toppings thinner in the very center of the pie so that it will cook evenly from edge to center.[p]Ashley

Unknown · June 2001

Spin,[p]Actually, I have to confess that I may have had a brain check on my first experiment. I guess those pizzas were frozen, not refrigerated. I had intended to use a thawed, refrigerated pizza, but I guess it was more frozen than I thought. This weekend I'm going to use two pizzas that have been thawing in the refrigerator. I definitely think a frozen pizza needs a lower temperature since the heat has to penetrate the center. But a thawed pizza should work more like your recipe. Oh, the combinations.... What's a man to do? Anyway, my goal is a foolproof recipe for lazy people like me who just want a great pizza with a little smoke and a lot of fun![p]Whiz

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First attempt at simple pizza

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