Pizza - Finally got it perfect!

Jeffro · January 2009

I've had my "large" for almost a year and have been experimenting with different pizza recipes -- crust thickness, sauce, cooking temp / time, preheat / don't preheat pizza stone, etc, etc.

Finally found what I think is the perfect combination.

Egg setup: Platesetter legs down, 3 green "feet" on platesetter, stone placed on feet, temp 500°.

We like thin crust and in order to not overcook the crust, the stone was only in the egg for about 5 minutes prior to adding the pizza.

We are still using store-bought crusts but my wife has stated making the sauce from scratch which is a vast improvement over prepared sauces.

This is our version of a "garbage" pizza -- pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, smoked maple bacon, lots of mushrooms, red & green peppers, onions topped with Provel cheese. Total cooking time was 15 minutes. My wife and daughter gave it 2 thumbs up!!

PWise · January 2009

That's a great looking pizza, you should try it with homemade crust and let us know how it works out, a basic recipe is

1 cup warm water
1 packet instant-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2.5-3.5 cups plain flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let activate for 5-10 minutos, add 2.5 cups flour and all other ingredietns and start kneading with floured hands (if you have stand mixer use dough hook no faster than speed 2) until of uniform consistence and too sticky to handle and begin adding up to one more cup of flour until dough does not stick a lot more.

Pour one additional tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until volume has doubled (about an hour). take out onto working surface and punch down hard (this will take out the air generated by the yeast reaction) until you are able to roll out to desired thickness.

I know it sounds complicated but it's actually pretty easy.

Good luck and let us know if you do it and how it turns out.

cheers,

B & C · January 2009

Welcome, love your handle. Had your egg for a year and only 3 posts, please post more. Your pizza looks wonderful and I really appreciate your detailed description of the methods you have tried comparing that to the results you were seeking. Where are you located? Have you been to any eggfest yet or have you thought about going?

Baby j · January 2009

Man, that looks good. Nothing like making you own. We do pizzas on the egg alot. We make the dough in a bread machine early that morning and let it sit til about 5 at night. Makes a great crust. You do have to poke it with a fork to keep it from bubbling.

jason
baby j

Jeffro · January 2009

I know -- guilty as charged. It has been a very busy year -- both of my parents passed away late in '07 and I have been playing executor. Now that things are getting somewhat back to normal, I promise to post more often.

I don't think a I've gone more than 3 days without egging something. I've probably done 100# of butts, 3 or 4 briskets, countless slabs of baby backs, 100's of ABT's, crab-stuffed Portabello's, dozens of fatties, stuffed chicken breasts, stuffed pork tenderloins not to mention numerous batches of chicken parts and burgers.

This past Saturday, I finally got around to getting a CI dutch oven.
I broke it in by making a batch of chili on the Egg. Fried my ground beef and Italian sausage (a first time ingredient for chili), added my tomato sauce, red & green peppers, onions and beans and simmered (with the lid off) for about 2 hours at 200° dome.

It has to be the best chili I've ever had. (Sorry no pics for this cook).

Lake Conroe Egger · January 2009

Dumb question, but when you put something like italian sausage on a pizza do you cook it first?

Todt · January 2009

That looks great. Well done.

AZRP · January 2009

Most people cook it first but I prefer putting it on raw. It adds a lot more flavor and doesn't over cook the sausage. -RP

Jeffro · January 2009

Yeah, I cooked the Italian sausage and bacon in the CI dutch oven on Sunday. The extra seasoning from the smoke really added something to the taste.

For my next pie, I am also going to cook the veggies a little to extract some of the bitterness.

After every cook, usually while sitting at the supper table, I analyze and critique the food. My wife and daughter both roll their eyes saying that it is just fine the way it is.

I tell them that egging is journey -- getting there is better than half of the fun. If everything I cooked was "perfect" it wouldn't be a challenge anymore.

egged back · January 2009

When you say store bought crust, is it the one allready premade or the stuff in the biscut tin? Were getting ready to try a pizza and wanted to start out with easy. thanks

Jeffro · January 2009

They're pre-made. I forget which brand she gets, but there are 2 crusts in the bag for about $3.

Our next step will be homemade dough.

Marc from IL · January 2009

Very nice pizza

jeggmister · January 2009

Nice looking, after 6 months of changes I have found your set-up with the BGE feet works the best. The varation I have found that gives the crust a better flavor is to completly preheat the stone, use parchment paper, then slide paper out to finish (crisp to your liking)

Lab Rat · January 2009

Nice looking pie, Jeff.

Where did you find an egg around Pocahontas? I work north of Greenville and have been through your town many times on my way to St. Louis.

Happy Egging!

Jeffro · January 2009

I bought my Egg from Highland Pool & Spa. They have stores in Highland, Edwardsville & O'Fallon, IL.

Several years ago, I bought a pool table from them and noticed that they carried BGE.

Pizza - Finally got it perfect!

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