Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Hello, Pizza Hut?

2»

Comments

  • Carolina Q…
    It sounds like you are looking for a sauce more than toppings and / or crust. Am I reading that right?
    If so, here is what I do for a “red” sauce for pizza. This makes enough sauce for at least two Lg. pies and will keep in the fridge for a bit, if need be.
    I start with a small can of tomato paste in the bowl and add about 2 T. EVOO mixing it in. I then thin this mixture to the consistence I want with a full bodied red wine. No matter what other herb I may top the pie with….I always use a base of oregano, basil, garlic (crushed or even powder), salt and fresh ground pepper (I have a mix of white, red, black and green pepper corns in a mill that I use most often) mixed right into the sauce. Other blends of herbs I have used will also include marjoram, rosemary, thyme and savory. The amounts of seasoning mostly are determined by nose and taste and some experimenting will get you to the taste you are looking for!
    Cheeses will also make for varying tastes on a pie. Don’t be afraid to stray from and / or add to the mozzarella. Again some experimenting is in order and blends can be a lot of fun. Try Provolone, Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, Feta….The list goes on!
    Keep plugging away. The journey is the adventure and the reward ;) !
  • While researching ideas for my Wood Fired Brick Oven I ran across this from Fogazzo. They make wood fired pizza ovens.

    http://www.fogazzo.com/html/pizza_dough.html

    My thoughts were that perhaps a wood fired oven recipe would be more appropriate for the Egg.

    I haven't tried any of these pizza dough recipes yet (mostly because I haven't built my Wood Fired Brick Oven) but they all sound good.

    Your post has re-kindled my desire to make fantastic pizzas so I guess it's time to try these recipes on the Egg.

    They also have pizza recipes. Lots of ideas here:

    http://www.fogazzo.com/html/pizza_recipes.html

    Good luck and thanks for the discussions your post generated.

    Spring "Coop Test Kitchen Manager In Training" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
  • emilluca
    emilluca Posts: 673
    DETOX yourself from order out.
    I marvel on how bad order out pizza taste now that I make my own. I control what goes on so as to not [pig out] on unhealthy toppings.
    Keep at it and make your own dough it is easy. Find a local grain ill and buy what is grown around you there will be a differance then the Betty Crocker flour.
    Unbleached King Arthur is not bad also.
    E
  • HungryMan
    HungryMan Posts: 3,470
    Are you saying your pizza sucks and pizza hut is good? I think you may be mixed up. Yours may be good and you don't know it.
  • If you really, really care about this pizza thing, get a copy of Peter Reinhart's "American Pie"....he's an author, former monk, and baking instructor at Johnson & Wales who traveled the country checking out pizza styles, artisanal pizzerie, and now owns a pizza place in Charlotte. Spend a few hours with Reinhart & you'll figure out what sort of pizza you like, and then he'll show you how to get there. (He even includes a crust recipe for American-chain-style, bready crust, if that's what you crave.)

    For a while, I was stuck on pizza napoleatana vera, the tender, thin-crust, Italian style, which works great on the Egg. But I've been experimenting with NY style crusts, made with very high-gluten flour, for a change of pace. The two styles require different sauces & a different hand with toppings to bring out their respective ideal states...the napoleatana needs an extremely hot temp (preheating the stone up to 45 mins-an hour), a light hand with toppings, and needs to be eaten immediately. On the other hand, 500-650 is perfect for the NY style crust, as it contains oil & browns a bit more evenly. The high-gluten crusts are sturdier, reheat beautifully, and make a lovely, puffed-edge crust.

    My next experiments will involve cooking the pizza on heated cast iron, rather than on terracotta (pizza stone). Some big ol' deck pizza ovens have cast-iron hearths, so I figure it's worth a try.

    My bete noire is pizza bianca & rossa a la romana....sigh. If I could turn out a good Roman-style pizza bianca, I'd feel like an accomplished cook.
  • Oh CQ, I'm sorry to hear your pizzas aren't turning out well, but it sounds like you're unwilling to give up on them, so keep at it.

    I like the idea of buying two pizzas and cooking one in the oven and one on the egg. As surprising as it sounds, walmart makes a decent take 'n bake pizza.

    You must be sure that your fire is burning clean. I like to light the fire, bring it up to about 300 degrees and let most of the stink burn off, then bring it up to screaming hot and make sure it's ABSOLUTELY stink-free before cooking. This also means that your plate setter must be clean. I make a lot of pizzas, so when I cook low 'n slows, I've taken to wrapping the plate setter in foil and using a drip pan to make sure it stays clean. I had one pizza cook right after a messy low 'n slow, that resulted in a really nasty pizza. Also, if you've just smoked something with wood chunks, and are using leftover lump, the wood smoke can make your pizza taste off. Even fat dripping onto the coals from previous cooks can contribute to a bad pizza, so you've got to get it burning clean first.

    Also, don't open the lid after you put the pie in. Look down through the top vent to see if your pizza is done. If you open the lid too much, your crust will burn before your cheese and toppings are cooked.

    Finally, and PLEASE don't take this the wrong way...maybe you just like bad pizza? We all have our guilty pleasures. I know that there's much better food out there, but I still love Arby's roast beef sandwiches and Wendy's spicy chicken sandwiches. It's a failing, but that's how it is. Some people never get past their childhood loves, and maybe you just like takeout pizza the best. Most takeout/delivery places over-salt their sauce, maybe that's it? Or maybe you like a pan pizza with a thicker crust. Try getting a pizza pan with the 1-2" high rim, or cook a small pizza in a cake pan and see what you think. Pizza hut crust is pretty greasy, so you could try coating the pan, and then the crust in olive oil before you add the sauce and cheese. Put the dough in the pan and then let it rise. Go easy with the cheese and toppings or you'll have a soggy crust (alternately, for a thick crust pie, you can pre-bake the crust a bit, and then add the sauce and toppings and finish baking.

    In the end, eat what makes you happy. There's nothing wrong with liking Pizza Hut. On the other hand, come move out to Chicago, and I'll show you what REAL pizza tastes like. ;-)
  • EggieG
    EggieG Posts: 81
    All great ideas..

    I'm attempting my first pizza tonight. Canned dough and sauce but can't wait to try it.
  • Kitarkus
    Kitarkus Posts: 181
    I started pizzas on the egg over a year ago..and have never had a bad one....here is the easy approach:

    1) any dough will do...I use Americas Test Kitchen Recipe....which is very typical flour, yeast, water, and a little sugar.

    2) LET IT RISE in a 200 degree preheated oven...turn off...then let it rise according to what yeast you are using (rapid rise or the slow stuff). I use rapid...let rise for 45 minutes or so.

    3)Pre heat the egg...I do 500-550 degrees....place setter in place...and the grid atop...then pizza stone DIRECTLY on the grid. LET IT GET TO 500-550...THEN WAIT A FULL 30 MINUTES WITH THE STONE INSIDE....THAT STONE SHOULD BE PRE HEATED FOR A FULL 30 MINUTES.

    4) Roll out your dough...don't use a rolling pin except for at the beginning. Mess with the dough as little as possible....adding flour to the surface to prevent sticking is fine.

    5) I pre cook my veggies just a bit in a skillet...onions, mushrooms, peppers etc...anythint that is tough I try to pre soften.

    6) Add sauce....garlic....oregano...then toppings. Don't build up a huge pile of toppings....start easy.

    7) I use a "super peel"...look it up online..it is magic and works flawlessly once you figure out how to use it. The peel picks up the whole pizza pie in one stroke...then delivers it onto the egg stone in one stroke. Check it at approx. 10 minutes...and don't just look at the top....lift the pizza to see how the bottom crust is doing as well.

    I can't imagine where you are going wrong....and hope these suggestions help. This should be one of the easier items to cook. The super peel negates any reason to use corn meal etc.....I have never stuck to the stone even slightly. Let the pizza cool for a couple minutes...especially if you used a lot of veggies. I partially cook some of the veggies both to soften them and to get some of the moisture out so I don't have a swampy pizza. These are delicious pizzas....very pretty.

    here is a photo from a pizza i did a year or so ago on my old medium egg....this is pretty typical looking for my pizzas i s'pose. Any questions just ask!

    PS...I find the 600+ degrees to be just too high to get both toppings and crust cooked...but that is just my experience with my home made dough. I go NO higher than 600 degrees...and PREHEAT!!!
    IMG_2201.jpg
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    pizza hutt? atleast go to unos, heres unos crust, even better egged. i use a paella pan for the deep dish pan.

    Deep-Dish Pizza
    Prepare the topping while the dough is rising so it will be ready at the same time the dough is ready. Baking the pizza in a deep-dish pan on a hot pizza stone or quarry tiles will help produce a crisp, well-browned bottom crust. Otherwise, a heavy rimless cookie sheet (do not use an insulated cookie sheet) will work almost as well. If you've only got a rimmed cookie sheet, turn it upside down and bake the pizza on the flat rimless side. The amount of oil used to grease the pan may seem excessive, but in addition to preventing sticking, the oil helps the crust brown nicely.

    Makes one 14-inch pizza, serving 4 to 6 1 medium baking potato (about 9 ounces), peeled and quartered
    1 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
    3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    1 cup water (warm, 105 to 115 degrees)
    6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for oiling bowl
    1 3/4 teaspoons table salt

    1 recipe topping (see related recipes)



    1. Bring 1 quart water and potato to boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and cool until potato can be handled comfortably; press through fine disk on potato ricer or grate through large holes on box grater. Measure 1 1/3 cups lightly packed potato; discard remaining potato.

    2. Adjust one oven rack to highest position, other rack to lowest position; heat oven to 200 degrees. Once temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

    3. In bowl of standing mixer or in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, mix or pulse yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup warm water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 cup water, 3 cups flour, salt, and potato. If using mixer, fit with paddle attachment and mix on low speed until dough comes together. Switch to dough hook attachment and increase speed to medium; continue kneading until dough comes together and is slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. If using food processor, process until dough comes together in a ball, about 40 seconds. Dough should be slightly sticky. Transfer dough to lightly oiled medium bowl, turn to coat with oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in warm oven until dough is soft and spongy and doubled in size, 30 to 35 minutes.

    4. Oil bottom of 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan with remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Remove dough from oven; turn onto clean, dry work surface and pat into 12-inch round. Transfer round to pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest until dough no longer resists shaping, about 10 minutes.

    5. Line low oven rack with unglazed baking tiles or place pizza stone or rimless cookie sheet on rack (do not use insulated cookie sheet; see note above) and heat oven to 425 degrees. Uncover dough and pull up into edges and up sides of pan to form 1-inch-high lip. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free spot until double in size, about 30 minutes. Uncover dough and prick generously with fork. Bake on preheated tiles, stone, or cookie sheet until dry and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add desired toppings; bake on tiles, stone, or cookie sheet until cheese melts, 10 to 15 minutes. Move pizza to top rack and bake until cheese is spotty golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool 5 minutes, then, holding pizza pan at angle with one hand, use wide spatula to slide pizza from pan to cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Could you tell what brand of tomatos that those were? I couldn't quite understand him. They looked great!!!
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    These, I think...

    ssmtlrg.jpg

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Well, it would appear that I have a great deal more experimenting to do! I want to thank all of you for your suggestions, recipes and video links. Wow! Lots of stuff out there! Hopefully, I'll work it out before too many more bad pizzas.

    Then again, I had to laugh when I saw the reply that said, maybe I just LIKE bad pizzas and don't know a good one when I taste it. :) As the expression goes... I may not know much about art, but I know what I like. :lol:

    Anyway, my thanks to one and all!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • when you say your pizzas suck, can you be a bit more specific?-too smoky? bad sauce, too cheesy? not cheesy enough? Lack of flavor? tastes funny? etc.

    I enjoy making Pizzas on the Egg. They are good enough to keep cooking but they are not the best I've ever had.

    My wife does not like pizza off the Egg. Sometimes I have detected a flavor that is similar to the smell that you get when you open a new bag of lump. I think she gets that all the time.
  • Hmmmmm......I've never seen these, but there is both a Fresh Market and Whole Foods here. If anyone has a good substitute I'd like to know about it. I'm really trying to broaden the other half's horizons on the Egg.

    A couple of years ago I had a shrimp and scallop pizza at a place in Jacksonville that was just out of this world. I'm going to try that pretty soon!!!
  • I'm a new egger, and was underwhelmed with my first 3 pizza cooks. The preheating of the stone was my issue. once i climbed that hurdle all of my pizzas since have been great!
  • icemncmth
    icemncmth Posts: 1,165
    One of the biggest problems I run across when people call "their" pizza bland is they don't spice it up.

    For example. Fresh veggie's are bland. Nuke them with some olive oil, salt pepper and anything else you want. Fresh tomatoes I love to slice about 30 mins ahead of time and I sprinkle them with salt and pepper and set on paper towels to let some of the water drain out. This will also intensify the flavor. Same goes for meat. If I am using sausage I make sure that I precook it and spice it up.

    The best advice I can give someone is think of your pizza just like a big pot of stew. If you throw everything in the pot all at once and just turn the fire on you will get something that kind of looks like stew and is bland. If you take the time to brown the meat real good and cook the onions down some and salt and pepper everything you will end up with a great stew. It is all about layering flavor. Watch any chef and they will add seasonings all through out a cook.

    Now why don't most people do that when making a homemade pizza. Most just make a sauce that tastes good while they are cooking it but they don't think about the fact that you are using a small amount on the pizza. People also forget that the sauce can get lost when you add a bunch of toppings. Your local pizza place has it sauce really spiced up! If you take a spoon full and taste it you might be surprised at how strong of a taste it is.

    Most take out pizza joints do add some kind of flavor to their dough. It is usually powdered garlic and onion. Some will add white pepper. Some add flavored oil..

    So find out the "taste" that you like from you local pizza joint. Is it garlic or basil or oregano? Take some time and figure out what you like and don't like about local pizzas. One large pizza chain adds sugar and malt to their dough to give it a nice flavor and a golden color.

    Just give it a try. Step outside your box and make your sauce jump up and slap you in the face when you eat it!!!
  • I have only made two pizzas on the egg, but I have made others in ovens and I have found a trick to add a good flavor to the pie.

    Cover the top of the uncooked dough in olive oil that you have microwaved for a minute or two with two crushed garlic cloves (this is a quick way to infuse the garlic taste into the olive oil). This is a great way to make a pizza great, whether you are using tomato sauce, ranch, pesto or no sauce!
  • HungryMan
    HungryMan Posts: 3,470
    That was me. I was a little harsh. You said Pizza Hut, and I just don't think it gets worse than that. Even Hungry Howies is better than PH, and it's cheaper.
    Not one of my better pizzas, but if you e mail me, I will gladly talk to you over the phone and help ypu out.
    DSC_0191.jpg
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Great point!!!
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Just finished my latest pizza attempt. There is hope!!! This was sooo much better than the previous ones. Main differences were - I added more spices to the sauce, I brushed garlic infused olive oil on the dough before I added the sauce and I used several cheeses, not just mozz. Still needs some tweaking I think, but this one actually had FLAVOR!! Quite good actually! 500 for about 8 minutes.

    So... tonight's winners are...

    Icemncmth (add more spice to the components) and Egg to Differ (garlic infused olive oil brushed on the dough before the sauce. Those two suggestions plus using more than just mozz made a HUGE difference! I added onion and garlic powder, fresh oregano and dried basil plus s&p to the sauce. Also used asiago, romano and parm in addition to the previous mozz only.

    HungryMan, this one was even better than Pizza Hut!! :lol:

    Lots of good suggestions in this thread. I will continue to experiment, but tonight's pizza was really quite good!

    Thank you - to EVERYONE!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Now, THAT makes my day! The sweetest ending I could have hoped for. Congrats, Michael--it's gangbusters from now on!!!!

    If there was a teary emoticon I would put it right here. Since there isn't, I'll just slip my shades back on.

    Judy B)
    Judy in San Diego
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Good to find that sweet spot and experience. Great job!!
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Good to hear you're on the "Pizza Road"...And now, happy!
  • Are the terra cotta feet glazed? If not, where are you storing them?
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    If you mean the ones used as spacers under my pizza stone, no they are not glazed. Stored in the weather so far. But then, we haven't had much since I bought the egg.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • icemncmth
    icemncmth Posts: 1,165
    Glad you are getting the hang of it. You will find out that you can make better pizzas than you can buy.
  • Glad to hear the pizza was good! Another idea, instead of normal pizza sauce, is to use ranch (on top of the infused OO) and then add chicken, cheese, artichoke,or whatever else. That came out quite good and definitely better than any delivery pizza.

    Hopefully I will follow in your footsteps of success with the pork butt I am throwing on tonight for football watching tomorrow! First butt I will have done in the egg - wish me luck!