Next experiment: Pizza

shades28

I apologize in advance if there is a similar discussion on the board, I am a new egghead (Christmas gift to myself) and would like to make some pizza for my next adventure with the BGE. I have a LBGE & a plate setter. What size stone do you guys recommend? Any places for purchasing the stone? Feet up or down with the plate setter? Temperature suggestions? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks a lot

Skiddymarker

Check some of the other links here, use the search engine, lots of info. Basically, you want the stone at or above the felt line, where the dome and base join. If you have a large BGE, the stone should be about 15" maximum. When you raise it you want at least 1" for air to circulate. 

Legs up is preferred by many as legs down tends to be harder on gaskets if you cook at high temps, but then some do not use gaskets at all. 

I like setter legs down with stone on top of setter if we are doing multiple pies temp of 550+, if we are doing only one or two, setter legs up, SS grid on setter, stone on grid or raised 1" or so, temp of 500-550. Let stone warm for at least 15 minutes before a cook. 

Do not put too much topping on your pies, the crust will tend to cook before the top.  Good Luck, and welcome to the forum.  

Griffin

I don't think highly of too many of the BGE Eggcessories, but I would recommend you get their pizza stone. Much thicker than many others out there and won't crack under the heat you'll put it through. Some brands are only good up to 500F (i think because thats as high as most ovens get) and can shatter at higher temps.

I go legs down, 3 green feet (or whatever you are using as spacers) and then the pizza stone. But as @Skiddymarker said, I don't have a gasket anymore.

caliking

Just a question for my own clarification: Does it matter if you use the ceramic feet if the platesetter is legs up, with the stone and grid on top? Wouldn't there be adeqaute air circulating under the stone already? I don't have the ceramic feet since they make the table nest now.

 

Thanks.

Skiddymarker said:

Check some of the other links here, use the search engine, lots of info. Basically, you want the stone at or above the felt line, where the dome and base join. If you have a large BGE, the stone should be about 15" maximum. When you raise it you want at least 1" for air to circulate. 

Legs up is preferred by many as legs down tends to be harder on gaskets if you cook at high temps, but then some do not use gaskets at all. 

I like setter legs down with stone on top of setter if we are doing multiple pies temp of 550+, if we are doing only one or two, setter legs up, SS grid on setter, stone on grid or raised 1" or so, temp of 500-550. Let stone warm for at least 15 minutes before a cook. 

Do not put too much topping on your pies, the crust will tend to cook before the top.  Good Luck, and welcome to the forum.  

Mighty_Quinn

cali...I'd use the feet (or something) in your question just to raise the stone higher into dome.

CeramicChef

I have a pizza stone I bought at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Thing works great! I have that stone placed on a pie pan placed on my setter placed feet down. The pie pan raises my pie a little higher in the dome and thus evens out temps really well, i.e. no hot spots at all. Larned this trick from a buddy of mine who introduced me to BGE. Try it, it really works! Enjoy!

caliking

Mighty_Quinn said:

cali...I'd use the feet (or something) in your question just to raise the stone higher into dome.

Ok, got it - not just air flow but height in the dome matters too. Makes sense.

HogHeaven

I don't bother with a pizza stone. My setup is plate setter in legs up, my regular 18" grid in regular place and then I put my GX grill extender on top of the regular grid. It raises the cooking level up 2 1/2". Then... I just use a regular pizza pan with little bitty hole in the bottom. Works like a charm! I cook at 500 to 600 degrees dome temp for 7 to 8 minutes and don't burn the bottom of the crust ever. I do precook any meat that might not be done when the crust is. Veggies and thin cuts of meat don't need to be precooked but sausage does.

newby84

if you don't have anything to raise the grid is it not recommended to try and cook a pizza?

HogHeaven

Newby... Most of us that have cook lots of pizza have just learned by trial and error that getting your pizza above the regular grid height works better. The BGE GX grill extender, that costs $25, will do that for you. That same grill extender can also be used down at the top of your fire box for searing your steaks and other meats.