Disastrous First attempt at Pizza

drshort

Have had my egg since last October and it has been nothing short of fabulous. 

Have nailed or come very close to nailing everything I have done. In other words, everything to date has been fantastic.

Have successfully smoked brisket, pork butt, pork ribs, chicken, turkey, prime rib, london broil, & tri tip

Who knew that **** pizza was going to be my demise?

Went to the store and spent $35 on ingredients for 2 pizza. (I mention this only because next time I will just buy pizza and have it delivered.) 

First mistake was not having a good system set up for transferring pizza. We were also using a pizza stone that did not completely fit  the egg so pizza was hanging over.

I had corn meal on the pizza stone and that completely burned. 

Egg got up over 700 degrees and we put it on. 

Pizza completely burned in less then 5 minutes and was stuck. We couldn't get it off the pizza stone.. 

As we were waiting to get the next pizza on I went to lift up the egg and the gaskets had melted together and stuck together and came/peeled off. 

Lessons learned:

Probably not doing pizza again. If I do, I will buy new pizza stone with adequate pizza peel/shovel. Still don't know what I could have used to not make it stick?

Now I have to begin the warranty process on my gaskets. Does anyone have experience with this? Painless?

Wolfpack

The gasket is really not necessary but if you call or email they will send you a high temp gasket without too much a headache. Don't give up on pizza- this is really one of our favorite things to make/eat off the egg

Hoov

Couple things:

1.) Pizza at 700 takes about 2-3 minutes, so I can see why yours burned. I usually cook at 600-700 and rotate the pizza at 1 minute and cook for another minute or two based on how the bottom looks at the 1 minute mark.

2.) adding a bit of flour to whatever you launch with (peel for example) will help keep it from sticking to the peel, and heat on the stone will keep it from sticking to the stone. Maybe the stone wasn't hot enough, how long did you preheat the stone? I usually preheat at 600-700 for 30 minutes or so.

Good luck and don't give up!

tarponfisher

I have done well with pizza. I cook it at 425 indirect for about 20 minutes. I put corn meal on the peel and build the pizza right on the peel. It slides fairly easily onto and off of the stone. I have seen videos of high heat cooks and it looks a little too volatile for me. 

Cookinbob

I make great pizza on my egg. I go raised indirect at 500.    Takes about 10 minutes.

I always use parchment paper. Easy transfer to the stone and never sticks. I quit messing with corn meal years ago - it is not needed with parchment.  Keep your pizza to the size of your stone - Most stones are more than 12".  Try it again!

DMW

Lots of good info here. I would offer more...but can't right now, maybe tomorrow.

mcgyver210

We did our first Pizzas also tonight so I am by far not one to be giving advice but don't give up. 

I have a post I started with pics. Both came out good but the 1st was cooked a little too long. The 2nd came out close to perfect. 

1. We heated the egg up first with nothing to 600 degrees.

2. Added the PS legs down & our very thick Pizza Stone on top of the PS.

3. Let the egg & stones stabilize back to 550 degrees.

4. Used a metal peel with corn meal to slide pizza onto stone 

5. As I said we waited too long to pull first one. so we pulled the 2nd one faster.

Now we plan on doing a Deep Dish one next.

Sorry your s didn't go well but don't give up its only food just try again with new approach. I'm very new to all this (just purchased for July 4th weekend) & fully expected both pizzas to be a disaster. Feel like we have been very lucky so far with all our cooks turning out good so far.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Your dough has everything to do with the temp and time. Some dough cooks best at 500 in 12 minutes and some cook best at 700 for 3 minutes. A 500 degree dough does not cook in 3 minutes at 700. It burns on the bottom and is mushy on the top. Now, all BGE gaskets burn at 700 ).

NPHuskerFL

No pics? Then $hi+ hell fire it didn't even really happen ;-). You know the rules....no pics & it didn't happen. Without rules we'd be nothing more than monkeys up in the trees flinging our poo at each other.
)

Judy Mayberry

There are several ways to beat the crumpled-dough-that-stuck-to-the-peel.

Parchment paper as @Cookinbob describes above always works.

Using semolina on the peel instead of cornmeal or flour to sprinkle under the dough--it acts like little ball bearings and the dough slides.

Pizza screens are great because the pizza never really moves onto the stone and is removed intact. Love them. Google it if you don't know what they are.

A specialized peel called Super Peel slides the pizza onto the stone perfectly.

AD18

I do mine at 450-500 dome for about 20 minutes.  I use (and like) premade pizza dough from local grocer.  That is the temp it says to run at.  Cooler temps also gives you some leaway on when it's done versus burning.  I also like parchement paper as it easily slides on off the peel on to stone.  After about 10 minutes pull the parchement out on to stone.  I always preheat the stone 30 minutes or so at stabelized temp.  I'd try again with the excellent advise in this thread, you'll be glad you did:)

TexanOfTheNorth

Sorry you had such a bad experience.

But, I have to ask, did all $35 worth of ingredients go into just two pizzas? If so, you might want to find a less expensive store.

Hotch

A little forum research and asking a few questions ahead of a new cook has help me with a lot.

Carolina Q

Sorry you had trouble, but thanks for the laugh.

$35? Really?

Pizza too large for stone? If the pie is hanging over the edge, this cannot have a happy ending. Make smaller pies.

Cornmeal doesn't go on the stone. It goes on the PEEL. To allow the pie to slide off easily. Onto a hot naked stone. I am not a fan of parchment paper. AT ALL. But maybe it would be a good choice for you. No cornmeal needed.

Different dough recipes, different temps. Higher hydration doughs can take higher temps. I do pies at anywhere from 475 to 725F, depending on the dough recipe. Generic dough from the grocery or pizza joint is best at about 500F.

Gasket melted? Welcome to the club. Get a Rutland.

I stopped doing pizza on the egg some time ago as I find them just as good in my oven. And easier. All of the above still applies though, except the gasket.

mcgyver210

Carolina Q said:

.

I stopped doing pizza on the egg some time ago as I find them just as good in my oven. And easier. All of the above still applies though, except the gasket.

@Carolina Q That's like eating a packed lunch on your boat instead of docking at marina restaurant to eat.

It's for the fun & experience )

Charcoal_Addict

Replace the cornmeal with Semolina. Most of the New York Pizza houses use Semolina since it does not burn as easily as cornmeal and performs much better.

mrdnks

I think we all have similar story's. Dont give up and learn from your mistakes. When you get it right it is all worth it.

I use a combination of all the above posts, plate setter legs down with the proper stone on top of that with a gap in between ( I use the egg feet).

I cut parchment in a circle the size of the stone and build my pizza on that, perfect size every time.

Put pizza in well heated 600 degree egg, remove parchment if you want after a few minutes.

Don't get in a hurry, if the dough is not firm enough it will not slide off nicely. I just slide the peel between the pizza and parchment then grab the parchment with some tongs.

I also replaced the gasket with rutland (bottom only) several years ago. 

Keep at it, half the fun is learning.

micheggin

parchment paper is a must.

platesetter legs down with a bge stone on that.

let the egg get to 500-600 degrees steady.

pizza's will go fast and should be perfect crust.

thin crust is our favorite.

walmart "great deals" brand crust works great and cheap, makes about 4 - 12" thin crust pizza's.

Carolina Q

mcgyver210 said:

Carolina Q said:

.

I stopped doing pizza on the egg some time ago as I find them just as good in my oven. And easier. All of the above still applies though, except the gasket.

@Carolina Q That's like eating a packed lunch on your boat instead of docking at marina restaurant to eat.

It's for the fun & experience )

What boat? In any case, it would depend on what kind of lunch I packed, hmm?

Fun? Cooking is not fun for everyone. For me, it's just another chore. And I've already had the egged pizza experience. Many times.

Mr Holloway

That's no ordinary oven though, you got another 250 degrees on us

)

Carolina Q

Mr Holloway said:

That's no ordinary oven though, you got another 250 degrees on us

)

True, but many of my pies are done at 500ish. Gonna be bummed when that old clunker dies though. Will have to go back to the egg for 750F Napoletana pies when that happens. :(

mcgyver210

Carolina Q said:

. I stopped doing pizza on the egg some time ago as I find them just as good in my oven. And easier. All of the above still applies though, except the gasket.

@Carolina Q That's like eating a packed lunch on your boat instead of docking at marina restaurant to eat. It's for the fun & experience )

What boat? In any case, it would depend on what kind of lunch I packed, hmm? Fun? Cooking is not fun for everyone. For me, it's just another chore. And I've already had the egged pizza experience. Many times.

Sorry that was just an example: I have a boat at the Marina & I still jump in boat to drive to restaurant just for the experience )

Oh well to each is own but I definitely understand the difference since it took longer to just get the egg up to temp than to cook the pizza in a oven.

Shiff

I almost gave up on Pizza also, but kept at it and now it comes out great.

I cook mine between 550 and 600 degrees.  I build the pizza on a wooden peel using semolina. I use the wood peel since the pizza slides off much easier.  As others said, I have my plate setter legs down and the stone on top of that.

I use a metal peel to turn the pizza halfway through the cook and then to remove it from the stone.  The metal peel removes pizza much better than the wooden one.  While the pizza is cooking, we usually make the next pizza on the wooden peel.

The pizza cooks in about 5 minutes or less.

Make sure you allow the storn to reac the 500 degrees - it takes about a half hour.  If you put the pizza on before it comes up to temperature, you will have a mess.

I'm not sure how you spent $35 making 2 pizzas, but ours cost very little. My wife makes the dough.  We use a can of sauce and shredded cheese from the market.  It can't cost more than a couple of dollars per pizza (and probably less).

sltruxell

I have a template the size of my stone that use to roll out my dough made from an old pizza box. Also, I find that if you cook at 450 to 500 and let it cook for about 5 min and then put the toppings on it comes out better. I get fresh dough locally..we have alot of bread stores.

DMW

drshort

Thanks for all the feedback. 

Yes, I should have taken pics but I was too upset at the time and the kids were crying because "daddy burnt their dinner."

I will wait to get my new gaskets and go back to doing some meat which seems to be my comfort zone but I think I'll try pizza again at some point. I had a small bit of stuff I scooped off the burnt pie and the smoky taste was good at least.

Seems like everyone is up in arms over the $35. LOL

For the record: 

Some decent marinara for one of the pizzas $5

A white garlic Parmesan sauce for the other $5

Basil $3

Red pepper flakes $2

Mozzarella cheese $8

Sausage $5 

Pepperoni $3

Tomato $1

Garlic .50

chive $1

dough 2 for $3

I dont think I was crazy here? Just wanted to make a nice pie!

Anyways - thanks for all your feedback. It really is nice to have folks to commiserate with.

THEBuckeye

Carolina Q said:

Sorry you had trouble, but thanks for the laugh. $35? Really? Pizza too large for stone? If the pie is hanging over the edge, this cannot have a happy ending. Make smaller pies. Cornmeal doesn't go on the stone. It goes on the PEEL. To allow the pie to slide off easily. Onto a hot naked stone. I am not a fan of parchment paper. AT ALL. But maybe it would be a good choice for you. No cornmeal needed. Different dough recipes, different temps. Higher hydration doughs can take higher temps. I do pies at anywhere from 475 to 725F, depending on the dough recipe. Generic dough from the grocery or pizza joint is best at about 500F. Gasket melted? Welcome to the club. Get a Rutland. I stopped doing pizza on the egg some time ago as I find them just as good in my oven. And easier. All of the above still applies though, except the gasket.

++++++++

I made a $350 pizza on the egg that we never got to eat. $35 is nothing.

I had the first pie on the egg. Went back in the kitchen when my wife yelled "Where's the 2nd pizza dough??!!" I had push it back on the counter in a pizza box - our Golden is a counter surfer and thought we had learned. He pulled the box off the counter, ate a 12 dough ball. 

Long story short, dog poisoned control call ($), trip to the vet the next day ($$$) and not even leftovers. 

Bottom line, my make your own pizza on the BGE ROI is completely underwater. Nonetheless, I made fresh sauce today for pizza tomorrow night! 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I love my super peel too. it will pick up a dime off my countertop. works great with sticky dough. You can transfer any type of dough on and off your egg or oven effortlessly. Really depends on the type of dough you use but ours is really tacky and this thing works like a champ.

http://www.amazon.com/EXO-Super-Pizza-Solid-White/dp/B001T6OVPO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405285138&sr=8-2&keywords=pizza+peel+exo

fusionhq

Don't give up. There are a lot of good tips here. Try again soon and be amazed!

llrickman

Don't even mess around with a warranty gasket contact RRP get yourself a Rutland for $11 and don't worry about it

tarponfisher

Ok, I'm still new to cooking on the BGE as well.  I keep hearing people talk about using the plate setter either legs up or legs down for different situations. For pizza, I've been going legs up. Is there an advantage to one or the other?