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Frustrating

mehsrea
mehsrea Posts: 27
in EggHead Forum
I consider myself a pretty good cook. But for the life of me I cannot make pizza on the egg. I have the stone. I've read about set up and temp. But my pizza is always burnt and/or sticks. Can a guru show me the way?
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Comments

  • xfire_ATX
    xfire_ATX Posts: 1,139
    take plenty of time to get egg stabalized at a min of 450.  Put stone in early to make sure its hot.

    I use parchment paper to slide onto stone and then after 5 min I'll pull it out.
    XLBGE, LBGE, Charbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Rectec RT-B380, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.

    Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
    Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting.  The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. 
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  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 10,131
    @mehsrea

    I hear you. I’m in exactly the same spot. Wish one of the greats would post a full tutorial, from dough to plating. 
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 18,144
    More than likely, it’s your dough recipe. Post what you are using, type of flour etc. 
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,585
    I don’t cook pizza on the egg much these days but when I did I had success getting the pizza stone elevated in the dome. I used CGS A/R to get the stone elevated. It could be your dough like mentioned above. 

    My setup would have been plate setter or spider/stone>A/R>pizza stone 3-4 inches above gasket level
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, Med BGE, BGE Chiminea, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

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  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 8,259
    @FarmingPhD seems to have it dialed in. Maybe he will chime in.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 12,246
    GrateEggspectations said:
    @mehsrea

    I hear you. I’m in exactly the same spot. Wish one of the greats would post a full tutorial, from dough to plating. 
    DoubleEgger said:
    More than likely, it’s your dough recipe. Post what you are using, type of flour etc. 
    I miss @Mikee
    canuckland
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  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 10,131
    Canugghead said:
    GrateEggspectations said:
    @mehsrea

    I hear you. I’m in exactly the same spot. Wish one of the greats would post a full tutorial, from dough to plating. 
    I hope this comment was not lost on you. 😉 
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 12,246
    Seriously, you have lots of good advice above. 
    Like @ColtsFan said, many of us cook pizza on dedicated portable propane pizza oven. @Stormbringer still makes pizza in Egg and has great success with it, you can search for his pizza cooks or perhaps he will chime in.
    canuckland
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 32,764
    If your crust is burning, it may be because you're using dough with some sugar in it, and you are cooking the pizza at too high a temp.

    It has been many years since I have cooked pizza on the BGE, but I think a temp of 500 to 550 max is about the sweet spot.  At that temp, pies should take around 8-10 min to cook.  You want to rotate them at least once during the cook, as the back of the BGE tends to be hotter than the front.  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • mehsrea
    mehsrea Posts: 27
    DoubleEgger said:
    More than likely, it’s your dough recipe. Post what you are using, type of flour etc. 
    Just KA 00, yeast, water, dash of salt.
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 32,764
    mehsrea said:
    DoubleEgger said:
    More than likely, it’s your dough recipe. Post what you are using, type of flour etc. 
    Just KA 00, yeast, water, dash of salt.
    What stone temp are you trying to make the pizza at, and how long is it typically on the Egg for you?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 947
    Sticking is usually solved with a good sprinkling of cornmeal on the stone.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 8,259
    I’m not above parchment paper. 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 32,764
    alaskanassasin said:
    I’m not above parchment paper. 
    Yep.  I used it all the time when I was making pizza on the BGE.  You just have to pull it off before it all catches fire…
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 16,287
    I've been 100% burned-out on pizza, for around 10 years now, and I can't find my (voluminous) notes, but I think I know where they are.
    I do remember, however, about a couple of things:
    - If the bottom of your pizza is burnt/sticks, I almost guarantee you didn't let your Egg come fully to temperature; let her run at least 45 minutes, after it reaches your full temperature, with the stone in place, whether it be 425, 550, 700, or 900.   Your pie will never stick if you do this.  It can't.  
    - Likewise, I don't think the bottom can burn, without the top burning also, if you properly preheat first; some minor adjustments may be required due to temp, dough recipe, or especially thickness of the total pie (they're like steaks or fish: the thinner, the higher heat required).  

    You didn't mention a peel-sticking problem, but got some advice on that.  Here's some more:
    -  If you're using a metal paddle, and have no sticking issues, just ignore me; you're already doing better than I ever did.  If you are getting sticking, yeah, parchment works, but it requires you to open the Egg mid-cook to pull out the paper, which releases a lot of heat (also requires another purchase).  Show me one NY pizzaria video where they use parchment, or more than two Ewetube videos that do.  It's fine when you're starting out, but so were training wheels.  
    -  If you're using a metal paddle, AND getting some sticking with the raw pie, buy yourself a second, wooden paddle.  Sounds extravagant, but it isn't.  Even when I was cooking for just me and what's-her-name, having two paddles was great; I'd build a pie on the wooden paddle, toss it into the Egg, and begin building the second pie on the wooden one, leaving the metal one to retrieve the cooked pie (they're great for that).  If you're cooking for a family or a crowd, you can easily see how the two-paddle solution works in your favor.  
    -  Note that all the NY pizzarias seem to use wooden paddles to add, turn, and remove the pies from their big ovens, FWIW; my metal paddle removed my pies much easier.  
    -  I've noted that some pizza EweTubers toss their first pie into the Egg/oven, then build their second pie on the countertop, and then use their single metal paddle to slide under their countertop pie, and get it to slide off into the oven, just fine.  They all have a butcherblock or marble countertop; mine's formica, and even if I could do that it'd scratch up the plastic eventually.  Do what's best for you.  
     
    Bla-bla-blah; Shut up, Botch!  Hope some of this helps.  
    ___________

    "When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set."

    - Lin Yutang


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  • Elijah
    Elijah Posts: 786
    Wood for the launch, metal for the rotation and pull. Depending on the amount think about how you'll add charcoal 
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  • FarmingPhD
    FarmingPhD Posts: 849
    I’ve switched to pizza’s in the oven only.  Temp control/prep is easier and I don’t have to heat cycle my egg to the high temps. 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,067
    Elijah said:
    Wood for the launch, metal for the rotation and pull. 
    I go one more step>>>Wood for the launch, metal for the rotation and pull and wood again for slicing surface. 
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