cooking pizza's

Unknown

Dear Friends'
I have a Large Green Egg. I also have a plate setter and a pizza stone. When cooking a pizza for best results can I turn the plate setter upside down and cook on the flat surface or should I place the pizza stone on top of the upside down plate setter and cook on top of it. This will be my first attempt at pizza so any advice will be appreciated. Many thanks. Nuttbush.

RRP

Nuttbush,
Plate sitter first with the legs pointed down and then your stone on top of that. The whole idea of the plate sitter ( besides giving it ceramic mass to provide uniform heat) is to "lift it slightly above the top of the lip of the BGE to ease in the ingress and egress of the pizza on a pizza peel (paddle). Good luck, pizza's a winner on the BGE!

Spin

Nuttbush,[p]The setup in your Egg is excellent as RRP describes. Add the setter and pizza stone once the fire is lit and allow everything to well heat with the Egg to cooking temperature. Control the temperature using only the top vent (bottom vent wide open for the whole cook). Your Egg is ready to cook pizza when you have to aggressively limit the airflow to regulate the cooking temp. Open the vent wide after insertion of the pie to quickly regain cooking temperature.[p]If you are using frozen pizzas for the cook, add a wire rack on top of the pizza stone and cook the pie on the rack. Use the manufacturers directions on cooking time. Add 25°F to the Egg cooking temp above the manufacturers oven directions.[p]I am a long time pure homemade pizza fan that just loves what the Egg can do for pizza. I very recently started experimenting with the commercially available pies. I haven't tried your idea of the setter configuration. I do think it will work well and would appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the cook with me. Thanks.[p]Spin

Trout Bum

RRP,
I've been doing pizza with the plate sitter, only I put the legs up and the stone on top. What's the reason for the legs being down?
B D

Trout Bum

Spin,
I do pizza with a plate sitter with the legs up and the stone on top. Usually cook at 550*. I put the stone in about 10 mins. before the pie and the topings and crust are both done correctly at the same time. However, the second pie goes in on the hot stone from the first cook and the crust allways comes out overdone. I usually control the temp. with both the top & bottom vents. Any suggestions on making two like pies would be appreciated.
Thanks Spin, your the forums Mr. Pizza.
B D[p]

Puj

Big Daddy,[p]When we bake pizza we usually will do up to six pies with no deterioration in pie crust, toppings or quality of pie. I use the plate setter - pizza stone setup, preheating for up to 30 minutes before the first pie goes on the egg. We bake the pies between 550°F - 610°F. Most pies bake within 7 to 9 minutes.[p]Please let me know if I can be of further help.[p]
Puj

Puj

Big Daddy,[p]Here's a link to a picture of the plate setter and pizza stone setup.[p]Puj

[ul][li]Plate Setter and Pizza Stone[/ul]

Spin

Big Daddy,[p]Homemade or dough bought from a pizza parlor can take the direct heat of the stone. Commercial frozen pies don't survive the direct contact with the stone nearly as well. I haven't tried the commercial dough mixes.[p]I have had good success cooking multiple frozen pies by adding a wire rack (round steamer rack from a wok) on top of the pizza stone and cooking the pies on it. Well preheat the pizza stone before starting the cook. Add about 25°F to the manufacturers cooking temperature and cook for the manufacturers recommended time. Adjust temps and times from this point for your own tastes.[p]I do recommend that you try cooking pizza (or any hearth baking) by controlling the fire using the top vent only. Open it wide to quickly regain cooking temp on a dome opening.[p]Spin[p]
Spin