Pizza questions

Birdman

I got a medium, uncooked, fresh pizza from my local pizzeria that I want to cook on my large BGE.
Having not cooked pizza on the Egg, I had some questions--
1. Can I put the pizza directly on my plate setter, or do I need a pizza stone on top of the plate setter to prevent the dough from burning;
2. My pizza stone is 16 inches in diameter, which is seems a little larger than the BGE pizza stone. Given that the grate diameter of the large BGE is 18 1/4", will my pizza stone block off too much air flow, or should it still work OK?
3. What is the recommended time & temperature for pizza?
4. Any other suggestions?
TIA.

Trout Bum

Birdman,
You should use both the plate sitter with the legs down and the pizza stone on top. Ceramic mass is the key.
I don't know about the diameter of the stone. I think it would probably be OK. Just keep the pizza dough within the diameter of the plate sitter.
Cook it at about 550 degrees. It will probably take 8 - 10 minutes. Check the bottom of the crust for a nice golden brown.
B D

Shelby

Birdman,
Hopefully some others will add to this as I can't say for certain on store bought pizza's.
When I do pizza, I use the plate setter and large pizza stone. Don't worry so much about blocking/covering the whole grill but be aware the edges, if exposed to direct heat by extending over the edge of the stone/setter may burn. First time I did a pizza with just the setter, I burned my crust. But I had a problem in future cooks with that dough I was using. I've since changed and look forward to every pizza!
As for time/temps...you'll probably want to put the setter and/or stone combination in the Egg and let heat for about 20 mins at 500 degrees. Cook time should be in the 10-12 minute range.
Hope that helps.

Puj

Birdman,[p]Don't know if this is too late but here is my response:[p]1 - Yes you can as long as you can set the stone at the right height. However I prefer to bake pizza and bread with a thickness of the ceramic mass being greater than 1". This thickness provides, my mind, a more realistic hearth environment. The pizza stone on top of the plate setter will measure a thickness in the neighborhood of 1¼". That's a good thing.[p]2 - The 16" stone will actually improve the baking of the pizza as long as the stone's top is sitting relatively at the same level of where the Egg's base and dome come together. The extra diameter will protect the edges of the pizza from burning due to flame/flareups. (Assuming that the diameter of the pizza is not 16")[p]Note: Last Decemeber I started using 3 16" kiln shelves totaling 2" in thickness for my hearth in the Egg for both pizza and breads. It's an expensive setup but the results have been worth it to me.[p]3 - Assuming a traditional thin crust pizza with toppings, bake the pizza at 575°F to 630°F for 6 to 9 minutes. No harm is done by turning and repositioning the pizza during the bake. I do it all of the time.[p]Puj

Gloria

Birdman,
I am kinda chiming in a bit late, but I sure would appreciate a good recipe for pizza dough. The topping I have no problem with but I can't seem to get a dough that will stretch properly without getting great big holes in it.

jwitheld

Gloria,
pizza dough is bread, if it tears you are pulling it too much or too fast. Try rolling pin or for a little flair toss it![/b]

Shelby

Gloria,
Did a pizza for lunch. I've noticed I've got a similiar problem with poking a hole in the dough when I'm working it. So, I've decided to do as suggested and just use a rolling pin until I get better at it. Might look cooler tossing the dough by hand but I don't think folks will complain about the rolling pin.
As for a recipe...I use the one that came with the bread dough machine and I let the machine make the dough. Near flawless results!

Janet

Gloria,
You might try letting the dough rest a bit while you're stretching it. I'll pat mine out a bit, let it rest for a few minutes, then I find that it is much more elastic and easy to pat out without tearing. [p]Janet

Gloria

Gloria,
Hey, thanks for all the info......I can't believe I never thought about using my bread machine. It has been sitting on the shelf in the pantry unused for a couple of years and I just never think about it anymore. Sure will now. And, letting the dough rest just makes good sense. Also will try the rolling pin thing as opposed to just stretching the heck out of the dough. You guys are GREAT!