Pizza Stone How To?

Chris

I have read a few of the postings about cooking pizzas and am a little confused.
I have a Large BGE with Plate Setter and BGE Pizza Stone. Okay, I get the BGE with Plate Setter up to temp and then what is next. I do not have a clear understanding of how to use the Pizza Stone. Some of the postings seem to imply that you need to get the Pizza Stone heated-up also. Other postings talk about spraying the stone with water etc. to keep it cool. I thought the stone was to keep from burning the crust so why heat it up??

DavidR

Chris,[p]If you don't let the pizza stone come up to temp, the top part of the pizza will get cooked, and the bottom won't. If the crust is getting burned, then you are leaving the pizza on the stone too long. [p]You are just going to have to experiment with the first couple of pizzas to get the proper time down. It varies with the size of your egg, and the cooking temp. Start off with 500 degrees at 6 minutes. Then, look at the crust, and adjust it to your liking.[p]But, yes! Make sure the stone is heated, or you'll get a soggy crust.

Chris

DavidR,
Thanks.

Puj

Chris,[p]Ok, here are some general guidelines for a one or two pizza bake, one pizza at a time.[p]1) Put the plate setter and the stone in the Egg at the same time. I usually will put them in when the dome temp hits 250°F.
2) Allow the Egg and stone to heat up to a stabilized baking temp (dome). Shoot for 525°F or higher. You may want to stay at the lower range until you get a handle on pizza, then experiment with higher dome temps. I like to bake pizza between 610°F and 630°F.
3) At 525°F - 550°F the pizza should take between 8 and 12 minutes - depending on the thickness of the dough and its toppings.[p]Its the heat transfer through conduction from the stone that will be bake the dough. Heat transfer through convection and radiation will bake the toppings.[p]Give it a whirl. Pizza, your pizza, will be very addictive baked in the Egg.[p]Good luck,
Puj

Unknown

Chris, yes sir for the pizza on the BGE - very addictive stuff!!! In fact it's pizza Saturday for us and baby backs on Sunday - I almost hate looking foreward to both so much cauz it makes the weekend go by acting like a kid on Christmas eve. ^oo^~

Shelby

Chris,
I'll only echo what the other's have said. Let the pizza stone and plate setter come to temp together. Pizza is a challenge the first couple of times. But even after you "master" pizza, it can still turn around and bite you in the butt when you least expect it...as happened to me last weekend...but that's a different story/post.[p]You do have a pizza peel for sliding the pizza on and off the stone, right? And don't forget to put a little corn meal on the peel first![p]Shelby

Steve-O

Chris,
All of the aforesaid works. We just had another great pizza last night and have settled on a method that I have found to work well. First, make sure you have plenty of lump in your firebox. After lighting the fire, I let it rise to about 300* and before adding the plate setter. The temp will drop a bit after that. I then let the temp rise to around 450* and add the pizza stone and the daisy wheel with slider wide open. When the temp hits 550* I begin gradually closing the slide on the daisy wheel and may also adjust the slide on the bottom vent to hold the temp between 550* and 575*. Now it's time to add the pizza. The first one takes 10-12 minutes; subsequent ones go a little faster. I found that if the crust was made on a counter covered with flour and then flour added to the peel before putting the crust on the peel, then corn meal on the pizza stone, the finsihed pizza comes off the stone very easily. Good luck and have fun!!