Pizza Help ASAFP...thanks

Hamm

I'm am heading out the store now to get some pizza toppings and just-ad-water dough. Yeah, I know that is sort of cheating, but I'm in a time crunch. My question is this, how hot for how long. I have the plate setter, which I just got and have never used, and I have my pizza stone, which again I have never used. Please help me not feel stupid in front of the wife. I'll be back to my house in 20 minutes...come on Eggers, look out for one of your own.

The Naked Whiz

Hamm,
Here's my pizza page link. For a first time pizza, not knowing exactly what dough you are using, I'd follow the instructions on the package for temperature. Preheat your pizza stone and plate setter for 30 minutes or so at the temp that the instructions say to bake. Then slip the pie in and keep an eye on it. It seems that people who cook down in the 400's take 15 minutes, while people who cook up in the 600's take 4-6 minutes. Put your stone in while the cooker is still relatively cool. Don't put it into a hot cooker or you might crack it.[p]TNW
[ul][li]Pizza Hints and Tips[/ul]

BGE Pit Crew

Hamm,[p]I like to get the egg to 500-550 with plate setter. Put pizza on stone and place on plate setter. Egg for appx. 12-15 min. Check with tooth pick. Enjoy!

The Naked Whiz

Hamm,
The post by BGE Pit Crew prompts another comment from me. (Oh boy!) He said 12-15 minutes at 500-550. When I cook pizzas that I buy unbaked from the local pizza joint, I cook them at 550 for 6-7 minutes. 12-15 minutes would produce throughly burned, utterly useless pies for me. You really need to experiment as variables such as the type of dough, the amount of preheating you do, the day of the week, your mother's maiden name, all seem to affect what works for different people. So, above all, keep an eye on your first pies as you learn what works for you.[p]TNW

TRex

<p />Hamm,[p]Like the Whiz said, there are so many variables and everyone seems to have their own cooking temp and time. I found these pizza screens (above) that really make it a lot harder to burn your crust. The last pizza I did was at a dome of about 500 on a preheated pizza stone for roughly 10 minutes. Although I've done some at 600 degree dome for shorter amounts of time. I usually peek in through the chimney to see how the toppings are doing, and if I have to go past the 8-minute mark, I might do a quick check to make sure my crust isn't burning. [p]For some more notes on how I've done pizzas, click on the link below. Incidentally, you can get these pizza screens from your local Papa John's - they gave me two of them for free b/c they knew me (it pays to have friends in pizza joints I guess).[p]Good luck,[p]TRex
[ul][li]Pizza[/ul]

Hamm

The Naked Whiz,
I got the lump getting up to speed. So you all say let the stone and setter sit at around 450(dough instructions) for abuot 30 minutes before putting the pie on?[p]

Hamm

The Naked Whiz,
I got the lump getting up to speed. So you all say let the stone and setter sit at around 450(dough instructions) for abuot 30 minutes before putting the pie on?[p]

GrillMeister

<p />Hamm,[p]You might try a Boboli crust and some fresh ingredients. Get the egg up to 500 with the place setter and stone in place for a while and the Boboli crust browns & crisps quite nicely. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes.[p]Cheers,[p]Ed

Hamm

TRex,
Thanks for all the tips, the pizza was perfect. Next time I will upgrade the ingrediants, but for the first time, it was awesome. Wifey liked it too. I would upload a pic but have no idea how. Any help with that would be great as well.

The Naked Whiz

Hamm,
That's my opinion. I'd rather have a stable stone temperature than have to worry about it being too hot or too cold based on how long it's been heating, etc. You want a hot stone because it makes for crispier crust and gives the dough additional push, so I prefer to have the stone at the cooking temperature.[p]TNW