Pizza Lab Testing Dough & Peel (long & pic heavy)

I don't know if it's bad form to post so many photos, but this is a lab report, after all. If you get worn out looking, let me know! (And I'm sure some smarty-pants out there will do just that! )

I planned an afternoon with a helper to practice new dough, getting and holding high temps in the Eggs, and using a new metal perforated peel. The 100% Caputo 00 dough had been chilling for three days, and I had crumbled pre-cooked Italian sausage, chopped onions, Kalamata olives, de-greased pepperoni slices, and very dry fresh mozzarella ready for topping.

I used both the Small and Large Eggs. The Small was set full up with lump all the way up to the top of the fire ring, plate setter legs up, raised grid nested inside the plate setter, 10" stone on the grid--nice and high in the dome. I used halved Weber fire starter cubes nestled in the lump in both Eggs.



The Large was standard lump to fire ring line, adjustable rig, 12" stone on the bottom level, extender on the AR, 14" stone on top. Because I heard the 00 flour takes higher temps, I had both Eggs at 600°. I had to watch for flashback with the Large; it was really roaring. The welder's glove was essential.



The dough was very easy to work with, but the center got thin VERY fast. I'll try 80/20 with 20% hi-gluten flour next time.

The new GI.METAL perforated peel was WONDERFUL! At first I thought it was nonstick because the dough round slid around so easily on a very light dusting of flour. But if we left it on too long while adding toppings, it did get sticky and we had to lift up edges and sprinkle more flour under it to get it sliding again.

Carolina Q suggested that instead of scooping up the dough round with the peel and THEN adding the toppings, we should top the dough first on the counter, and then scoop up the finished product onto the peel and take it straight to the Egg.

That's what's great about this peel (or perhaps any metal peel? don't know): Think of a snake's tongue darting out, that's how fast the peel scoots under the dough and snags it. There was no flour falling through the holes, no mess on the floor. The metal is rigid but has a springiness to it at the same time, and the 20" handle is great for leverage. I used the corner of it to nudge the pizzas around on the stones during cooking.

Cooking the pizza was just like in a wood-burning oven--we had to watch for hot spots and turn the pie now and then. The stones were perfectly heated after about 45-60 minutes and I used a laser gun to make sure they were at least 500° before putting on the pizzas. The dome thermometers were steady at 600° most of the time...the Small Egg started to go down a little after 1-1/2 hours or so.

Here are some pizzas we made:











It was interesting to see how much lump was left after the Eggs cooled down. The Large still had plenty of charcoal.



The Small started full up to the top with fuel and ended up way below the fire ring line. But YAAAAAAY...it DID get over 600° with all that lump, and I thought I would never live to see that day!!!!! Whoever gave me that tip, a million thanks!



So, Caputo 00 dough was good and gave wonderful bubbled and charred edges, and the perforated peel was a big success. Hey, the pizza tasted good, too. But I'm not hot on fresh mozzarella...imported Fontina is my #1 choice for cheese. Plain old firm supermarket mozzarella is #2.

Judy in 75° and windy San Diego