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First attempt at pizzas

mar52
mar52 Posts: 12
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I put a new gasket in my Big Green Egg after frying the last one. I used the Rutland on only the bottom, using Ultra Copper gasket maker as the adhesive.

This meant…. Time to do pizza!

Here are my dough ingredients. I used a recipe that used a food processor because I could not find the dough hook for my mixer:


pizza%201.jpg

Dough formed a ball:

pizza%202.jpg

Rolled out in to a circle. Stop laughing!

pizza%2003.jpg

Topped:

pizza%2004.jpg

pizza%205.jpg

My Egg:

pizza%206.jpg

On the 450º pizza stone. I couldn’t get the Egg to get any higher than that. My target was 600º. I started with the daisy wheel all the way open. When it hung at 400º I removed it completely. It never rose over 450º.

I heated it up with the plate setter and pizza stone in it. Could this have blocked the heat? Any other way to do it?

Could I have used too little lump?

pizza%2007.jpg

Done after 7 minutes.

pizza%208.jpg

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Not bad, but not wonderful. I used jarred Prego pizza sauce and it was too sour for me.

Comments

  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    Looks wonderful!

    I wonder if you had an airflow problem. Do you have one of them thingermagoos to poke up through the fire grate?

    I have been able to heat the pizza stone to 600-750 before cooking our pizza.

    How did the Rutland bottom only turn out? I replaced mine with nomex and made it through a pizza cook just fine..
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • Eggsakley
    Eggsakley Posts: 1,019
    Excellent effort. More lump cannot hurt in the pursuit of high temps,looks as though your is glowing nicely though. Wiggle rod the lump if it wont go above 450 wide open as air flow is quite probably an issue here. Loose the Prego and make some from scratch. Plenty of good recipies available. Nice lookin pie none the less. Enjoy the challenge of the perfect pie. I still haven't gotten near the results I am lookin for, but the results I have achieved put any store bought pie to shame. Just another reason to try again.
  • mar52
    mar52 Posts: 12
    The Rutland looks like it will last forever but it didn't get up to the temps I was looking for.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Mar, my pizzas are "round" like yours, too! :laugh:

    Do you have a docker? It's a rolling cylinder with pins on it, if you roll it across your dough before dressing the pizza it'll prevent the large bubbles your crust had.

    And you have a Corgi!!! LOVE that breed!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • dugdbug
    dugdbug Posts: 244
    it all looks great to me :) it's only the children that eat with the eyes
  • mar52
    mar52 Posts: 12
    Note to self.... I need a docker! Thanks.

    That's Molly, my black corgi. Daisy the red corgi is hiding inside.
  • BigBadger
    BigBadger Posts: 461
    I think your temp issue is one of two possible situations. It looks like you could use more lump in there, or your fire grate is plugged with small bits. I have had issues with both of those factors. Otherwise, your pizza looks terrific. Keep on trying!! They only get better from here on!
  • CaptDave
    CaptDave Posts: 54
    I agree, it's got to be air flow. That is the only thing that controls temp. It looks like you have plenty of lump. BTW, pizza looks good! We love the pizzas off the egg!
  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
    Is your Egg a Small? I think so from the picture. For years I've been asking for ways to get my Small above 500°, and what has helped the most is to load it up high with lump.

    The bottom vent on the Small is very small, which limits air circulation. I tried using a fan at the open vent and it drove the temperature up all right, but only as long as I held the fan to the opening. Too tiresome.

    If it isn't a Small, it looks like you have plenty of air space around your pizza. Try loading up the fire ring with more lump and you'll get a hotter fire. Personally I've never had plugged up holes in the grate, I think because I stir the ashes out of the leftover charcoal, remove the leftover lump and make sure there isn't a pile of ashes under the grate. Then I put fresh lump in and put the used charcoal pieces back on top.

    Pizzas often look like the state of Illinois or Florida! Round is just one option. Have you considered cooking them longer to get char on the crust? Higher heat will help.
    Judy in San Diego
  • Austin Egger
    Austin Egger Posts: 256
    Have you done a full clean out of ash recently? Whenever mine gets slugish to get to temperature, I take out the fire ring, firebox and grate and shop vac all of the ashes at the bottom. If you haven't done this in a while then all of that ash can really add up. You can get a lot of build up where the wiggle rod just can't reach. Obiously make sure that ALL of the holes are open and you should be good to go. B)
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Great looking pizzas.

    My suggestion would be to load it up all the way before any pizza cook. I couldn't get mine as high as I wanted on Friday and I think it was because I was low. No problem last night after topping it off.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • Buckethead
    Buckethead Posts: 285
    Other than the heat issue and sauce what did you like or dislike. Think about your favorite pizza and how do you recreate? From dough, sauce, toppings, cheese. What you get at the grocery store and what the pizza shop uses are two different products. Looks good for first attempt, but home made dough and Prego! Think "Field of Dreams" go the distance.
  • uglydog
    uglydog Posts: 256
    That pizza is as round as a home made pizza is supposed to by. You should call your pizzas "free form." I have been told, on good authority, that the dough should be formed by hand, not with a rolling pin, becuase you want the air bubbles in the edges of the crust. That's what makes it good pizza, in my book. For sauce my preference is to use San Marzano plum tomatoes, with a can of tomato paste added to the sauce, and the plum tomatoes squished by hand so they are no longer whole tomatoes. The San Marzano tomatoes are available from Cento, but a little hard to find around here. The can says "DOP Certified." Is that Italian for Department of Pizza?

    Uglydog
  • mar52
    mar52 Posts: 12
    Thank you, everyone for you helpful comments.

    I have a large and the only cleaning I did was to remove as much ash as I could using the rod that came with the egg. I did not try to remove ash or small bits from on top of the grate. I'll also add more lump next time.

    The crust was a bit crisp or dry, but I could have put too much flour in the recipe.

    I will try again, because no pizza is bad pizza!

    thanks!