Burnt Bottom ?

Bear 007 · June 2011

Alright, I tried my first pizza tonight, the taste was good but the bottom was burned. My setup was the plate setter legs down with 1" spacers between the stone. My temperature was around 625. The dough recipe did have a small amount of sugar with one egg. Any ideas?

P.S. Ill need a new gasket too.

SheepDog · June 2011

First thought, did you dust the stone with corn meal just as you were laying the pizza on? Also I believe the sugar could be an issue with temps that high.

Bear 007 · June 2011

I had corn meal on the peel before it went on the stone

SheepDog · June 2011

Throw a little bit on the stone just before you slide the pie on too. But I'm thinkin the sugar is your biggest problem. Was the crust just as burnt at the top of that stone?

Note... I scrapped my stone clean before each pie and put on a fresh dusting of corn meal.

Bear 007 · June 2011

There was just a thin 1/16" at the bottom of the pizza,the rest of the pie really wasn't ready. I did build my fire up high, (Almost to the top of fire ring).

Bacchus · June 2011

I dont think lack of corn meal or cleanliness of the stone has anything to do with it. Sugar in the dough....maybe.

Little Chef · June 2011

Bear 007: Sugar was not the issue...I use up 2-3 tablespoons of sugar in my dough, which is enough to make 3 large pies. I do have to say though, I have never heard of a pizza dough with Egg! Was your dough very wet? I suspect the Eggy dough is the culprit to the burn. You should be able to form it, roll it, etc, without any dough sticking to anything (fingers, board, etc.) If the dough is the proper texture, there is absolutely nothing needed on the pizza stone, either. Did you happen to watch Bubba Tims pizza video from last night? It's kinda tacky, as it was our first attempt, but there's still some tips you can pick up, especially handling the dough, etc.
We do our pies at 500-550* stone temp (about 575* dome). We also opt for legs UP with the platesetter, grid, then stone, and have been super pleased with our results.
Take a peek at our tacky vid...lol. Tacky, yes, but helpful as well, IMO.

Try a dough recipe from the cookbook here, and drop your temps some. My two cents.
Here's the link...just don't laugh too hard!

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1103943&catid=1

Pizza dough is flour, water, yeast (sugar to feed the yeast), and salt. Other optional ingredients you may see would be olive oil, Malt Syrup, Agave Nectar, but not egg that I have ever seen! Keep trying, and when you get it, you'll be hooked!

Hoss · June 2011

I agree with LC.Platesetter legs up,stone on the grid 500-550.Works for me.

mikeb6109 · June 2011

wow seems like the temp was high. but that is me,i cook my pizzas at 450 and use platesetter legs up and grill extender then pizza stone on it

Grandpas Grub · June 2011

You will need to learn what your setup needs as far as dome temperature goes.

All this depends on your egg and all the furniture being stable being up to temperature and stable. The temperature may need to be changed/corrected a little depending if you are doing regular or deep dish pies.

If the bottom of the pie is cooking too fast/burnt your lump is too hot and you need to lower the temperature.

If the top of the pie is cooking too fast the, again the egg and furniture is stable, you need to increase the temperature to get more heat on all that indirect furniture (plate setter and pizza stone).

Keep in mind with your setup the stone may be hotter in the areas that the plate setter does not protect.

My set up is a little different than what most people suggest on the forum. I use a metal drip pan on an inverted spider, the adjustable rig, BGE Grid and a heavy duty pizza stone on the grid. I haven't needed to use the plate setter. I use an infrared thermometer and shoot for 500° on the stone. Th pies come out great.

here is the setup minus the pizza stone.

Here a the pie.

My 2¢

GG

Bear 007 · June 2011

Next time Ill lower the temp down and try legs up on a grid. Ive been using this dough for years and really don't want to change it, it is a little sticky though. Thanks!

JohnB · June 2011

I've cooked pies with your exact set up at 750 and higher and have never had a burnt crust. The only difference is I use the BGE feet as spacers between the platesetter legs down and pizza stone.

A couple thoughts:

1) use a recipe without eggs

2) how long was your egg at 625? When you cook pizzas at that temp you need to let the egg stay at that temp at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. You need the dome to get hot also. This will radiate the heat down and evenly. It may be that the stone was very hot but the dome wasn't, so your pies were cooking a lot hotter on the bottom than on top.

good luck

Little Steven · June 2011

Bear 007,

Lowering your temp won't do much with egg in the dough. Maybe 400* or so. Maybe skip the stone and do it on the grid with the grid on the platesetter legs up. Maybe an Air Bake pan.

Steve

crghc98 · June 2011

I think the Greek Pizza places around here use egg in their dough recipes....I'll try to confirm but I am remembering it from my high school job at Themis Pizza

BananaChipz · June 2011

Some Italian somewhere is rolling in their grave....

Seriously... lose the egg and sugar.. that's probably what it is..

Little Chef · June 2011

Chris: I grew up in New England, and used to LOVE the Greek Pizza joints pizzas! If you find a valid recipe, I beg that you share!! Used to love those oily crusts! Wonder if the adult taste buds would think the same?? :blink: :laugh: Favorite lunch many years ago...the oily crust greek style cheese pizza, with a greek salad, heavy on Feta. Yumm, and fond memories!

(I do remember they cooked the pizza's in pans, too)

Little Chef · June 2011

The sugar is fine, especially in a biga. It helps fuel the yeast. The egg, I totally agree.

Desert Oasis Woman · June 2011

Kent, that bird looks a bit kinky

Care to explain??.

Grandpas Grub · June 2011

A bit kinky, in what way?

The bars are thirdeye's plugs. I probed the bird with the thermapen and in order to not loose the juices I used the plug to 'just that' plug the thermometer probe holes.

Kent

Bacchus · June 2011

Setter legs down, green feet, stone preheated 10min. 650deg dome. Bottom lightly charred....to perfection.

Fidel · June 2011

The yeast don't need anything but flour.

Fidel · June 2011

My guess here (and I'm late to the party) is that your dough hydration is too low for a temperature that high. It has nothing to do with the ingredient list, but more the percentage of those ingredients. If you like your recipe then continue to use it, and lower your temps by 50* or so each attempt until you find the proper balance between a perfectly done bottom crust and toppings.

You didn't mention how heavily the pizza was topped, but if you used a lot of toppings and cheese it may have taken too long for them to get done. There is another balance you need to experiment to find - the proper amount of cheese to get cooked in the same time it takes to get the crust done properly.

A lower hydration (lower ratio of water to flour) needs to cook at lower temps and higher hydration needs to cook at higher temps. There is pretty much a direct correlation between the percentage of water in your recipe and the temperatures you need to use to properly cook the dough.

You can also start your pie on a screen or parchment paper, removing it partway into the cook, to reduce the exposure of the crust to the stone.

Bear 007 · June 2011

The dough was a fairly wet one, it was on for only 5 min at the max, the stone had been at temp for over 1-1/2 hrs. I'm going to try a different recipe tomorrow, it does have beer in it though so we will see.I was planing on putting it on parchment to.

Botch · June 2011

The sugar won't cause that, as Little Chef mentioned.
I know you like your recipe, but... egg in pizza dough?!? Guess I'm not familiar with greek pizza whatsoever... :huh:

Burnt Bottom ?

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