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Pizza question

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sandman1970
sandman1970 Posts: 31
edited June 2012 in EggHead Forum
Tried pizza for the first time. I have an XL got the temp up to 500-550 let it set for about 25min so everything would warm up . First pizza everthing looked good but center of crust black. Second pizza samething. I lowered the heat to 450 crust was great on bottom but top was just OK. Any tips and help would be greatly welcome.
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  • rickHP
    rickHP Posts: 49
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    Would help if you explained how you set up the grill - platesetter? leg ups or down, etc.
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  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273
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    Also, did you pre-warm the pizza stone.   Was the pizza stone directly on something - or elevated wtih space in between.   Your temps don't sound out of line - have cooked all over that range - turned out ok.
    Cookin in Texas
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  • Kristinnn
    Kristinnn Posts: 133
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    personally i think precooking the crust for a couple minutes before topping it works best around 400-450.  i use platesetter legs up, grate, then pizza stone.  it may depends on your dough. i use publix dough
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  • JwgreDeux
    JwgreDeux Posts: 139
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    I've never tried it, but I've read where people preheat the stone, but wipe it down with a cold damp cloth right before putting the pizza on it.  They say it brings the temp of the stone down just enough not to burn the crust.  I believe I saw that on Naked Whiz page.
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  • Beaumonty
    Beaumonty Posts: 198
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    I am planning on cooking my first pizzas this weekend my self.  I am using dough from a restaurant that has a wood fired oven.  I was going to cook with a plate setter, legs down, use a stone on my green egg feet at 500.  i have a peel and was going to use flour or parchment paper to get it off the peel.

    Am i on the right track?

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  • Serial Griller
    Serial Griller Posts: 1,186
    edited June 2012
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    I use the plate setter legs down then fire brick spacers on top of the plate setter then the pizza stone on my large.I do pizzas at 450'. After temp stabilizes,Let  everything warm up for 40 minutes. I bake my pizzas for approx.8 minutes thin crusts, 10-12 for thick. It helps to start your coals in two places so you have evenheat under your plate setter/pizza stone.See first pic

    http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/wings55_album/P1010034-9.jpg

    http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/wings55_album/P1010089.jpg

    http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj75/wings55_album/P1010090.jpg

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Budgeezer
    Budgeezer Posts: 669
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    I've been making pizza's for years and recently started making them on the eff, plate setter legs up, grill, pizza stone @ 550 and have not had any issues with the crust being over done.  Just keep @ it, soon you'll be an expert.

    Edina, MN

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  • moose28
    moose28 Posts: 61
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    I had a cheap stone once. It shattered. I just use the plate setter. My crust was a bit "Cajun" ie burnt in early cooks. One day I opened it part way thru. Slid the peel underneath, turned the pizza. I've done it ever since with good results. I haven't thought about it much. Other thanit works for me.
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  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
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    I had a cheap stone once. It shattered. I just use the plate setter. My crust was a bit "Cajun" ie burnt in early cooks. One day I opened it part way thru. Slid the peel underneath, turned the pizza. I've done it ever since with good results. I haven't thought about it much. Other thanit works for me.
    I do the same thing Moose.  About six minutes in I turn it about a third and then at 9 I turn it again a little.  This is for thick crust pizzas that take about 12 minutes at 550-600.
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  • sandman1970
    sandman1970 Posts: 31
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    Also, did you pre-warm the pizza stone.   Was the pizza stone directly on something - or elevated wtih space in between.   Your temps don't sound out of line - have cooked all over that range - turned out ok.
    Yes when the temp reached 500-550 I left it alone for 25min before putting a pizza on. My set up was a Woo2 fliped upside domn which put the stone at grid level.I do not have a platesetter
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  • sandman1970
    sandman1970 Posts: 31
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    Would help if you explained how you set up the grill - platesetter? leg ups or down, etc.
    My set up was a Woo2 fliped upside down which put the stone at grid level.I do not have a platesetter
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Get that stone higher up in the dome.
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  • sandman1970
    sandman1970 Posts: 31
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    Get that stone higher up in the dome.
    10-4 I will give it a try
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    The heat off the dome helps with the toppings...
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Would help if you explained how you set up the grill - platesetter? leg ups or down, etc.
    My set up was a Woo2 fliped upside down which put the stone at grid level.I do not have a platesetter

    with this setup, is there a second stone sitting somewhere below the one you're cooking on for an indirect effect?
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  • sandman1970
    sandman1970 Posts: 31
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    Would help if you explained how you set up the grill - platesetter? leg ups or down, etc.
    My set up was a Woo2 fliped upside down which put the stone at grid level.I do not have a platesetter
    with this setup, is there a second stone sitting somewhere below the one you're cooking on for an indirect effect?
    No I just have the one
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  • Beaumonty
    Beaumonty Posts: 198
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    At 500 can you keep parchment paper under whole time or do you have to takeit out halfway?

    I want to do thin crust and am afraid of using too much flour too get it off peel or burning parchment.
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Would help if you explained how you set up the grill - platesetter? leg ups or down, etc.
    My set up was a Woo2 fliped upside down which put the stone at grid level.I do not have a platesetter
    with this setup, is there a second stone sitting somewhere below the one you're cooking on for an indirect effect?
    No I just have the one

    That's part of the problem too...500-550 dome is actually way hotter down at the grid....the lump burnsnmuch hotter md that heat is absorbed by your stone. You want some way to block that intense heat....ie an indirect setup...
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
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    Pull it after a few minutes beau...it will slide right out.
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  • rickHP
    rickHP Posts: 49
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    Parchment won't burn as long as it's trimmed pretty closely to the size of the pizza.
    You can leave it in. There's a school of thought that it interferes with the proper cooking of the crust, something to do with the stone sucking some moisture out of the dough with direct contact, but I don't think it makes much difference. Personally, I pull the paper after a couple of minutes.
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  • Beaumonty
    Beaumonty Posts: 198
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    Since i am using the platesetter legs down and spacers under my stone, what is problem with platestetter legs up and grid as the spacer? Seems easier.
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  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
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    I am planning on cooking my first pizzas this weekend my self.  I am using dough from a restaurant that has a wood fired oven.  I was going to cook with a plate setter, legs down, use a stone on my green egg feet at 500.  i have a peel and was going to use flour or parchment paper to get it off the peel.

    Am i on the right track?

    You are right on the money. my setup is almost identical. My XL didn't come with feet so I use 1/2" copper plumbing tees to raise my stone.As others have said, turn your pizza every 4-6 minutes. I do my pies at 600 degrees and have them off of the grill in about 6-8 minutes.
    Mark Annville, PA
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  • Rich_ie
    Rich_ie Posts: 268
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    At 500 can you keep parchment paper under whole time or do you have to takeit out halfway?

    I want to do thin crust and am afraid of using too much flour too get it off peel or burning parchment.
    I use corn meal on my peel and stone works like a charm. 
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  • Beaumonty
    Beaumonty Posts: 198
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    Thanks folks. I wouldnt have turned it but after y'all mentioned it, i remembered a food network special on pizzas and the restaurants shift it around the wood fired ovens too.
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