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Can you replicate pizza hut crust and taste on LBGE?

I know, I know many of you wonder why would I want to or will say that LBGE pizza can be so much better and you will be exactly correct.  However, I just like the overall taste of their pizza and wanted to try to recreate it using the LBGE.  I would love to hear your ideas and pics would be even better!  My very favorite pizza they make is a meat lovers with double jalapeños!!  Let's see what you can come up with!
Thanks in advance!
Casey

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Comments

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Not trying to be snide, but why would you? What is it in particular that you love about their pizza? If its the toppings, then that should be relatively easy. The crust may take a little more work. I found their pizza crust to be really greasy compared to other places like Dominoes or Papa Johns.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Sure. Close anyway. I've only done it once and there was a little too much dough for a 10" CI skillet. But this is worth playing with... 



    imageimageimageimage

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • bigphil
    bigphil Posts: 1,390
    @cdees_1993 is it the sauce you like if thats the case look here . i never tried it but if it tastes the same then you can clone your meat lovers pie 

    Large Big Green Egg , XL Big Green Egg . BBQ Guru, Weber Kettle, Weber Q grill for road trips.
  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    edited June 2013
    Hey guys thanks for the input so quickly!  I honestly like the texture of the crust.  The toppings I can do except for figuring out how they do their jalapeños.  The crust is the big deal to me.  @CarolinaQ that looks amazing!  That is one nice looking pizza and the crust looks very close!  How does it taste?

    @bigphil I will definitely check out the sauce too!  Keep the pics coming guys!  Should I buy a deep dish pizza stone or just find a cast iron skillet?
  • bigphil
    bigphil Posts: 1,390
    cast iron skillet 
    Large Big Green Egg , XL Big Green Egg . BBQ Guru, Weber Kettle, Weber Q grill for road trips.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    cdees, needed a bit less dough and a bit more sauce. Nice and greasy though - just like the real thing.  :))

    The CI skillet is perfect for this. Could probably do it in a cake pan, though I haven't tried it. I would imagine that's what PH uses. You KNOW they don't use a $50 ceramic pan! :) You don't even need one of those for a Chicago Deep Dish. Cake pan is perfect...

    image

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    @carolina_Q that first one looks just like what I wanted to make.  I guess I have to just round up a CI skillet now!   Those pics look awesome not to mention, my kids will love the fact that I can now cook up their favorite!  I really like the idea of the fried type crust!  That looks amazing!
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    My worst pizza would seriously put Pizza Hut's pizza down!!  The home made dough is so much better than commercial shops!!!   This is a pulled pork pizza!!!  And this is really an easy cook, with many methods to get to the same excellent product.  The high, not super high, just high cooking temperatures we can attain inside the egg makes this a regular great meal.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    cdees, thanks - hope it's what you're looking for! If you read through the comments at the bottom of the link I posted, someone actually put up a chart with the amounts needed for various pan sizes. I would try it in a cake pan first, before bothering with a CI skillet. Quite sure PH doesn't use cast iron.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    @Charlie_tuna I definitely love a pulled pork pizza and yours looks great!  I just really wanted to be able to replicate the texture and taste of their crust.  
  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    @Carolina_Q I think you are right.  They seem to just use an ordinary deep dish pan of some sort.  I was just wondering if the CI was needed to do your particular recipe?

  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    @Charlie_tuna I definitely love a pulled pork pizza and yours looks great!  I just really wanted to be able to replicate the texture and taste of their crust.  
     
    The last pizza we had, the wife forgot to put sauce on it!!  As we were eating, and duscussing how very good this pizza was - mainly from the crust, crispy - all the way to the center -- the wife says " guess what, i forgot to put the sauce on this pizza"!!  And i said "do the next one the same way!!"..  To me -- what makes the egged pizza great is the crust !
  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    I have to agree!

  • BigWader
    BigWader Posts: 673

    @cdees_1993 try using soybean oil for the bottom of the pan/in your recipe.  It has a stronger taste and I associate that with Pizza Hut crust - just don't use too much.  Canola is milder tasting if you are going to use more oil for a fried/cracker like texture- it might impart less oily taste.

    Toronto, Canada

    Large BGE, Small BGE

     

  • SamFerrise
    SamFerrise Posts: 556
    Peanut oil will take high heat and it has a good flavor.  Pizza Huts dough is not bad, however it has no taste.  It cooks really well and gets nice and crispy when cooked well done.  I use King Arthur Bread Flour to make my dough and add 1% (by weight of flour) powdered milk to my mix once in a while just for a change in texture.  I use a 65% hydration method for the dough.  1000 grams flour and 650 grams of water.  Your geographical location will affect your dough, specifically elevation.  I am at sea level here in NC.  I came from Michigan which is about 650 feet above sea level and my dough acts much different here.  I had to cut my yeast in half and my dough still rises very nice.  The water makes a big difference too.  I use bottled water because the minerals in the water here also affect the dough.  Some people add oil to the dough mix as well.  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.  If you want your dough to be fluffy do not add oil.  If you want cracker crispy crust, my least favorite, use "00" flour.  It will yield a very silky dough and cooks nice and crisp very fast in a hot Egg.  I never go above 650 in my Egg for my pizza because I feel it is not necessary.  I use fire brick over a spider for my indirect heat with my grid above and a stone on my grid. 

    Simple ingredients, amazing results!
  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    Tell me about hat calzone too!!
  • Boileregger
    Boileregger Posts: 614
    Why don't you just go offer the 15 year old working the register $20 to slip you some dough? Maybe he'll even wash his hands before he grabs it for you. B-)
  • cdees_1993
    cdees_1993 Posts: 135
    @Carolina_Q the dough has been rising all night! Can't wait to try this!! @SamFerrise your pizzas look amazing as well!! :D
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    @SamFerrise, did you cut up an XL plate setter for your octagonal stone?
  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980

    Carolina that looks awesome.

     

  • SamFerrise
    SamFerrise Posts: 556
    Good observation Eggcelsior.  The original plate setter for my large Egg cracked and I was still in my warranty period so they replaced it.  Well, they sent me an XL plate setter by mistake.  I use my fire bricks now in place of my plate setter. I improvised and whipped out my tile saw.  I cut up the XL PS into an octagon.  It is the best pizza stone around.  It is much larger in diameter and thicker as well.  My engineering background induces me to want to make things with what is on hand.  My brother made a spider for me from 3/8" stainless bar stock.  With a spider and fire bricks I can make almost any cooking configuration I need.  Our family was in the pizza business for 45+ years.  I made my first pie when I was 8, that was 55 years ago.  I get razzed a lot for my pizza comments on the forum, however, with that much experience I know what I am doing with dough and how to cook.

    Simple ingredients, amazing results!
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    cdees, hope you enjoy! bondabbq, thank you.

    SamFerrise, your pies look great - especially that rectangular one!! Do you know if BGE stones are made of cordierite? I have read that many use that material for pizza stones. I use the BGE stone, but was just curious about the material. Cordierite is used for pottery kiln shelves and is widely available. Pretty cheap too (e.g $12-$13 for a 13"x5/8"), though I don't know about shipping costs. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • SamFerrise
    SamFerrise Posts: 556
    I never researched the make up of the plate setter, however, if BGE engineers made it, it probably is quality stuff.  My last pizza stone was a $20 gizmo from WalMart.  It lasted about 18 months and cracked like a saltine cracker.

    Simple ingredients, amazing results!
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Oh it's good stuff for sure. Mine is four years old and has been thru several 900° pies (and lots more at more normal temps. Not a sign of any cracking. Thanks.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980

    @carolina Q

    What was the methodology for this pizza cook?

    Did you preheat the pan in the Egg and drop a pizza in it?

    Did you build the pizza in the pan and put it in the egg cold?

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Link to the recipe/method is in my post above (the one with the pics). You can't preheat the pan as the dough needs to rise in the pan. Once that's done, it gets sauced and topped and into the preheated egg (or oven for that matter).

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    @Carolina Q

    That pic of the sliced pizza looks amazing! 


    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Thanks, YEMTrey. I just hope cdees' pie turns out well, and that it's what he was going for. Looking forward to the pics!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • SamFerrise
    SamFerrise Posts: 556
    Always put your sauce on top of your ingredients on a deep dish pizza unless you like soggy dough crust.  There is a huge difference in taste and cooking when done this way.

    Simple ingredients, amazing results!