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Pizza Tips

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MatAlexander
MatAlexander Posts: 30
edited March 2014 in EggHead Forum
I am cooking pizza tonight. I have a platesetter, normal grates, and a pizza stone. I have made a NY coal oven style dough. What temp and configuration do y'all recommend to get a nice char and browned ingredients?
Gadsden, AL
Twitter: @matalexander

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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    Thin crust pies, @RRP has done some recently. 
    My set up for NY thin crust is setter legs up, grid on the setter, some spacers raising the stone above the felt line - make sure you have at least 1" all around the stone to allow air flow. 
    I cook at between 500º-600º, works for my dough. usually between 7 and 10 minutes. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • flynnbob
    flynnbob Posts: 665
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    Use the plate setter then elevate your stone as much as you can.  You can use bricks on the grate to get it higher in the dome.  You can go with 500 - 600 on the temp.  A lot of us use parchment paper when you first put it on the stone.  You can pull it after a minute or so - It helps prevent sticking.  Good Luck! - Post Pics....
    Milton, GA.
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  • awm
    awm Posts: 181
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    Can someone let me know what the benefit is of removing the parchment paper is? All the pizzas I've cooked so far I have trimmed the edges of the paper and left it on the whole cook. It seems to make it very easy to remove the pizza when it's done cooking.
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  • MatAlexander
    MatAlexander Posts: 30
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    @skiddymarker Thank you!
    @flynnbob Legs up or down?
    Gadsden, AL
    Twitter: @matalexander

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  • jscarfo
    jscarfo Posts: 405
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    Use corn meal on your peel an they'll slide right off use fresh stick of pepperoni and slice it thin it will curl up an fill with oil when it's cooking mmmmm . Also if bottom gets black and top isn't done lower the temp
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    awm said:
    Can someone let me know what the benefit is of removing the parchment paper is? All the pizzas I've cooked so far I have trimmed the edges of the paper and left it on the whole cook. It seems to make it very easy to remove the pizza when it's done cooking.
    I like parchment and I remove it. At 600º any pieces sticking out beyond the pie can burn. I leave the paper under for 3-4 minutes, then grab the paper to spin the pie 180º. Tongs against the pie crust and slide the paper out. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    awm said:
    Can someone let me know what the benefit is of removing the parchment paper is? All the pizzas I've cooked so far I have trimmed the edges of the paper and left it on the whole cook. It seems to make it very easy to remove the pizza when it's done cooking.
    I'm in the parchment paper camp and the reason I remove it about 7 or 8 minutes into the cook is to let the crust brown and firm up a bit.
    image
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
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    I use semolina on the stone rather than corn meal since it doesn't burn as quickly.  I use platesetter legs down with spacers on top and the pizza stone on top of the spacers.  I have 2 peels - a wooden one for putting on the pizza and a metal one for removing it.

    The most important thing is to allow the pizza stone to get hot before putting on the pizza.. It can take 20-30 minutes for it to fully heat up. I use an IR thermometer to measure the stone temperature.
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
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  • Duranhler
    Duranhler Posts: 78
    edited March 2014
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    Is pizza stone 4" above the felt high enough in the dome for a XL?
    If not, I can get it another inch or so higher, if necessary.

    Peoria, AZ == XL BGE, Weber 22.5 Redhead, Fiesta Blue Ember Gasser
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  • flynnbob
    flynnbob Posts: 665
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    MatAlexander said:
    @skiddymarker Thank you!
    @flynnbob Legs up or down?
    @MatAlaxander You can really do it either way.  I used to do legs down with bricks.  The main thing is to get the pie high in the dome. Now that I have the AR, I don't use the platesetter anymore and my ceramic stone (not pizza stone) is a little lower than the platesetter with the legs down.  Here is an old pic.  Watch your crust.  I like pulling the parchment and you can put cornmeal, etc under the crust then if you like.  Don't worry, it will come out great but watch that you don't burn your crust.
    Milton, GA.
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  • flynnbob
    flynnbob Posts: 665
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    Duranhler said:
    Is pizza stone 4" above the felt high enough in the dome for a XL?
    If not, I can get it another inch or so higher, if necessary.

    Sure, you will be fine.
    Milton, GA.
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  • Duranhler
    Duranhler Posts: 78
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    Thanks flynnbob :)
    Peoria, AZ == XL BGE, Weber 22.5 Redhead, Fiesta Blue Ember Gasser
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  • MatAlexander
    MatAlexander Posts: 30
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    Thanks everyone for the tips! I just posted the results:

    Gadsden, AL
    Twitter: @matalexander

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