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When cooking pizza - How to get the top to cook as fast as the bottom?
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EggHead_Bubba
Posts: 566
Did four pizzas last night on a raised CI "stone". Dome temp was 450° and the CI stone temp was 480° when tested with infrared therm. Problem with all four pies was that when the crust underneath was nice and done with a dark brown color and crunch, the top of the crust was still pretty soft. I used parchment for part of two pies and left it there the entire time for the other two. Any suggestions? Thanks
Rocky Top, TN — Large BGE • Cast Iron Grate & Platesetter • Rockwood Lump
Comments
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Raise the stone higher in the dome.
Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...
Large & Small BGE
Stockton Ca.
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Are you cooking indirect?
If you can get some fire bricks to raise your stone higher, you'll fare better.SE PA
XL, Lg, Mini max and OKJ offset -
I have found that if you can cool the dough down a lot before putting the pie together has helped. I found that using the plat setter (legs up) and putting the stone on the grate also helped to lower the stone temp closer to the dome temp. Mostly what I have read is that raising the stone higher in the dome helps.
Corpus Christi, Texas. LBGE x 2, Weber Smoky Joe, and Aussie Walk-About -
I was cooking indirect and I raised the CI stone as high as possible until the handles almost touched the dome. It's a large Lodge CI stone so I can only raise it about 1-1/2" from the gasket line. I wondered if using the daisy wheel to maintain temp while at the same time slowing down the exit of the hot air would help. Last night I went without the daisy wheel and just controlled temp with the lower door.
Rocky Top, TN — Large BGE • Cast Iron Grate & Platesetter • Rockwood Lump
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Higher dome temp will help. Put stone in later If 480 is your sweet spotColumbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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I have the smokeware cap and I use it to keep the heat in the dome. The firebricks help to shield the stone, while also helping to retain heat.
I cook platesetter legs up, grate, 3 firebricks, lying down for minimal height and stone on bricks. This puts my stone about 1- 1/2" above felt line.SE PA
XL, Lg, Mini max and OKJ offset -
1"-2" above felt line seems to be ideal to get the reflected heat from the dome to cook the toppings - not sure you will get that at 450º. the other solution is to cool the stone so the bottom of the crust cooks slower allowing the topping to catch up. The problem with using too cool a stone is you do not get the spring from the dough, giving texture and chew.
IMO, CI heats pretty fast, faster than a ceramic stone. Raise the stable temp a bit (500º-550º) and give the "stone" less preheat time - catch the stone at 400º-450º as measured with the IR thermo. Works for one pie - for others you may have to cool the "stone" before throwing in the second pie.
Most of us tend to have too much topping, resulting in the crust bottom being done while the top side has not browned at all. You could always cheat and touch the tops with a torch!Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad! -
I cook mine at 550-600. My dough also has no sugar in it.SE PA
XL, Lg, Mini max and OKJ offset -
Great tips everyone... I really appreciate the input. I think next cook I will try the daisy wheel to control temp in an effort to hold more heat in the dome. Since I always cook a minimum of two pies, cooling the CI stone down between cooks isn't practical. I'll check and see if I can raise it a smidge more. Hopefully I'll find a balance that will get me the desired result.
Rocky Top, TN — Large BGE • Cast Iron Grate & Platesetter • Rockwood Lump
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Don't bother with the daisy wheel. You need to get the pizza the proper distance from the dome to pick up the right amount of radiant heat. Closing the daisy wheel will actually be counter to your situation. If the dough is cooking the way you want, changing the distance from the dome is the way to adjust for the toppings.Southeast Florida - LBGE
In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’ Dare to think for yourself. -
EggHead_Bubba said:Any suggestions?
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@jtcBoynton... problem is I have raised the stone as high as I possibly can. Guess I'll have to investigate a smaller stone or cut the handles off this CI stone I have.
Rocky Top, TN — Large BGE • Cast Iron Grate & Platesetter • Rockwood Lump
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@McNuttly... Blackstone looks like it would certainly do the job but I know the egg can also. I just need to do more testing. Thanks.
Rocky Top, TN — Large BGE • Cast Iron Grate & Platesetter • Rockwood Lump
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You don't have to take the stone down to room temp, but if you wipe it with a damp cloth it will cool substantially. I even wipe my ceramic stone between pies with a damp cloth. (Too much water and you could crack the stone - but a damp cloth will change the temp)Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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@EggHead_Bubba I missed that you are using cast iron. A ceramic stone will transmit heat slower giving more time for the toppings to get finished. You are already cooking at a pretty low temp so I wouldn't lower the temp any. I can't think of any good way to solve your problem with the setup you have. Most straight forward solution is to get a smaller stone so you can raise it to the height you need to balance with the cooking of the dough.
The following suggestion is not ideal but might work. Leave out your cast iron 'stone' and heat the ceramics to a higher temp than you have been using. Insert your CI and let it warm up. Catch the temp of the stone at the right temp and cook the pizza on it before it overheats. The dough should cook as usual and there should be more radiant heat coming off the dome to cook the toppings.Southeast Florida - LBGE
In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’ Dare to think for yourself. -
Here is our setup. at 700 degrees
Molly
Colorado Springs
"Loney Queen"
"Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE -
Al Roker does not preheat the stone, problem solved, kidding!
http://www.today.com/video/al-roker-grills-pizza-in-a-big-green-egg-457915971972
canuckland
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