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1st attempt at a pizza

onward_2_victory
onward_2_victory Posts: 37
in EggHead Forum
After reading a post about a pizza method that forum user radamo had found some success with I took a shot at my first pizza on the BGE.  It tasted great for the most part.  I used a dough from a local pizza joint called Bella Mia, some Don Pepino's pizza sauce and a 4 cheese blend along with some basil from the back yard.  The crust (the part that you hold onto was amazing, maybe the best I've ever had).  However, the crust towards the center of the pizza was a slightly "limp" and not as crispy as I was hoping.  Any thoughts as to what that could be caused by?  I made sure the heat the pizza stone up prior to putting the pizza on, but I realized I left the parchment paper on for the entire cook.  Could that have caused it?  Anyway, pics below... oh yeah, I also roasted some garlic before hand using the buzd504 method while the pizza stone was heating up.  The garlic was great and I added it to the sauce before grilling.

Todd - Smoking on my LBGE in Elkridge, MD

GO IRISH!  Onward to Victory!
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Comments

  • Begger
    Begger Posts: 607
    That looks REAL good.   I, too, have a garden w/Basil.   Best you can get.   If you are a carnivore, find a good meat market for some Italian Sausage and you're all set!
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  • BigJonMoo73
    BigJonMoo73 Posts: 74
    The crust looks awesome! Awesome job!
    Little Elm, Tx
    LBGE
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
    Yummm!!
    GWN
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  • JohnnyTarheel
    JohnnyTarheel Posts: 6,629
    Great looking pie.... Crust looks great
    Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"
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  • bigalsworth
    bigalsworth Posts: 686
    edited July 2015
    some more deets like cooking temp may help to give answers.

    edit: great lookin pizza as well
    Large BGE
    BBQ Guru DigiQ II

    Martensville, Saskatchewan Canada
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  • TheManBehindTheMask
    TheManBehindTheMask Posts: 161
    good looking pizza
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    Parchment was not the problem.
    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.
     
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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Looks great!  Pizza has a real learning curve.  I'm on it with you!  Good luck adjusting!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    edited July 2015

    A few thoughts/tips:

    Mushy bottom can come from too much sauce sitting on a very thin crust and/or the sauce sitting on there too long.  I assemble my pizza as quickly as I can and throw it on the hot stone and mine is crispy all the way across.

    If you preheat your stone (which is sounds like you did), there's no need for parchment, just slide it off the peel onto the stone bare.

    Think about making your own crusts.  My pizzas got much better when I starting making my own.  It alloweded my to raise my egg and stone temps, which in my opinion, gives you a better end product. No burnt bottom, crispy yet chewy.

    Looks to me like you're off to a good start, pizzas look tasty.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

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  • onward_2_victory
    onward_2_victory Posts: 37
    Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions!

    @bigalsworth - I cooked it on a raised grate (as you may have been able to tell from the pics).  I had the dome temp at about 600 F and took it off after about 10 mins. when it looked as it does in the picture.  I looked on the underside of the crust and it was "browning up" so I took it off. 

    I let it rest for a few minutes on an extra PC stone I had.  I'm wondering if the moisture from the heat of the pie made it go limp?  I wonder if letting it sit on something like a baking rack/cookie cooling rack rather than something solid like the pizza stone would help keep it a little crispier?  I may try that next time just to see.
    Todd - Smoking on my LBGE in Elkridge, MD

    GO IRISH!  Onward to Victory!
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  • onward_2_victory
    onward_2_victory Posts: 37
    @ChokeOnSmoke - thanks for the suggestions and info.  I'll keep all of that in mind on my next pizza attempt.

    Also want to "tag" @radamo and @buzd504 to show my appreciation since I clearly did it wrong in my original post.
    Todd - Smoking on my LBGE in Elkridge, MD

    GO IRISH!  Onward to Victory!
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  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    onward_2_victory said:
      I wonder if letting it sit on something like a baking rack/cookie cooling rack rather than something solid like the pizza stone would help keep it a little crispier?  I may try that next time just to see.
    By the way, I do this too.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,989
    @onward_2_victory -That sure is some great looking pizza brother. Awesome job :clap: 

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • bigalsworth
    bigalsworth Posts: 686
    I don't have much to add to chokeonsmokes tips other than maybe giving it another minute or two or up the temp closer to 700 deg.  The hotter stone might cook it more evenly maybe.  I always use parchment paper I find it is much easier moving several uncooked pizzas around the kithcen with it underneath.  I make my own crust and sauce and have never had this problem so maybe making it from scratch will help.  

    If i am doing a lot of pizzas my egg wanders between 500 to 900 deg and the only thing that changes is how fast they cook everything else seems to be pretty consistent.

    Lots of great dough recipes on here that are super easy to do. 
    Large BGE
    BBQ Guru DigiQ II

    Martensville, Saskatchewan Canada
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    Very nice.
    NOLA
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