Burning my frigging pizza

JohnInCarolina · May 2017

Carolina Q said:

@Lit is saying that, if your pizza stone is larger than your platesetter, the part of your pie that overhangs the PS may burn because it is unprotected from the direct heat. Sounds to me like more than the outer edges burned.

You had too much heat on the bottom and not enough on top. You looked in the hole and saw that the top wasn't done so you left it on longer. Once the top was done, the bottom was burnt. Raise the pizza stone higher in the dome. It's hotter up there. You just need to balance the heat above and below.

Still, on your second cook, pizza no less, you're ready to start throwing things?! Pizza is one of the more difficult things to do on an egg. Also, IMO, one of the things that benefits least from egg cooking. Which is why I haven't done a pie there in nearly 4 years. Go back to your oven. Sounds like you had it figured out.

There are many cooks that are hands down better on the egg. Most of them, in fact. Pizza is not one of them.

Let the Kool Aid drinking bashers begin.

While I'm sure that one can cook a pizza in the oven very well and much easier than on the Egg, what you will not obtain is any degree of smoke in the crust. I think a lot of people do value that extra element of flavor.

erikjs71 · May 2017

JohnInCarolina said:

Carolina Q said:

@Lit is saying that, if your pizza stone is larger than your platesetter, the part of your pie that overhangs the PS may burn because it is unprotected from the direct heat. Sounds to me like more than the outer edges burned.

You had too much heat on the bottom and not enough on top. You looked in the hole and saw that the top wasn't done so you left it on longer. Once the top was done, the bottom was burnt. Raise the pizza stone higher in the dome. It's hotter up there. You just need to balance the heat above and below.

Still, on your second cook, pizza no less, you're ready to start throwing things?! Pizza is one of the more difficult things to do on an egg. Also, IMO, one of the things that benefits least from egg cooking. Which is why I haven't done a pie there in nearly 4 years. Go back to your oven. Sounds like you had it figured out.

There are many cooks that are hands down better on the egg. Most of them, in fact. Pizza is not one of them.

Let the Kool Aid drinking bashers begin.

While I'm sure that one can cook a pizza in the oven very well and much easier than on the Egg, what you will not obtain is any degree of smoke in the crust. I think a lot of people do value that extra element of flavor.

Hence why I've been dying to cook pizza on the egg.

JohnInCarolina · May 2017

erikjs71 said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Carolina Q said:

@Lit is saying that, if your pizza stone is larger than your platesetter, the part of your pie that overhangs the PS may burn because it is unprotected from the direct heat. Sounds to me like more than the outer edges burned.

You had too much heat on the bottom and not enough on top. You looked in the hole and saw that the top wasn't done so you left it on longer. Once the top was done, the bottom was burnt. Raise the pizza stone higher in the dome. It's hotter up there. You just need to balance the heat above and below.

Still, on your second cook, pizza no less, you're ready to start throwing things?! Pizza is one of the more difficult things to do on an egg. Also, IMO, one of the things that benefits least from egg cooking. Which is why I haven't done a pie there in nearly 4 years. Go back to your oven. Sounds like you had it figured out.

There are many cooks that are hands down better on the egg. Most of them, in fact. Pizza is not one of them.

Let the Kool Aid drinking bashers begin.

While I'm sure that one can cook a pizza in the oven very well and much easier than on the Egg, what you will not obtain is any degree of smoke in the crust. I think a lot of people do value that extra element of flavor.

Hence why I've been dying to cook pizza on the egg.

The learning curve is steeper, but done well - it's fantastic. Stick with it - you'll nail one eventually.

JohnInCarolina · May 2017

Pulled pork pizza:

Focker · May 2017

It's a learning process, Q is just trying to help by speeding things up. When you appreciate pizza done right, dialing things in..smoke flavor does not even factor in to good pie criteria.

A perfect example is guys who have a Blackstone and WFO, and most prefer the BS. True, hardcore connisseurs, cannot even pick it up.

Egged pies are so overbaked, you might as well smoke breadsticks if that smoked flavor is what you're after.

Char, bubbling, leoparding, and how you use it, is much higher up, and much more flavorful, than the mystical "egginess" flavor IMO.

Bake two loaves of bread, same dough, same batch, one in the egg, and one hot box, and report back.

B747crew · May 2017

FWIW ... I use a Metal Pizza peel and plenty of corn meal under the pie . You'll get it on and off the stone easily. Brush off the meal between pies.

onedbguru · May 2017

First my (XL) setup:

PLSetter LU, grate, 3 fire bricks, PZS.

Then see:
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1205691/saturday-dinner

Use Roberta's (of Brooklyn) recipe - very easy to make. And works well with high-temp cooks. Pizzas was on for ~4-5 minutes.

TheToast · May 2017

I've only done pizzas twice but I have the same problem (same setup as you - legs down, grill on top, stone on top of grill). First two pizzas are perfect but as the stone gets hotter and hotter, it tends to burn subsequent pizzas.

I normally cook at 350c and they're cooked in 3mins. I may try the fire brick method some time.

NEKEgger · May 2017

I think that the issue may be having the plate setter legs down. The direct heat hitting the plate setter is warming it up way past ambient temperature and this heat is transferring to your pizza stone.

I always have the legs up, and if anything I am disappointed that my crust did not cook more.

cookingdude555 · May 2017

I have spent many many nights cooking pizzas on the egg before getting a blackstone pizza oven. I have learned a few things:

- The egg is a jet engine pointed directly at the bottom of your pizza.
- There is a heat imbalance cooking pizza in an egg that you must overcome
- An IR thermometer is your best friend
- multiple pizza stones can be your friend (if using an XL, multiple plate setters in a tiered fashion works really well)

Your dome therm might be 600, but your pizza stone might be 700 or more. I have cooked my best pizzas when the heat imbalance is favoring the top being hotter than the bottom (like in a pizza oven or a blackstone).

ChokeOnSmoke · May 2017

Pizza is the hardest thing to master on the EGG in my opinion. There are SO many variables. I believe the biggest is water content in the dough. But pizza stone temperature, height in the dome and total length of time all make a difference too.
Take notes and keep trying, they're great when you get it.

MattBTI · May 2017

erikjs71 said:

TO ALL!! Thanks for all the comments and help!!

I think I need to

A. I need to calibrate my thermometer.

B. Get a different stone, since the one I'm using is 10 years old, and about 1/2" thick.

C.Never use Publix dough again. I always make my own that makes a very thin dough with 00 flour. I just picked up some dough because I wanted to cook TONIGHT, and not wait 3 days for my dough to be ready.

Just frustrating after spending the money I did, and totally slaughtering only my 2nd meal..

D. Get the pizza up high. Biggest variable that helped me. spread the gap out between the fire and the stone.

erikjs71 · May 2017

JohnInCarolina said:

Pulled pork pizza:

Gorgeous!! WOW!

55drum · May 2017

To the OP...nothing wrong with your setup.....try this....prepare your pie on parchment paper...then slide it on a pizza screen and start cooking whatever temp you want...most times I'm running 450-500...after the first 5 min or so I start checking the progress every couple of minutes especially the bottom...even rotate the pie a couple of times...

Once the top looks good start concentrating on the bottom...most times I have to remove the paper & screen to get the bottom to crisp up the way I want it....GL

NPHuskerFL · May 2017

JohnInCarolina said:

Pulled pork pizza:

Hang on just one hot moment! You cook? I thought you were only here to be a political pundit

Good looking egging as always John.

crudad · May 2017

I've done a lot of pizza's and had issues the first times with burning bottom also. I go grate, then platesetter legs down, then 4 foil balls with BGE stone sitting on top. Gets it above the felt, which I found to be absolutely necessary.

I also found that if you don't preheat the stone then it takes longer and allows burning of the pizza bottom. I try to preheat 550 - 600 for at least 20 minutes (prefer 30 minutes). I find that my 2nd and 3rd pizza's turn out the best if I don't preheat as necessary.

Parchment paper also helps...remove and finish crust as you like. Lately I've been doing the take and bake from Papa Murphy's which come on their own cardboard plate...grill and then remove as you would with parchment paper.

northGAcock · May 2017

I am in for pizza tonight. It will be on.

FatTrout · May 2017

Maybe think about trying a set up like this one made with an AR and two stones.

northGAcock · May 2017

FatTrout said:

Maybe think about trying a set up like this one made with an AR and two stones.

Kind of the same thing but different.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/vh/bqwd9ta2932p.jpg

northGAcock · May 2017

northGAcock said:

FatTrout said:

Maybe think about trying a set up like this one made with an AR and two stones.

Kind of the same thing but different.

Let stone heat up for 30 min minimum. Pizza dough made with OO flour. Sauced and a good lawyer of mozzarella. Fresh onion, mushrooms, garlic and maters. Used a combo of purple and traditional basil and oregano from the garden. Topped with another lite layer of mozzarella and finished with some fresh grated Parmesan Cheese. Go be good I think.

SloppyJoe · May 2017

Stick your head in the sand and never try again.

QDude · May 2017

I gave up on pizza on the XL because the temp control was impossible. I was always burning the pies because the XL temp would shoot up when I was taking the pies out or putting them in. I love my XL but not for pizza.

HeavyG · May 2017

Don't give up - you'll figure out what works best for you. Your pie may have been a bit burnt but they weren't this burnt:

SciAggie · May 2017

@HeavyG That's not burned - just a bit caramelized...

Carolina Q · May 2017

HeavyG said:

Don't give up - you'll figure out what works best for you. Your pie may have been a bit burnt but they weren't this burnt:

@Mickey, is that you?!

Mickey · May 2017

@Carolina Q how much adult beverage was involved in that ?

Carolina Q · May 2017

@Mickey, no idea, not my pizza.

WeberWho · May 2017

My friend had firetruck and firemen show up at his townhouse a month ago from burnt pizza. A little too much adult beverages. His fire alarm went off and the smell of burning pizza had the neighbor call 911. We still make fun of him for that.

erikjs71 · May 2017

Well, 2nd times a charm! I didn't change my setup at all. I did use my usual homemade dough (cold fermented for 2 days) which gets me a very thin crust. I also used parchment paper.. I got the idea from a neighbor of mine (and egg connoisseur) who uses parchment paper. I also let the egg get to only 400˚. I can't remember how I heat up the egg to 600˚ last time but I remember putting the plate setter and grid/stone in later. This time, as soon as I got the fire going after 8-10 minutes, I put the plate setter, grid and stone in all at once. It took longer for the egg to get to temp but seemed to be alot more even. I also, just let the egg sit at 400˚ for only 15 minutes.. last time I let it sit a 600˚ for 30. I definitely think my stone was at 700˚ that time. Brick ovens are at 800˚-900˚ and the pizza is in there for around 60 seconds, then lifted into the dome for another 10 seconds to cook the top.

Anyway.. here's the outcome. I did a tomato basil, and a pepperoni. Pretty basic, but I didn't know how they'd come out so I kept it basic.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/vr/suhp65jelqkd.jpg

^^^ 400˚ with plate setter [legs up], grid, and my old pizza stone. The pizza is on parchment paper.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/0c/nm6aom8jfow6.jpg

^^ nice and thin crust.. almost transparent, especially before it's cooked.

GrateEggspectations · May 2017

A few days ago, there was a post in which someone talked about the distance between the platesetter and pizza stone being a huge factor in not burning the bottom of your pie. I wondered whether this has been my issue, as my pies never turn out nicely - they tend to burn on the bottom. The poster recommended about two inches between the two, with any greater distance allowing too much high heat to get under the pizza stone.

I will be trying this for my next pizza cook.

Burning my frigging pizza

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