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Pizza on the egg, no one wants to go out. They always want it on the egg.

Most of this came from this forum at different times, I hopefully am making a post that will help a newbie get it the first time.

Nobody in our family wants to go out for pizza anymore, they always want it on the egg in this manner.

Two parts to this, the egg part and the kitchen prep part.

Egg part of this

I put the heat deflector at gasket level, the pizza stone about an inch higher with air space between them. Years ago, I bought three 7/8" copper elbows at construction supply store, and place them in an equilateral triangle on top of the heat deflector, the 7/8" elbows are close to an inch where they go over the 7/8 inch part in. Gives me an inch of clearance between heat deflector and pizza stone. Works beautifully for me.

Stabilize the egg at 550, for twenty minutes. When ten of the stabilizing minutes are up, make the pizza.

When the temp has stabilized for 20 minutes, put Pizza on. Look though the top to get the doneness level that you like.

Items needed

Parchment paper cut to fit the pizza stone

Pizza peel/paddle

We use a Pizza peel/paddle that came from a commercial restaurant supplier. Much like this one. Ours is 12x14 and works fine but this would work better
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPJ0QY/ref=s9_acsd_top_hd_bw_bPybBL_c_x_1_w/141-0037982-0628875?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_r=2MT8RVNPVDR1N4M6W82Q&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=5493b173-250c-5085-98c9-9f223e530577&pf_rd_i=383851011

Our pizzas wind up fourteen inches, but the 12" wide works OK.

550 dome appears to be a sweet spot for pizza on my setup and cooked this way. I have never calibrated the dome thermometer.

Cut parchment paper to fit the pizza stone, make the pizzas on the parchment paper

We have tried all sorts of variations on pizza dough, but in all honesty we have found it's easier and better to just buy prepared dough from Publix. More consistent, always turns out great.

https://www.publix.com/pd/italian-pizza-dough/RIO-PCI-118694?ch=2.2.1.

If you don't have a publix, hopefully there is a grocer in your area that sells something similar.

After the pizza is on the stone cooking, at eight minutes or so start looking through the top with a flashlight and you can see how done the pizza is.

The most recent two cooked at 9.5, and 10.5 minutes

My wife and I, our pizza took 10.5 minutes the grandkids at 9.5, we like a crispy crust, a little softer for them.

Kitchen prep:

Bring the purchased premade dough midday, open the package so it has room to expand and after two or three hours when it has started expanding you put flour on the parchment paper and put the ball of dough on the flour on the parchment paper, then put a little more flour on the dough and start stretching it out as far as it will go easily. During the next one to three hours continue stretching to fit the already sized parchment paper, covering with a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out.

About ten minutes before the end of stabilizing the temp on the egg, start making the pizza. Don't make too early or it will get soggy. Put on sauce and the rest of the toppings you want on your pizza. Then when the egg temp has stabilized at 550 for twenty minutes put the pizza on.

I'm sure that posters who have been here for years, have already figured out the best way for them and it is likely different. I'm trying to get info out there for someone who hasn't figured out what is their best way.

Regards

Ken
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Comments

  • PattyG
    PattyG Posts: 22
    We haven’t tried pizza yet.  Still really new.  But it’s on our list!  I already bought a pizza stone and a pizza peel but I am still not sure about technique in the egg itself?  
    Do I use the Conveggtor!plate setter? Seems hard to get temp up with it in. 
    Do we take the top piece off altogether or just open it up all the way?
    i bought an accessory to raise the grill to seal but sounds like I need to raise it higher?  Like into the dome?
    thanks!
    Patty
    Big Green Egg Newbie
    Maryland
  • EggersRUs
    EggersRUs Posts: 38
    Hi Patty, for over five years I have been using a Kamado Joe, but have been coming here for info/recipes. If I am wrong on any of my responses, I am hopeful a BGE person will correct me.

    >Do I use the Conveggtor!plate setter?

    The Conveggtor/plate setter is what I am referring to as a heat deflector.

    >Seems hard to get temp up with it in.
    It is, I have to start close to an hour before I plan to put the pizza on. To help get the temp up and increase air flow I open the bottom vent all the way and slide out the ash drawer several inches to get all the air flow I can.

    >Do we take the top piece off altogether or just open it up all the way?

    I don't think you would take the top piece off, just open it up.


    >i bought an accessory to raise the grill to seal but sounds like I need to raise it higher?  Like into the dome?

    No. I am uncertain of BGE configuration, but you don't need to go higher than gasket level.

    You do, however, need to get the temperature up there. I always have to put a bit more charcoal in there to get to 550.

    While I am cooking on a Kamado Joe, don't lose sight of the fact that these are all Kamado ovens.

    Increase to full airflow, and put in plenty of charcoal and you will hit 550. However, it may take a while to get there and stabilize.

    It will be well worth the effort!



  • Stubby
    Stubby Posts: 134
    Book marked.. I need to get my peel but I have the stone.. thanks for the post op..I can't wait to make pizza on the egg.
    XL.......for now

    Kernersville, NC
  • gonepostal
    gonepostal Posts: 711
    I would love to get to the point where pizza was in my rotation. It's not. My pizza has sucked so far. Store bought crust...homeade crust... it hasn't mattered. Maybe one of these days...lol
    Wetumpka, Alabama
    LBGE and MM
  • smokeybreeze
    smokeybreeze Posts: 216
    edited June 2018
    The key to pizza that keeps you and yours from doing take out is a great crust, flavorful sauce, and the right amount of toppings.

    For great crust, go to seriouseats.com and search for pizza crust. Just do it and learn the science behind what makes a great crust. Once you get past the Shu level and are into the Ha level, you can start experimenting. At the Ri level, you grok this and can start adapting to your preferences.

    This nominal pattern applies to all of your cooks whether they are electric, gas, or lump charcoal - learn what to do (shu), then how to do it, with the right outcomes (ha), then how to improve it (ri).

    Enjoy!
  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
    Practice makes perfect is especially true with Pizza. Took me a long time to get comfortable with it in my regular home oven. I've got the recipe I'm happy with (Cook's Illustrated or Serious Eats) and kneading method perfected (food processor).

    Haven't tried it on the egg yet.  Curious if it can do as well a job as a regular oven using baking steel set a few inches below a gas broiler. Not convinced yet b/c I keep seeing people quoting 10+ minutes cooks. That's too long IMO. I'll have to give it a try soon and see if I can speed that up. 

    This cooked in 2.5 minutes. 


    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
  • jwc6160
    jwc6160 Posts: 218
    Some advice. Clean out your charcoal basket if you have smoked recently before cooking pizza. My family is pretty much done with pizza on the egg because I made a couple that had a bit of smoke due to previous cooks. I didn’t care much for it either but my kids really didn’t like it. I tried again recently and it was better but I basically ruined a good thing by this error. 
  • Note: Big deal! As I noted before these instructions are for gasket level!  I am using a Kamado Joe that has been around for a few years. So, the newer kamado joe's use a "divide and Conquer" system that puts the heat deflector lower in the egg.

    So, new firebox replaced under warranty, different system for heat deflector and grill.

    I wasn't thinking about it like I should have, put the new heat deflector in the bottom of the "divide and conquer" system and did the same as usual. Ooops, heat deflector now too close to the fire - burned the bottom of the pizzas at about five minutes. Was just my wife and I so no great loss, we just scraped the toppings (which I usually do, anyhow) off and that was fine and plenty for the two of us.

    Darned if I wouldn't have been embarrassed if there had been someone else for dinner.

    While some people seem to think several minutes or more is right for pizzas, the sorts of toppings that we use do better with more time.

    To be clear, I set the heat deflector on the grill at gasket level, set the three copper elbows on the heat deflector as spacers, and set the pizza stone on top. Then put the pizzas on at 550.

    My apologies if I am being redundant. However, when done right this pizza is wonderful. We use a lot of toppings, and there is no way it would be done properly in several minutes. Or at least not how we like it, anyhow.
  • Skrullb
    Skrullb Posts: 666
    We can’t eat pizza at restaurants anymore. It’s an obsession here, now. Love Egged pizza!
    I'm in Fredericksburg, VA, and I have an XL and a medium. 
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    I would love to get to the point where pizza was in my rotation. It's not. My pizza has sucked so far. Store bought crust...homeade crust... it hasn't mattered. Maybe one of these days...lol
    Let’s cook some together sometime. Took me a while to figure it out... but been on a hot streak ever sense. 
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647

    re: getting up to temp...
    With my XL, fill up the firebox to the bottom of the fire ring, open the vents (remove the DFMT) and you can use a fan and/or a leaf blower if you are in a hurry :)  
  • gmbbs
    gmbbs Posts: 110
    jwc6160 said:
    Some advice. Clean out your charcoal basket if you have smoked recently before cooking pizza. My family is pretty much done with pizza on the egg because I made a couple that had a bit of smoke due to previous cooks. I didn’t care much for it either but my kids really didn’t like it. I tried again recently and it was better but I basically ruined a good thing by this error. 

    Sounds like somebody needs a second egg...
  • Wow @Skrullb I really want some pizza now.  Those all look fantastic, also digging the pizza roll concept!
    XL BGE, CGS AR & spider, 36" SS Blackstone, SMOBOT - Flower Mound, TX
  • Skrullb
    Skrullb Posts: 666
    Wow @Skrullb I really want some pizza now.  Those all look fantastic, also digging the pizza roll concept!
    Thanks. I take my pizza seriously. Haha. 
    You should try the pizza rolls, they’re simple. Back in the college days I went to a restaurant at Radford U that made “Chrusties” and that was my inspiration. You can make them with whatever toppings you’d like. I got creative and made Reuben one night with a homemade pastrami, Swiss and kraut. 
    I'm in Fredericksburg, VA, and I have an XL and a medium.