Ceramic deep dish pizza stone

ajd · June 2018

I have a ceramic deep dish pizza stone that I have used only for regular crust pizza. I am going to do a deep dish pizza this weekend. I have few questions:

I see people mention seasoning the pizza stone. Should I season this or are they talking only about cast iron pizza stones?

Normally I use parchment paper for pizza but I don't think that will work for deep dish. I read where using spray is not good for the stone. Should I use oil or is semolina flour a better option?

I understand you should not put a cold ceramic pizza stone into the egg at 450%. Evidently it could crack. If that is the case, how do you form the dough in the stone when it is that hot?

SonVolt · June 2018

Honestly, that's why I use cast iron for deep dish pizza. You absolutely do run the risk of cracking the stone if you place it cold directly into the hot oven. That's just the nature of stoneware. Trying to form a pizza in a hot stone is not going to be an enjoyable experience and will probably burn the bottom of the dough by the time the pizza is finished cooking. Plus deep-dish pizza dough is typically left to rise IN the pan its cooked in.

Should I season this or are they talking only about cast iron pizza stones?

It'll develop a seasoning with repeated use if it comes into contact with oils/fats etc.

Normally I use parchment paper for pizza but I don't think that will work for deep dish. I read where using spray is not good for the stone. Should I use oil or is semolina flour a better option?

Don't use parchment for deep dish pizza, that defeats the purpose IMO and works against browning the crust which is the best thing about them. Instead, use lots of oil... more than you think. You basically want to fry the bottom of the dough so it develops that crunch brown exterior with nice micro-bubbles.

This is one of my '80s-style Pizza Hut deep dish clones using a 15" cast iron skillet.

Carolina Q · June 2018

I don't own one. I use CI for pan pizza and a steel cake pan for deep dish. That said, BGE sells this thing as a "pizza stone", right? To me, that means you should be able to assemble a pizza in it, which would not be possible if it was preheated. Did it not come with instructions on seasoning and use?

I doubt they expect you to build a pie and put it into a cold egg and then light it and bring it to temp. Sure wouldn't want to eat THAT pie! All of their products are designed with thermal shock in mind. I knew a guy who regularly tossed his hot platesetter into a snowbank, another who drains his melted cooler ice water into his hot egg so he can put it away at a tailgate.

ISTR that folks oil (neutral oil, not olive) the ceramic pan (no semolina or parchment) and bake with it. It seasons over time.

I used parchment twice. Didn't like the resulting crust so I never did it again. Semolina or my now preferred plain old flour work just fine on my peel. Pizza joints don't use paper, why should I? None of these would be suitable for a deep dish stone. I'm just talking about a standard pizza on a peel.

If you've never done a deep dish before, the dough is a completely different animal. Much quicker and easier than other doughs. Bag of flour to eating pizza in 2 hours! Here's how...

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1167656/how-to-make-authentic-chicago-deep-dish-pizza-in-two-hours-or-less/p1

Hope some of this helps!

ajd · June 2018

Thanks for the info. I'll try it in the pizza stone and if it gets damaged, I have an excuse to get a CI one. Carolina Q, thanks so much for that post on making dough. I am going to try that. I always use double zero dough for pizza. Any reason I shouldn't use that with this recipe?

SonVolt · June 2018

ajd said:

I am going to try that. I always use double zero dough for pizza. Any reason I shouldn't use that with this recipe?

Generally speaking, you'd use 00 for Neapolitan style pizza only... even then I wouldn't bother with it unless I had a full brick oven in my backyard and was serious about that style pizza. For NY style, Deep Dish and everything else use a good quality high-protein Bread Flour like King Arthur. You want lots of gluten and oven spring since deep dishes are slower cooks. 00 would work against you here.

SmileMaker · June 2018

If you are using a ceramic pan do yourself a big favor and line it with parchment paper.

Carolina Q · June 2018

ajd said:

Thanks for the info. I'll try it in the pizza stone and if it gets damaged, I have an excuse to get a CI one. Carolina Q, thanks so much for that post on making dough. I am going to try that. I always use double zero dough for pizza. Any reason I shouldn't use that with this recipe?

I always try any recipe with what the author specifies. In this case, All Purpose. As I mentioned, this dough his nothing like a standard pizza or bread dough.
http://www.realdeepdish.com/RDDHolyGrail.pdf

There is no oven spring.

SonVolt · June 2018

I should have read your linked thread first. I'm guilty of using "pan" and "deep-dish" synonymously when almost always assuming pan.

bluebird66 · June 2018

I've had one for a while, but it's still in the box. I need to try it out.

Focker · June 2018

No need to season, stoneware seasons with use.
Deep dish dough is more oily if that makes you feel better. No need for parchment.

Assemble pie in the baker, then add cold to the preheated egg.

At 450, you'll be fine.
All of my Pampered Chef, Hartstone Pottery, Haeger, Sassafrass stoneware has been cold and added to the egg at baking temps, no cracks to date.

It's the sudden temp changes that will crack it. A 450 egg is not sudden.

I wouldn't use 00 here.

Carolina Q · June 2018

BTW, be sure to watch the realdeepdish video on making the dough (in the first link I posted). It literally takes 4 minutes. Don't git no easier'n that!

Ceramic deep dish pizza stone

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