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Pizza Trouble

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timoe1
timoe1 Posts: 3
in Cookbook
Over the years Ive had mixed results with pizza on the egg.  When its right its great.  Tonight however was another one that didn't go so well.  The issue is the crust.  We bought some pre made dough from the bakery.  I rolled it out put it on the peel and lightly coated the top with olive oil.  Put it on the egg without any toppings for a few minutes to pre-cook it a bit.  Just enough to get it to set up.  Still not bad.  Put the toppings on and placed it on the pizza stone.  The egg was at approx 600F.  After a few minutes 2-3 did a quick check on it and found the crust was burnt black (inedible) on the bottom but the cheese had not started to brown on top and the veggies were not cooked enough.  Normally I use cornmeal on the peel to allow it to slide.  However, here is where I think it went wrong, tonight we didn't have any cornmeal so I used some polenta.  Can anyone confirm that this is an obvious no no?  They seamed similar enough? Or is it the pre-cooking?  Not necessary?  I don't want to give up on pizza on the egg because like I said when its right its great.  

Thanks
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Comments

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    I can confirm It had nothing to do with cornmeal or lack of.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    If all was the same it was your pizza dough
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • Skrullb
    Skrullb Posts: 666
    edited September 2018
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    I never Pre-cook my dough and it always comes out great. I use parchment between my stone and dough until the crust sets up a bit and then pull it out and let it all cook together.  
    I'm in Fredericksburg, VA, and I have an XL and a medium. 
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Don't know anyting about polenta. It's just corneal though, so I would think it would work. I just use flour. 

    I don't think most folks here pre-cook pizza dough. Don't recall anyone mentioning it anyway. Why would you? 

    What's the config inside your egg? What hardware are you using and what air gaps? If you're using a platesetter and just plop the stone on top of it, you're gonna burn the bottom.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,976
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    Did the bakery dough have sugar in it?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • GaBGE
    GaBGE Posts: 556
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    I never pre cook my dough, I always use previously frozen dough balls purchased from a restaurant. 
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  • timoe1
    timoe1 Posts: 3
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    Carolina Q is on to something.  Configuration was ... grill, platesetter, pizza stone "plopped" on top.  Sounds like should be plate setter, grill, pizza stone?  

    They didn't list sugar in the dough ingredients.  

    Next time I won't pre-cook and Ill set up... plate setter legs up, grill, pizza stone.  

    Polenta was burning black in a few minutes by itself.  Must have been too much heat on the stone.  

    Thanks for the help.
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,527
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    Even better, many here elevate the pizza stone higher/closer to the dome.
    canuckland
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    As mentioned above, you don't need to par cook the dough. And you do need to get the pie higher in the dome. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
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    preheating stone and dome can help...

    dome radiates heat back onto za surface


    this happened to me a few times and the problem was resolved when i elevated the stone high up in the dome....
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  • NorthPilot06
    NorthPilot06 Posts: 1,179
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    Agree with the above. Raising the stone higher in the dome is a good idea, but even more important is an air gap between the platesetter and the stone. 
    DFW - 1 LGBE & Happy to Adopt More...
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  • Jupiter Jim
    Jupiter Jim Posts: 3,351
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    I never go to 600, 425 to 450. When I use pizza dough from the tube I put it on a pizza screen sprayed with pam pre bake just until the bottom starts to brown, pull it flip it on the screen put toppings on pre baked side and back on the egg. I also use a Roswell rig to get it high in the dome. Have recently found a dough pre maid that I don't need to pre bake so I don't. If the dough has sugar it will for sure burn at high temps. The secret to getting the toppings nice and browned is high in the dome and the heat off the dome will be like putting in under a broiler. In summery if sugar lower temps, get pizza high in the dome and enjoy.

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

    Okeechobee FL. Winter

    West Jefferson NC Summer

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  • unoriginalusername
    unoriginalusername Posts: 1,065
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    For pizza I heat up with the stone in to about 600-700 and then shut the daisy wheel and the temp quickly drops to about 400. 

    Once stops dropping quickly I open it up and let the heat come back up. Now the ceramic and everything is hot so when it’s reading the temp it’s actually that temp and not just a flame kissing the temp gauge. 

    I cool the stone with a wet cloth and put the pizza on. I can do four or five and they each come out the same and take the same amount of time and with the dome hot I gind it cooks / broils the top better. I aim to cook above 600 so my time per pie is 4:30

    Perfect this method every time 

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  • 1voyager
    1voyager Posts: 1,157
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    Start by making your own dough using Caputo 00 flour. It makes a huge difference from pre-made.

    I pre-heat the raised stone @ 600-650 degrees for 1 hour.

    Don't pre-cook the dough. Place dough on parchment paper on the peel then load up the toppings. Exposed edges of the parchment will burn but not underneath the pie.

    Mine usually goes 6-8 minutes depending on toppings.
    Large Egg, PGS A40 gasser.
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    Polenta was burning black in a few minutes by itself.  Must have been too much heat on the stone.

    How much polenta did you use? Sounds like you put polenta directly on the stone.  Use only enough to allow the dough to slide off the peel - very little.  It goes on the peel not the stone.  Corn burns on a pizza stone.  With a par cooked crust, you shouldn't need any for the main cook.

    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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  • victor1
    victor1 Posts: 225
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    1voyager said:
    Start by making your own dough using Caputo 00 flour. It makes a huge difference from pre-made.

    I pre-heat the raised stone @ 600-650 degrees for 1 hour.

    Don't pre-cook the dough. Place dough on parchment paper on the peel then load up the toppings. Exposed edges of the parchment will burn but not underneath the pie.

    Mine usually goes 6-8 minutes depending on toppings.
    Exactly how I've done mine, great results.
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  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
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    Amount of moisture in the dough is why your dough bottom will burn or not.  If your going to crank up your temps to 600+, you need a moist dough.  I don't use anything on the stone and I use a very wet dough and they don't ever stick, cornmeal and parchment are not necessary if your pizza stone is hot.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

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