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Hello, Pizza Hut?

Carolina Q
Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'd like to order a good pizza please. I don't care what you put on it - whatever it is, I'm sure it will taste better than the last dozen or so I've cooked on my Big Green Egg.

Folks, this is getting really old. For the life of me, I can't get this right. I have tried all sorts of things and I have no ideas left. I have tried hot and fast, and 500 and not so fast. I have tried pizza dough from a local pizzaria and "made fresh daily" stuff from the grocery store. I have not yet tried to make my own dough. Sometimes the crust is nicely charred, sometimes it's TOO charred. Other times it's golden brown with no char. Whatever. That's not the problem.

The problem is, almost EVERY time, it just doesn't taste good. I have tried multiple sauce recipes, multiple toppings (from fresh mozz and basil to that plus pepperoni and green peppers). Put some Italian sausage on one of 'em if I recall. They are just not tasty.

Everything else I cook on the egg is great. My pizza SUCKS. Anybody wanna buy a slightly used pizza stone?

Rant mode off. Thanks for listening.

At least the Yanks are winning. :)

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

Michael 
Central Connecticut 

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Comments

  • Michael ....

    Do this ... go get your favorite frozen pizza ..... get two of them ... toss one in the oven ... toss one on the egg with a pizza stone .... do a blind taste test and see which one you like best ....

    Just because you like everything else on the egg doesn't mean you have to like the pizza ... but I think most people in this forum would agree that pizza on the egg is fantastic.

    Joel
  • CBBQ
    CBBQ Posts: 610
    Here's what I did to start me out on the whole pizza thing. I started out using the partially cooked pizza dough's and just worked on the sauce and ingrediants. Once I started getting the flavor thing down I started working on the dough.
  • CBBQ
    CBBQ Posts: 610
    Actually, I'd start with Joel's idea which is what I did before going to the par-cooked crust.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I don't HAVE a favorite frozen pizza! Even MINE are better than those. :lol:

    I know everyone here loves their egged pizza. That's what's so frustrating!!!

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • I agree ... we have about two dozen pizzas done on our egg ... and the dough is close ... but not perfect ... always have a store bought pizza dough on stand by.
  • Scary ... We've had our egg for a year and a half ... and it's been a year and a half since we've had a frozen pizza ... don't know what my favorite is either.

    Joel
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I honestly don't think it's the dough. My best pizzas have actually been those where I have BURNED the crust. At least those had some taste! I need a good sauce recipe and haven't found one I like yet. Have tried a couple of varieties of fresh mozz. Maybe I just need to use more of it - or the pre-shredded stuff in a bag.

    I will keep trying.

    Bottom 5
    5-1 Yanks
    27?
    :)

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina,

    My wife and I like pizza on the egg but my kids would agree with you. Are you cooking on a clean egg and on new coals? My experience has been that if you cook after a low and slow the grease is very strong with the smoke. I like the other theory on trying a taste test with two similiar pies. We now do one on the egg and one in oven.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I've had my egg for a MONTH and a half. And it's been a year and a half since I had a frozen pizza. Uggh! :sick:

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    you have mail. :)
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I have no doubt that pizza on the egg is better than any in the oven. No need for a comparison. All that would tell me is that my oven pizza is even worse!

    Clean egg, dirty egg, new lump, used lump. Been there done that. Pizza still sucks.

    Top 6
    Yanks 7 - Phils 1
    :)

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • This is really a bummer. I have had the opposite luck... Everything hasn't been perfect, but its all benn good.

    Have two quesitons?

    1) what do others say about your egg pizzas you served.
    2) what do you say about other's egg pizzas you tried.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Nope. Looking forward to it though! :)

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    That was a response to Sauced Up. :blush:
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    RU Eggsperienced wrote:

    1) what do others say about your egg pizzas you served.
    2) what do you say about other's egg pizzas you tried.

    My son is the only one who has been forced to eat my pizzas. He seems to think they are okay. I think he's being kind.

    I've never had an egged pizza - other than mine.

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I am sooo disappointed! :lol:

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Sorry about your luck. Sounds like your mind is made up.
    Get plenty of beer and cook you favorite............
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    The only thing my mind is made up about is that, so far, my pizzas suck. I have not given up though. Everyone else is using the same egg I am using and they all love their pizzas. I WILL get this right.

    And I have the beer already. Maybe I should add some to my pizza sauce... beer can pizza!! :silly:

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Don't dispair, pizza is one of my favorite cooks that has the wow factor. Here are my suggestions:

    1. Make sure egg is burning clean with ample warm up time.

    2. Cook your pizzas on parchment paper setting on the stone at 400 Dome temps for 15 to 30 minutes.

    3. Provide a small gap between the platesetter and pizza stone but not to large a gap or the flames will get in there and burn your crust.

    Of have tried every dome temp imaginable and personaly find the 400 dome temp to work the best for me. Keep trying, you won't believe what you are missing.
  • Michael honey, try and find an Italian deli that has mozzarella di bufala, made from buffalo milk. The stuff they sell here is made from cows' milk and becomes a goopy mess when it's heated. I won't waste my money on it any more. My favorite pizza cheese is Fontina from Italy. The domestic Fontina is totally different, I won't buy that either. The Italians know what they're doing.

    Take a look at this pizza sauce on youtube, and if you try it please, let me know how it turns out. It's a 30-second sauce, I think.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MUfjVuIXXY&feature=related

    Judy
    Judy in San Diego
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    civil eggineer wrote:
    Don't dispair, pizza is one of my favorite cooks that has the wow factor. Here are my suggestions:

    1. Make sure egg is burning clean with ample warm up time.

    2. Cook your pizzas on parchment paper setting on the stone at 400 Dome temps for 15 to 30 minutes.

    3. Provide a small gap between the platesetter and pizza stone but not to large a gap or the flames will get in there and burn your crust.

    Of have tried every dome temp imaginable and personaly find the 400 dome temp to work the best for me. Keep trying, you won't believe what you are missing.

    Thanks, Tim. I got it to 500 and stabilized for at least 20-30 minutes. Half used half new lump.

    Tonight's temp was at 500, not 4, but many seem to suggest that. Maybe I'll try 400 next time.

    The only time I tried parchment paper, the crust was soggy. Don't remember what temp, but I've never tried any pizza below 500 so it was at least that. I usually use corn meal.

    I use three terra cotta "feet" as spacers, not the green egg ones. I haven't compared sizes, but these raise the stone about 1 1/2". I'll check.

    And I DO intend to keep trying! :)

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Honey? Judy, you are a sweetheart! :laugh:

    Thanks for the suggestion. I will try to find some - even if I have to milk a buffalo myself! :)

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Judy, I just watched the youtube video. That sauce is almost exactly what I used tonight. Cento (not San Marzano) whole canned Italian plum tomatoes crushed by hand. Strained to remove excess water. A pinch of salt, another of dried oregano. The only thing I added that he didn't was a pinch of sugar. Sigh.........

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • JB
    JB Posts: 510
    Ditto on the Fontina. This one was done with store bought dough (Publix) and canned sauce (Dei Fratelli) @ 700F for 5 mins. I like thin crust with a little char. I used whole milk mozz- sliced (Boars Head from the deli).. thanks to this forum, Then toppings, and then sliced Boars Head Fontina. I too have been seeking better pizza on the Egg and have had steady improvement. Keep at it!

    Pizza11-1-09004.jpg
    Pizza11-1-09005.jpg
    Pizza11-1-09006.jpg
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Oh, I will definitely keep at it. I Like pizza too much to give up on it, It's just frustrating to see all the posts on this forum about the wonderful pizzas you folks have made - and me knowing that I can go to any local pizzaria (including Pizza Hut) and get a pizza that's better than mine!

    I do a mean butt though. :)

    Bottom 8. 7-3 Yanks! :woohoo:

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Well, you called me Judy love, first. Surely by now I've earned a honey! :silly:
    Judy in San Diego
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Yes, Dear. :laugh:

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Duly bookmarked...Thanks, Ross!!

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Michael, I just had a thought (my limit for today). Do you grow any fresh herbs? Specifically Greek oregano and basil. French thyme is terrific for anything from salads to meat, but I never tried it on pizza.

    Fresh Greek oregano is marvelous. And when it gets "leggy" cut it off and let it dry on the counter...the dried version rubbed between your palms is so pungent you'll think you're on the shores of the Mediterranean. And of course, having fresh basil at hand is a must.

    They're so easy to grow, especially in the ground, but pots are a snap too.

    Judy
    Judy in San Diego