My 2 Stone breakthrough !!

[mkevenson]

So I have had my 2Stone since Sept of last year. I have been cooking on average one pizza per week, perhaps more. My biggest problem has been bottom burning at temps above 650 F or so. I have eliminated adding sugar or any sweetener to my dough. Today I tried a new flour, 4g / 1/4 cup protein and no malt, trying to eliminate any sugar in the dough that could be contributing to the burning.
I really want to cook at temps above 650 F and not get burned bottoms.
Well today I baked a 24 hr controlled temp 64 F, fermented dough at 700-725 F. I didn't burn the bottom and the top was beautifully colored. Yeah, I know if I didn't take pics, it didn't happen.... Oh well.....
This was I believe my best crust ever. Nice airy
 Cornice, a little stiffness to the bottom, and a wonderful taste.
So why did this one turn out better than all the rest?
I baked it from the bottom up. Simple solution.
In the past I watched the top to determine the doneness, this time I watched the bottom.
When I had a good color on the bottom the top was still Blondie, so I cranked my 60K BTU/HR burner all the way up and blasted the top, kinda like the addition of a top broiler in the home oven.
Wow, the crust was amazing!!!!!!

If any of you who are using a 2 stone or similar oven and are having the same problems that I have been having, try this method, it just might help.

Mark

[mitchjg]

I typically have used my 2stone at right about 700.  I mixed 50/50 00 flour and a malted flour (such as KABF or KASL - I assume you meant 14%, not 4%). 

I would bake until the bottom was right and then slide in the metal peel and lift it off the bottom stone.  If the top needed a little more, then I would hold it there, just like doming a pie in a WFO.

Between the "less malt" (via the 00) and the doming, I usually did not have a burned bottom issue.  I do also recall trying to line the bottom of the stone with some aluminum foil to insulate / cool it down a bit.

BTW, what flour was it that you used?

- Mitch

[jeff v]

Congrats! That knowledge should be a huge help as you move forward.

[mkevenson]

BTW, what flour was it that you used?

- Mitch

Arrowhead Mills, Organic, unbleached white four.
Protein 4 g/ 1/4 cup. Maybe 11.6%

Mark

[corkd]

Mark-

when I began using my 2stone, i made the mistake of launching the pies & focusing on rotating the turntable. I have learned that this is not enough..

I agree with your method-- & about baking from the bottom up w/ the 2 stone. (mine is the grill, used with a weber genesis)
30 sec after I launch the pie, just after it sets, i lift it off the stone & replace-- repeating this a couple of times has also helped eliminate excessive charring.
When I was at Forcella in NY recently, I noticed the same thing being done with their (much hotter) wood oven..

I also do  what Mitch mentions, holding the pie really close to the top stone for a bit....

This was a previously frozen ball, topped with yellow roma tomatoes (also previously frozen, from last year's garden), sorrento whole milk mozz blended w/ asiago, sopressata, & pickled cherry peps.... launched at just over 700.. the bottom was not burned, but had nicely charred spots (sorry for not shooting the bottom--but next bake i will....we were hungry!)
Also, this KABF dough did have honey & oil in the formula.
the crust was airy, not quite foldable, but not excessively crackery.

clay

[mkevenson]

Clay, thank you for your input. That is a large pie for a 15" stone, or perhaps it looks wider in the pic than in person.  Last pie I baked , after the crust set, I inserted a screen under the pie,  to reduce over charing and did dome.  Baking another pie Sat so I'll keep working on it.
Thank's again for your input.


Mark

[corkd]

The pie fit on a 14" peel, just looks larger.

I am going to try your screen method with a much hotter temp, and a caputo dough. Will post results.
I think with the 2stone you need the lowest HR you can reach given the flour used.

[corkd]

Encouraging results tonite, pushing the 2stone to 825+ stone temp.. The dough was 24hr room temp; caputo pizzeria;60%HR; 3% salt; .5% ADY. I didn't use a screen on these pies--- just lifted off stone a few times to manage the charring.

Clay