Crisper or Stone: How should I prepare my next pizza?

[spazster]

I don't have a chance to make pizza too often and when I do I want to make it count.  I recently bought a Mainstray pizza pan at walmart. I'm very curious as to how it will hold up, but I also have six 6x6 bread stone tiles that I usually use and would also like to use it this time as well.  The problem I've had with the stones though is that I have a really hard time getting the pizza onto the stone and I usually end up distorting the pizza. 

What I was thinking was to maybe put the pizza stone on the bottom rack of the stove and the crisper on the rack above and let the pizza cook on the crisper for about 4 minutes.  After the dough hardens up a bit, I'll take it off the crisper and put it on the stone for 6 to 8 minutes. Since it will be a 16" pizza and I can only create a 18X 12 surface with the stones, I'll be rotating the pizza every 2 minutes and parts of the pizza will hang off the stone.

Does this sound like it will work out or should I just use the crisper?

[Chicago Bob]

Spaz...6  6x6in stones equals an 18x18in surface, not 18x12  ?

edit: I just took a look at your new crisper pan.....place the pan that has the holes in it on your lowest rack for 3 minutes and then move it up to the next higher rack with the stones on it...jerk/slide the pizza off the pan onto those stones. Give that a try S.

[spazster]

I'd need to use 9 tiles to get 18X18. Even if I had extra tiles though, I would have a hard time fitting 3 tiles from front to back and they wouldn't be even.

[Chicago Bob]

I'd need to use 9 tiles to get 18X18. Even if I had extra tiles though, I would have a hard time fitting 3 tiles from front to back and they wouldn't be even.

Sorry spaz, my math is off tonight(as usual ) you are doing good by using the stones. Please see my last post...I have worked/good success with those perforated pans.

edit: also spazter, you may need to reverse this oven setup/configuration...or arrange it all in a completely different manner. You will come to figure this out quickly. Is this an electric oven and is NY style pizza what you are baking?
Bob

[spazster]

I think I'm doing American style, but I'm not sure because I'm a n00b. I use a recipe similar to this, but I use bread flour and I do a 24 hour rise in the fridge. Next time though I think I might use AP because I've been told that it is too chewie (although personally I like that). I've only used my pizza stone in the stove once. Usually I put it on the grill to cook my pizza.

I generally have a high rise crust and I'd like to make it a tad bit thinner.

If it is not too much trouble, I have a question about making the dough. Is it generally better to put the dough in fridge immediately after kneading it or doing a regular rise first and then punching it down and allowing it to do another rise slowly in the fridge?

[spazster]

I just saw your advice on the edit. Thanks for the tip.  What if in addition after the first 3 minutes I remove the bottom rack with the crisper and put the pizza stone rack with the pizza in its place? Will it make much of a difference and if so will it be worth the burns I will most likely get from my clumsiness?

[Chicago Bob]

Put your stone rack whever you want it , preheat it well and just put the crisper pan on that....yank the pan out after 2 min.leaving the pizza to finish on the stone. 

[Pizzaboyo]

Spazster, I had the same problem as you i.e transferring the pizza from peel to hot stone  I read a tip from chicago bob in another post and it works a treat. Make up the pizza on a sheet of tinfoil and slide it onto the stone and after two or three minutes just slide the foil out. I also found that my stone actually is best used in the smaller (non fan) oven.After a lot of trials and almost burning down the house trying to get the highest possible heat from my home oven to get that 3/4/5/6 minute bake I realised it's never gonna happen. So now I put the stone under the grill fo an hour to preheat first then shut the door and heat the oven to 220c and cook it for a bit longer for browing of crust and Im very happy with the results.Stick with it and you'll get there in the end.

[Jackitup]

Spazster, I had the same problem as you i.e transferring the pizza from peel to hot stone  I read a tip from chicago bob in another post and it works a treat. Make up the pizza on a sheet of tinfoil and slide it onto the stone and after two or three minutes just slide the foil out. I also found that my stone actually is best used in the smaller (non fan) oven.After a lot of trials and almost burning down the house trying to get the highest possible heat from my home oven to get that 3/4/5/6 minute bake I realised it's never gonna happen. So now I put the stone under the grill fo an hour to preheat first then shut the door and heat the oven to 220c and cook it for a bit longer for browing of crust and Im very happy with the results.Stick with it and you'll get there in the end.

Here's a good example of a cracker crust I did from awhile back. Works especially well for heavier pies that don't slide well. I still use this technique for heavy pies, save you some heart ache for sure!!  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5762.msg49498.html#msg49498

jon

[spazster]

I just made my first thin crust pizza using Bob's advice and it turned out amazing.  It was the first pizza I made that was round.

I used Walmart's Great Value Tomato Puree, grated Parisian cheese, honey, and basic dry spices to make the pizza sauce.  How long can I store it in the fridge or the freezer before it goes bad?

[Chicago Bob]

Somewhere between 1-2 weeks it will start to sour...with the puree though it might even go a 'lil longer.
Freezer...as long as you want.
spazter, you might also like the Classico(walmart)brand of ground tomato product. It has a much brighter tomato flavor than the puree. Jus say'in.
Bob

[Pizzaboyo]

I just made my first thin crust pizza using Bob's advice and it turned out amazing.  It was the first pizza I made that was round.

I used Walmart's Great Value Tomato Puree, grated Parisian cheese, honey, and basic dry spices to make the pizza sauce.  How long can I store it in the fridge or the freezer before it goes bad?

Any chance of a recipe for that spazster?? sounds great.

[spazster]

Thanks for the info. How much does freezing generally effect the taste of dough and the sauce?

Any chance of a recipe for that spazster?? sounds great.

I don't have a precise recipe. I usually just open a can of puree and just throw in the following ingredients until I'm happy with the taste:

• paprika
• cayenne pepper
• crushed red pepper
• black pepper
• salt
• Grated Parisian cheese
• Honey
• oregano
• basil
• garlic powder
• onion powder

[Chicago Bob]

spazter,
Just realized you're talking about a thin crust pizza. I use puree too on my Chicago thins, spiced up a bit but not quite as much as your's. That recipe you jus posted looks like a good tasting one.